[Please tell with me if you think I’m wrong or have overlooked something. This is going to be the foundation for an article that’s going to be featured on the web site when I get a chance to add some photos, links and double-check a few prices. - Rob]
I think Dr's and Mikey's lists of tools are pretty good and mine is not that different. I just want to make the point that you don't need to buy everything right away to get started machining, making things and having some fun. I didn't spend much to get started and I slowly bought more tooling when I needed it or found a good deal. You can spend money forever, but I think that if you shop carefully you can put together a well equipped home machine shop with a mini-lathe, mini-mill, the essentials and some extras for somewhere between $1600 and $2000. Some of the the things you’ll need, like drill bits, taps and dies, files, table grinder, hacksaw, vise, and a workbench are things you may already have, or might want to have, even if you aren’t going to do any machining or metalworking.
If you can’t afford to start with both a mill and a lathe then you’re going to have to decide which one to buy first. I’m sure we could get a good argument started about that. But I’ll let someone else do that and just tell you that I started with just a mini-lathe. If you do the same you’ll be able to make some useful accessories for your workshop and model engines like HMEM’s EZ Build Engine, which is an excellent beginners project. Don’t worry, you can make the square parts with a hacksaw and files if you don’t have a mill. (You can do amazing things with just a hacksaw, some files, patience and practice).
My List
Lathe: The mini-lathe made by Sieg Industries in China is very popular with hobbyists and they’re sold all over the world under various brand names. You’ll probably pay about $600 for one with tax and shipping (in the US). Prices have gone up a bit, especially recently. I paid $370 for mine in the Spring of 2007.
There are some bigger lathes that are also popular, such as the Harbor Freight 8x12 and the very similar Lathemaster 8x14. I recently bought a used HF 8x12. Its additional weight and horsepower make it capable of removing metal must faster than a 7x12 and it doesn’t cost much more.
Some Links to Lathes
Grizzly G8688 7x12 – $495
Harbor Freight 7x12 – $549 (Look for a HF 20% off coupon)
Microlux 7x14 – $640 (A little bigger and it comes with lots of extras)
Harbor Freight 8x12 – $700 (Look for a HF 20% off coupon. It’s also often on sale)
Lathemaster 8x14 – $870 (A little bigger with lots of extras)
Two more things about lathes
-
Your lathe and mill will probably hold their value pretty well if you take care of them.
- You can buy an attachment for many lathes that will make it capable of doing some milling (producing flat surfaces). You can also make flat surfaces with a 4-jaw
chuck.
Other things you’ll need (tooling)
Lathe bits: The least expensive option (assuming you have a table grinder) is to buy some HSS tool blanks for grinding bits. They cost about $2 to $5 each and you’ll only need two or three to get started.
You can also buy presharpened HSS bits. I don’t know what they cost or if they’re even worth buying, but they’ll allow you to get started with a sharp and properly made bit that you can also use as a model to help you learn how to grind your own. They will get dull, maybe quickly, and you’ll have to resharpen them on either on a grinder or with a handheld hone.
Carbide bits are also an option but there are two things I want to warn you about. First, carbide is brittle and you can very quickly ruin a bit by making common newbie mistakes or “interrupted” cuts. For that reason it is probably best to start with HSS bits. Second, don’t waste your money on the cheap imported carbide bit sets that many companies sell. They’re usually painted red and it’s generally agreed by everyone who has ever owned a set that they’re a complete waste of money.
There are two kinds of carbide bits, indexable and brazed. Indexable bits have carbide tips that are usually triangular shaped and held in place with small screw. When the tip gets dull, which usually takes a long time, you unscrew it and turn it to another point. So you get three cutting tips out of single insert, which usually costs about $4 to $7.
Brazed carbide bits are very similar HSS bits except they they have a piece of tungsten carbide that has been welded on the cutting edge and ground to the proper shape. They can stay sharp for a long time and when they do become dull you can often resharpen them using a “green” grinding wheel or a handheld hone. I’ve tried the American made ones that Enco sells and I’ve been very pleased with their quality. Mini-lathe size bits will cost you about $4 or $5. They come in different shapes for making different kinds of cuts. You don’t need to buy all of them. You’ll use an “AR” or “BR” most of the time, although it wouldn’t hurt to have some “AL” and “BL” bits also.
Table grinder: You'll need one to grind HSS lathe bits unless you switch to indexable carbide bits like I did. I rarely use mine now.
Indexable carbide tool bit holders and a Quick Change Tool Post (QCTP): Many machinists like to use lathe bits that have been ground from HSS (High Speed Steel) tool blanks. They claim, probably correctly, that the bits are sharper and produce a better finish, especially on a low-horsepower mini-lathe.
However, I very quickly decided that I hated grinding and resharpening HSS bits. I also didn’t like having to fiddle with shims to adjust their height. So I very quickly decided to ignore my budget and buy a set of indexable tool bits and a QCTP. An A2Z QCTP set for a mini-lathe will cost you about $90 at Littlemachineshop.com and the tool bits about $30 or so.
I get very good results with carbide but there are some tricks that you’ll need to learn get the most out of them. I still use HSS when I’m cutting threads on a mini-lathe. Ask if you’d like to know why.
Tailstock drill chuck and a set of center drills: about $25 from LittleMachineShop.com.
A set of drill bits: I’ve had good luck with the ones that Harbor Freight frequently has on sale for $10 to $20. The used Drill Doctor 750 I bought for $60 keeps them sharp. I’m still using my original set and I have a couple of spares stored away in case I break some bits.
Digital Caliper, micrometers and other measuring stuff: A 6-inch digital caliper is essential. I use mine for nearly everything. I’ve been very pleased with the stainless steel ones that Harbor Freight often has on sale for $10 or $15.
Ialso have a large assortment of quality Starrett and Brown & Sharp micrometers that I’ve been given or I bought used. They’re more accurate than a digital caliper but I rarely need the extra precision. So don’t assume that you have to rush out and buy some.
Just so you know, micrometers have a limited range and there are different kinds for measuring outside diameters, inside diameters, depth and other things. So you’ll need to acquire a collection of them if you really want to use them to measure a lot of different things in a wide range of sizes.
By the way, I also have a 3-piece set of Harbor Freight outside micrometers in a nice plastic case that I got on sale for about $35. They’re accurate and I think their quality is pretty good.
You may also not need a dial indicator right away. Although you’ll certainly need one if you get a 4-jaw chuck. You may also want to get a dial test indicator if you do that.
You can still buy a traditional DI for about $12 at Harbor Freight when they’re on sale. You’ll also need a magnetic base with an adjustable arm to hold it. HF frequently has them on sale for about $10.
To be honest, I sometimes get confused when reading a DI because I don’t use one very often. I found that sometimes it’s easier to use a digital dial indicator, at least when I’m tramming a badly out of square mill. I haven’t seen them on sale at Harbor Freight in awhile, but I did get one for about $25 by using one of their 20% off coupons. Here’s another reason why you might want to get a digital one.
4-jaw lathe chuck: There are a number of reasons why you might want or need to buy a 4-jaw chuck.
- You need to hold something that’s bigger than your 3-jaw chuck can handle.
- You need to hold something that is non-cylindrical or has flat surfaces.
- You need to offset a work piece for turning or drilling.
- You need to center a work piece more accurately than a 3-jaw or other self-centering chuck can.
You can also use a 4-jaw to do some of the operations you could with a mill, like making flat surfaces. For example, you can make a round bar into a rectangular bar by mounting it in the chuck “sideways” and then facing it to make a flat surface. You would then turn it to make the other sides flat.
You may not need a 4-jaw right away. If you do, a 4-inch chuck for a mini-lathe will cost about $80. You’ll also probably need to buy an adapter plate for about $20 and maybe some extra studs and nuts for about $4.
Taps and Dies: I already had a good SAE set that I’d bought years ago. But I’ve had to buy some additional sizes. I got most of them from Enco and I usually bought the best I could afford because I think the higher quality ones cut better, make threads that fit better and you’re less likely to have a tap break. Although, I was desperate one night for some metric sizes so I went out and bought a cheap metric set at Harbor Freight. They don’t say that they’re made out of HSS or another good tool steel, but they work well and I haven’t broken any yet (but I don’t use them that often either).
Reamers: Reamers are expensive but you may not need any for awhile. When you do it might be to make a cylinder for a model engine. If so there are alternative methods you may be able to use to get a good fit. You can also buy them individually instead of as a set.
Files: You’ll want to invest in an assortment of quality files, which I think should include a single-cut long-angle lathe file which you can buy for about $10 or so from Enco. I also suggest you buy the small finish files that Harbor Freight frequently has on sale for about $3 or $4 set. I have multiple sets, not because I wear them out, but because they get clogged with filings that are hard to remove.
High quality hacksaw frame and blades: Here is why I suggest buying a well made hacksaw frame and high-quality bimetal blades. I really like Starrett blades but I think Lenox blades are good too. Don’t buy off-brands unless you want to add some frustration to your life.
Bench Vise with “soft” jaws: I would get a least a four-inch vise and either make or buy a set of “soft” jaws for it so it won’t mar your work. I got a very nice vise on sale at Harbor Freight for about $30, which would probably cost about $40 now.
A sturdy workbench: This could be a topic all by itself. I think a workbench should be big, strong, rigid, and heavy to absorb vibrations. So I usually build my own. Some home machinists put their lathes on roll-around tool chests. They’re fairly inexpensive, sturdy, portable and you’ll have a good place to store most of your tools. A strong folding table, like a banquet table, could also be used.
Miscellaneous tools and supplies: Deburring tools, counter sinks, tapping and cutting oils, scriber, center punch, machinist’s scale, screw pitch gage, parting tool, boring bar, height gage and some other things I’ve forgotten to mention. Most of these are inexpensive ($3 to $10 each), but they can add up. Luckily you won’t need all of them right away.
Metal: I think that if you’re going to own a home machine shop then you should have a good assortment of aluminium, steel and drill rod on hand.
Investing in some “good” metal can also make learning how to use a lathe easier. New home machinists often practice on hardware store bolts, the steel and aluminum rods sold in hardware stores or scrap they find in the trash. The problem with these "mystery metals" is that they often have poor “machinability” and it can be hard to get a nice finish on them even if you’re experienced and know what you’re doing. So I think you’d be better off buying some 6061 grade aluminum, 12L14 “free machining” steel, or maybe even some W-1 (water hardening) drill rod to learn on.
My local metal dealers are inconvenient to visit and kind of expensive. So I get almost all my metal by mail from Use-Enco.com, OnlineMetals.com or Smallparts.com.
- Rob
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September 8, 2010 at 2:33 PM
Great
article and has re-ignited my interest. But once again I founder:
There’s a lot of help out there on how to pick a machine, but not much
on what else is needed. You mention “tools” including measuring, but
don’t really give a comprehensive list.
Obviously you can buy and buy and buy and never be done. But what is
the minimum set of tools needed? And what dependencies do they have on
each other? (i.e., if I find a bunch of reamers at the flea market that
seem to be in good quality, should I get them even though I don’t have
a lathe yet? or will I need to know the frobnitz number of the lathe
first?)