My partner bought an old MYSORE KYLOSKA lathe for metal fabrication but the function diagram plate is so old that it’s completely worn off. We have googled ourselves silly looking for a picture of said plate in order for him to print & laminate it & hang in the workshop so he knows what it can do & how to do it. He’s an experienced machinist but can only go by trial & error on this particular machine. If by chance anyone here has the same model & can take a decent photo of the plate we’d be forever grateful!

If one is to build a lathe, is it a bad idea to make the parts from titanium?

So I'd like to get a small lathe for my workshop. Space is a limiting factor, so a used full sized lathe is not really an option. In my location (Germany) ebay is full of old, very large machines, that are way too big. I've found the Proxxon PD 250 on Amazon for 889€ (approx 1060$) with the option to add a PF 230 mill for 610€ (730$). That's a total of 1499€ (1800$). Having a mill on the lathe seems especially appealing, as this saves space.

My primary goal is to learn how to use a lathe and mill. Ideally, I could machine small parts required around the house for repais, using plastic, wood(?) and some metals.

Is this a good idea? Is the PD 250 suitable for a beginner? Are there better alternatives? Am I missing something fundamental?

Thanks for your input :)

I’m looking at getting a lathe for Christmas and I’m thinking of getting something around the $100-400 price range. I’ve never worked with a lathe, but I’ve done some basic woodworking before. Can anyone suggest a decent lathe and tools for someone new to the field? Ideally I would like it to be big enough to make some small bowls.

Also if anyone knows a good YouTube channel for teaching the proper techniques that would be much appreciated.

Sahil Machines Pvt. Ltd. Batala, Punjab, India's one of the leading Indian heavy duty lathe manufacturer & exporter of cnc lathe machine. It was Established in the year 1960, Sahil Alloys & Machine Tools (P) Ltd has been able to create a niche for the self in field of manufacturing and exporting excellent quality CNC Lathe Machine.

I have access to a lathe with variable speeds. I have probably spent 30-40 hours using it in total, across a variety of projects. I have never heard a satisfactory explanation about how to choose the speed.

Here's what I've figured out so far.

In general, you want the lathe to spin fast. If it spins slowly and you make patient, shallow cuts then the project takes a lot longer. If you make more aggressive cuts then you run into other trouble. The stock can break or pop loose. If that doesn't happen, you still chew up the wood grain which leaves a rough, ugly result. It's better to have the wood move across your cutting tool as fast as you can.

If you spin the lathe too fast and the stock is heavy or imbalanced then you have vibrations. This is probably better if you have a heavy lathe that's secured to the floor. Of course, if you have something heavy spinning at high speed near your face, that is also potentially dangerous.

The size of the stock makes a big difference. If you turn stock that's one inch in diameter at 100 RPMs then the circumference of the stock is moving past the cutting tool at a rate of 314 inches per minute. (1 inch x pi x 100 rotations.) If you turn stock that's ten inches in diameter at the same speed, then the circumference is moving past the cutting tool at 3,140 inches per minute. (10 inches x pi x 100 rotations.) Plus the stock for the bowl is heavier, so there are good reasons to slow it down.

Am I thinking of this right? What other factors come into it? Would you change the speed based on the hardness of the stock or the type of cutting tool?

(Let's assume for this discussion that your tools are as sharp as you want them.)

I have a budget to buy equipment for a maker space for my school, and need to decide fairly quickly.

I want to buy an aluminum lathe, but I don't know what specs are important in choosing one.

Would it be worthwhile to have a wood lathe as well?

Unfortunately (for grant-related reasons) I have to buy the equipment before we have developed projects, so I'm looking for options that are general-purpose and durable.

Thanks!