On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:49:48 -0700, Winston
wrote:

Vernon wrote:
(...)

I am considering buying an Emco Compact 5 lathe with mill as a gift
for my son.

In descending order of importance:

1) You are a good dad.

2) Please consider asking your son to attend a machining class
held at your local junior college. I attended and had a great
time learning the safe and proper way to make things using
machine tools.

3) You and your son will be very pleased to start out with a manual
lathe and mill. If you pay attention, your tools will give you
a 'gut level' feel for the variables that will result
in the most productivity and best surface finish.

4) There is always time to move on to CNC after you have made some
parts on the manual machines. Starting with CNC would cheat you
of an intuitive grasp of the subject.

5) If you are patient, you will hear advice from other members of
this group, most of which are much more qualified than me.
Don't be distressed about apparent differences in opinion.

My $.000002

--Winston


Hey Winston,

Super answer!! Wish we could all take the time to do that nice stuff.

I agree with what you say. CNC versus manual machines is the
equivalent to doing thesis work in chemistry after the junior year.
You still need to know the basics.

Now CAD-CAM, on the other hand, is a way to produce acceptable
drawings without the draftsman's full skill-set. Makes life and
learning easy.

To Vernon:

CNC is a "TOOL", and not a single self-related style. You cannot
SUCCESSFULLY do any notable CNC machining until you understand the
rest of the work being done.

The Emco line of machines is quite good. Good choice for first-timers
too. While I personally have never owned nor operated the EMCO
lathe/mill comb or any of the combo machines (except on a field-trip
to Smithy) I have read many articles, both ways, on their usefulness
in this usegroup, as everyone else here has too. The general
consensus is that if a lathe/mill combo is what you can afford or all
you have room for, go for it. But if a bit more money and a bit more
room is available, then get the two as separate tools. There are
quite affordable separate machines in the same size range as the
EMCO -5, for close to the same dollars.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.