metal lathe or milling machine?

[LovableAirGuns]

hey every one just a quick question what would be better a mini metal lathe or a mini milling machine beacasue im trying to save up for one but i just need to figure out witch one. Im planning on using them for future spud gun projects and since a ride scooters i might be able to make some scooter stuff aswell for friends and me. Here are some that I had in mine:

Lathe: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/SIEG-C3-14-x7-Va ... 743wt_1139

Milling machine: http://www.carbatec.com.au/mini-milling-machine_c2430 http://www.carbatec.com.au/small-millin ... ity_c19274

[Labtecpower]

First contact a mod to remove your double topic.

I would get a lathe, because you can turn pistons and other round parts on it, and spudguns use mostly round parts.

With a mill you can make very nice things, but they aren't as practical for spudding as a lathe. (I never used a mill in the production of a gun)

[Crna Legija]

i know you can get a milling attachment for a full size lathe, dont know about on a mini lathe.

[LovableAirGuns]

OK cheers i thought a lathe would be more use full but i thought with a milling machine you can make lots of other types of parts. How do i contact a mod for the double post

[jrrdw]

OK cheers i thought a lathe would be more use full but i thought with a milling machine you can make lots of other types of parts. How do i contact a mod for the double post

Find any of our post and click the little "PM" button on the bottom. MrCrowley and I are the most active moderators. Don't forget Brian the Brain, Sgort87, CS, and Starman.

[motorfixer1]

Both of those look like decent hobbyist machines. The lathe price looks a little high though. I'm not sure where you reside but a surplus equipment catalog might be a viable option, and with all the shops closing in recent years, there are many great used pieces to be had right now for the right price. As far as choosing between the two I would say a lathe goes a little farther than a mill just because of all the round parts on a launcher. As far as a mill is concerned, there are the options of mounting a stationary turning tool holder to the table and using the quill downfeed to operate the mill in a similar fasion to a lathe. I've done some experementing at work with this yeilding decent results. Good luck, I love machining and it makes a custom project all that much neater and easier to obtain!

[geardog32]

looks like a nice hobby lathe but I didn't notice an indexing wheel. If you want to do any thread cutting on the lathe(I would do a lot) an indexing wheel allows you to start your thread cut at the same position each time cutting successively deeper cuts.

[jhalek90]

grizzly sells a very nice lathe/mill combo i looked at, a few times.

The only complaint i ran across is tolerances. upon more inspection however, people are unhappy that the machine is capable of only precision to 0.001''..... which for most spudguns, is fine.

you cant build an spaceship with one, but a spudgun should be easy.

[LovableAirGuns]

grizzly sells a very nice lathe/mill combo i looked at, a few times.

is this what you are talking about? http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Sieg-M1-Multi-Fu ... %26ps%3D63

also the good thing about the lathe is that the warehouse is in adelaide and that is where i live same with the milling machines

here some more info that i found for the C3 lathe:
Machine brass, aluminium, gun metal, cast iron, industrial nylon, plastics, silver, gold, platinum, nickel-silver and even wood with our most popular bench top C3 Lathe.

Metric screw cutting with imperial accessory option available on this 180mm swing, 350mm between centres lathe. Headstock features a 20mm bore plus electronic variable speed motor with full torque across the range. Offers low speed range 100-1200 rpm and high speed range 100-3000 rpm with digital readout, making this a very versatile machine.

Supplied complete with a 3 Jaw self centering chuck, a four position tool post, full operator safety package with micro-switch linked safety chuck guard to prevent inadvertent start-ups with the chuck key in the chuck, large cutoff stop switch and a plain English, fully illustrated operator manual.

Our machine is supplied with an oil tray, splash back and heavy rubber feet for easy bench top placement. We carefully selected this machine from a range of similar units from other makers due to the accuracy and fine tolerances of manufacture. Customer response has endorsed our choice.

240v 10amp power supply required. The machine is equipped with a 3 pin plug. (Australian Standard).