Hi,
I am inexperienced at metalworking and would like to get into it. I have
brought myself a basic book ("Model Engineering : A Foundations course"
by Peter Wright) and would like to purchase a basic lathe, Mill , drill
setup to practice and have fun building model R/C aircraft piston/jet
engines.

I would be greatful if you could post your experience or knowledge about
Harbor Freight's mini lathe-mill-drill combo (item # 39743-1VGA) . I
have read a couple of online cautions about combo's mentioning them to
be inferior in quality . I am looking for an inexpensive (around 400$)
set up that is portable by one man and is sturdy. As I understand
the minimal lathe dimensions for my (aeromodeling) purpose are 200mm distance
between centers and 120mm "height over center" . I think "height over
centers" means swing over bed (I am quoting Thomas Kamps book on Model
jet engines here.) Do correct me if I am wrong.


Do you have knowledge of other alternative hobbist machines that meet
these requirements (like say those of Grizzly) . Would you please
recommend any . Shereline seems to fit the requirements too but are
a bit pricy and I wonder if they are worth it for a newbie.

sincerely
B Thomas

Well, you get what you pay for in most cases, and in most cases HF
stuff just sucks, worse than most other import tools do. That said,
just because its HF does not mean that it can't be improved on and
many quality parts and projects made form the machine. There is a lot
to be desired, but for the most part its still better any day of the
month than using a file and a hand drill. I am not going out on the
limb and say a Grizzley is better, as there are those that will say
its not, that a JET is better, and then those that say only single
type tools are best etc etc. Ibought a JET lathe new, and it was a
piece of trash, and took close to a year until I got all the bugs and
problems with it worked out, and now its a decent machine, so if I new
this upfront, I would have saved a bunch of money if I bought a
cheaper HF or Grizzley, and spent the sdame amount of time working the
problems out of it.

There are those that say if you can't buy first class then they won't
buy anything, well, let them do without, for the most part, for some
to save to get top quality, the time will never come when you have
enought saved up to buy or you will be too old to really appreciate
your investment. Get what you can afford, learn to live within its
limits, and have fun. There is probably more stuff made with el cheapo
HF and Grizzley brands of tools than other brands. Look at these
machines as a semi finished tool, and you can always improve on it as
you gain experience.

Biggest drawback of combo machines is setup. You get a part setup in
say the lathe, and then its in the way because you need to use the
drill press etc.. Nothing beats single use tools, but for some thats
not a possibility, and a 3-1 works for them. They sell a lot of em,
and I am sure they are not just gathering dust in a corner.

Personally I would go with the mini lathe, and a small mill drill over
a combo machine, and perhaps add a 8" bench top drill press.
Not particularly a fan of HF or Grizzley, but they have their niche in
the hobby machine tools catagory.

Have fun
Roy


On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 20:53:57 GMT, B Thomas
wrote:

x-Hi,
x-I am inexperienced at metalworking and would like to get into it. I have
x-brought myself a basic book ("Model Engineering : A Foundations course"
x-by Peter Wright) and would like to purchase a basic lathe, Mill , drill
x-setup to practice and have fun building model R/C aircraft piston/jet
x-engines.
x-
x-I would be greatful if you could post your experience or knowledge about
x-Harbor Freight's mini lathe-mill-drill combo (item # 39743-1VGA) . I
x-have read a couple of online cautions about combo's mentioning them to
x-be inferior in quality . I am looking for an inexpensive (around 400$)
x-set up that is portable by one man and is sturdy. As I understand
x-the minimal lathe dimensions for my (aeromodeling) purpose are 200mm distance
x-between centers and 120mm "height over center" . I think "height over
x-centers" means swing over bed (I am quoting Thomas Kamps book on Model
x-jet engines here.) Do correct me if I am wrong.
x-
x-
x-Do you have knowledge of other alternative hobbist machines that meet
x-these requirements (like say those of Grizzly) . Would you please
x-recommend any . Shereline seems to fit the requirements too but are
x-a bit pricy and I wonder if they are worth it for a newbie.
x-
x-sincerely
x-B Thomas

--
Visit my website:
http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Contents: foundry and general metal working and lots of related projects.
Regards
Roy aka Chipmaker // Foxeye
Opinions are strictly those of my wife....I have had no input whatsoever.
Remove capital A from chipmAkr for correct email address

This has been beat to death a thousand times. Just my opinion here.

If you can find used amercan iron, you're way better off. Takes time and
scrounging.

If you're ANYWHERE near California (like New Jersey) - get ahold of a
fellow named Gunner on this NG.

Karl

B Thomas wrote: I am inexperienced at metalworking and would like to get
into it (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your letter makes it clear that you really are starting out from scratch,
both in shop setup and experience. A number of others have suggested that
it is possible, with a lot of effort, to upgrade cheap machine tools to make
them perform well. I am sure this is true, but it seems to me that by
opting for cheap tools while you are just learning, you are making it more
difficult for yourself. A person who already knows a bit about machining
can recgonize the shortcomings of a tool, and find ways to make
improvements, or to work around them. If you are as "green" (no offense
intended) as you say you are, the junky tools will just make it harder to do
good work, and you will not be able to sort out the causes.

Second, you are setting a pretty high goal for a beginner. Building model
engines from scratch requires a high degree of precision.

Third, I do not know whether you recognize that the investment in the basic
power tools is not the end of your costs. In fact, it is just a beginning.
Add the drawers full of chucks, micrometers, cutting tools, reamers, drills,
on and on--you could easily double your investment.

I suggest that you take a few classes at night before you spend a dime.
Then you'll have a better idea of what you will need, and what it will take
to satisfy you.

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 16:17:52 -0500, "Bob Paulin" wrote:


In my case, I looked seriously at a 3-in-1 machine before I fell into two
deals which resulted in my purchasing an Enco benchtop mill/drill, and an
Atlas 10" lathe.

Leigh , has a combo that is a killer deal. He posted
it a couple weeks ago. I looked at the lathe today, its a hell of a deal
folks. Far far and away will beat the **** out of any mill/drill
gizmotchy.

Maybe he will post it again.

Gunner

--
The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that
English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words;
on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.
--James D. Nicoll

Hello, B. Thomas :-)

The modern formula for a model airplane piston engine is an aluminum piston,
and a chrome plated brass cylinder. The crankcase can be made from aluminum
too. None of these would be a problem for the Mini Multipurpose Machine. The
crank shaft, though, will need to be made out of steel, and here is where you
would run into a problem. Unfortunately, the Mini Multipurpose Machine is
simply not robust enough to be able to turn steel. However, the Minilathe
which Harbor Freight sells, and which weighs three times as much as the Mini
Multipurpose Machine, is capable of turning steel. Also, keep in mind that the
Harbor Freight Minilathe is twice as big as the Sherline, and again weighs
three times as much. You will also be able to drill and mill on the Minilathe,
although you probably will want to get an independent Mill Drill eventually.
You can make a complete piston engine, though, without the need of an
independent mill or drill. And, to top it off, the Minilathe costs less than
the Mini Multipurpose Machine.

Michael

Hi,
I am inexperienced at metalworking and would like to get into it. I have
brought myself a basic book ("Model Engineering : A Foundations course"
by Peter Wright) and would like to purchase a basic lathe, Mill , drill
setup to practice and have fun building model R/C aircraft piston/jet
engines.

I would be greatful if you could post your experience or knowledge about
Harbor Freight's mini lathe-mill-drill combo (item # 39743-1VGA) . I
have read a couple of online cautions about combo's mentioning them to
be inferior in quality . I am looking for an inexpensive (around 400$)
set up that is portable by one man and is sturdy. As I understand
the minimal lathe dimensions for my (aeromodeling) purpose are 200mm distance

between centers and 120mm "height over center" . I think "height over
centers" means swing over bed (I am quoting Thomas Kamps book on Model
jet engines here.) Do correct me if I am wrong.


Do you have knowledge of other alternative hobbist machines that meet
these requirements (like say those of Grizzly) . Would you please
recommend any . Shereline seems to fit the requirements too but are
a bit pricy and I wonder if they are worth it for a newbie.

sincerely
B Thomas

Makes sense. I guess I should wait, save some, increase my budget and
got for the 8"x12" lathe from harbor freight (wt 260lb !). They say it
is stress relaxed. I understand that would mean greater precision. I
dearly hope it will do me good as I learn. While I do want some thing
good , beyond a point I dont want to be payning for brand names and
harbor seems good enough.

BT

On 11 Sep 2003 06:46:52 GMT, MichaelMandavil wrote:
Hello, B. Thomas :-)

The modern formula for a model airplane piston engine is an aluminum piston,
and a chrome plated brass cylinder. The crankcase can be made from aluminum
too. None of these would be a problem for the Mini Multipurpose Machine. The
crank shaft, though, will need to be made out of steel, and here is where you
would run into a problem. Unfortunately, the Mini Multipurpose Machine is
simply not robust enough to be able to turn steel. However, the Minilathe
which Harbor Freight sells, and which weighs three times as much as the Mini
Multipurpose Machine, is capable of turning steel. Also, keep in mind that the
Harbor Freight Minilathe is twice as big as the Sherline, and again weighs
three times as much. You will also be able to drill and mill on the Minilathe,
although you probably will want to get an independent Mill Drill eventually.
You can make a complete piston engine, though, without the need of an
independent mill or drill. And, to top it off, the Minilathe costs less than
the Mini Multipurpose Machine.

Michael