Gunsmithing lathe?

[Farmerbrown32]

What about bolton tools at750 lathe and mill in one? Would this be alright for smith work?

 

[shortgrass]

Spindle bore is too small @1 1/32" as most barrel blanks are 1 1/4" to 1.2" diameter at the chamber end. And the 'bolt-on' chuck? Gunsmith machining require full sized machine tools, although a 'bench lathe' will work, too. 13" x 40" or 12" x 36" with a 1 1/2" spindle bore is desirable. I have seen some older, American made lathes that have spindle bores of 1 3/8", but those may not be metric thread capable. I am not much on the table top milling machines, but one of those would be desirable of a lathe/mill combination machine. There is just no cheap way to get into this, unless you manage to get real lucky! And the tooling cost make the price of a lathe seem 'reasonable'.

 

[Georgiashooter]

I'll second the precision matthews machines. I have aPM1236 that I've done 25-30 barrels on. It's a very capable lathe with enough length for all but the longest jobs. If you do a bunch of threading muzzles and blending muzzle brakes between centers the 40" bed makes for easier setup on barreled actions/muzzle brakes.

 

[tbrice23]

I get Grizzly Industrial catalogues. They have at least three models specified as gunsmith lathes. I personally have no clue if there worth the money.
Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can take a look to tell if they could be a recommendation to the OP.

 

[gunnermhr]

The one down side was I ordered a single phase model and had some finish issues that were caused by pulsing out of the motor. A special drive belt and motor isolating mounts solve it but what a pain.

Mine is about ready to go, First thing I did was replace the belt with a Kevlar 28" x 5/8". What "Special" Belt did you use? And if you don't mind me asking, specifically what isolation mount did you use. I purchased some for my old Heavy 10 SB that were too flexible. When I put tension on the belt it cocked the motor sideways. I got a good deal on a single phase version and am seriously considering buying a 3 Phase motor and a VFD, if for nothing else to get the RPM's around 45.

I grouted it to the floor this weekend, what little vibration it had is almost non existent.

 

[jrock]

I get Grizzly Industrial catalogues. They have at least three models specified as gunsmith lathes. I personally have no clue if there worth the money.
Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can take a look to tell if they could be a recommendation to the OP.

All 12x36 lathes that come from china come from the same plant. They all have the same guts and the only difference is the features/accessories. You can find a Taiwan 12x36 but you'll spend all the money on the lathe part and still get cheap chucks and the like. Better to spend the money and get the 14s where everything is from Taiwan. They cost 2k minimum more than the budget 12x36's.

I was told a coolant pump/drip system wasn't worth it for a gunsmith lathe. However, I find it worth it just for parting cuts. Foot break is a very good feature for gunsmithing if you don't plan on using a through barrel flush system. Come up with a plan for how you want to do the work and then get a lathe that has features to match.

In the area I live, used lathes are very rare and usually aren't big enough to do barrel work. I went with a new 12x36. After proper adjustments and thorough testing, I found it holds very good tolerances. It has produced the best shooting rifles I own.

 

[CaptnC]

I went with a new 12x36. After proper adjustments and thorough testing, I found it holds very good tolerances. It has produced the best shooting rifles I own.

Hey jrock which lathe did you buy?

 

[jrock]

I have a PM12x36. I'm sure most Chinese lathes need some good TLC after unboxing, mine did. Get the most you can afford.

 

[Jroberts1968]

Here is what I can tell you from my personal experience.
You must understand the foot print the machine will sit in also the available power supplied to that area. The movement of the equipment will also factor in want you may want. Smaller machines will hold tolerances as well as a big machine it really comes down to Rigidness and how large of cuts you plan on taking. This is simple in our world they are not large and if you get chatter slow it down and take smaller cuts. The next decision I would factor in is how many times do you want to do gear changes for threading. the smaller the machine the more gear changes you will be making. 1640 will be your machine for no gear changes Metric or Standard. Most 11-13" swing machines are coming with 1.5" spindle through holes so if the one your looking at doesn't look someplace else. The next thing to look at is the actual tail stack depth or lack of . This will be key to understanding the work envelope. I machine most barrels between centers on my 1340 but a 26" rem action I do through the bore and cat tail on th back and bold eagle on the front. SO that should be a factor. Do not get caught up in work lights, flood systems, and tooling packages... you will do better buying those separate and buy what works for you. here are my recommendation.

PM 1127 LB: By far the best work envelope accurate and easy to move in a shop environment, 120V. Awesome head stock dimension and you can do a 16" barrel via head stock. Tooling is more cost effective. The Bad many gear changes.
http://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-1127vf-lb/

PM 1236: Excellent work envelope for a hobby guy and will allow a little more on that bed. Fewer Gear Changes and 220v
http://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-1236/

PM 1440 Ultra Cats meow. Lots of money but will be dead balls on no ******** sand and slag.
http://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-1440gt/

 

[CaptnC]

Mr roberts, when you mention "many gear changes" are you referring to gear replacement?

Or swapping gears to change ratios?

 

[jrock]

He means ratios. Threading or feed rates. If you are working as a hobby, gear changes aren't to bad. Make sure you read the manual before purchase to see if the ranges you plan to be working in limit changes. 90% of my hobby work, I don't have to change gears.

 

[Jroberts1968]

Mr roberts, when you mention "many gear changes" are you referring to gear replacement?

Or swapping gears to change ratios?

Swapping to change ratios sorry I didn't clearify that. If it's a hobby I really wouldn't mind if you plan on it being a business then it gets down right irritating.

 

[Jeffrthehunter]

Mine is about ready to go, First thing I did was replace the belt with a Kevlar 28" x 5/8". What "Special" Belt did you use? And if you don't mind me asking, specifically what isolation mount did you use. I purchased some for my old Heavy 10 SB that were too flexible. When I put tension on the belt it cocked the motor sideways. I got a good deal on a single phase version and am seriously considering buying a 3 Phase motor and a VFD, if for nothing else to get the RPM's around 45.

I grouted it to the floor this weekend, what little vibration it had is almost non existent.

Here is the belt https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLG3FNU/?tag=lrhmag19-20

Isolator mounts
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0X2UCF/?tag=lrhmag19-20

I did put a piece of foam between the motor and gear head to get the mounts straight as they were not stiff enough.

 

[BBGunny]

A well trained machinist will do just fine with a Grizzly if set-up properly. I suppose its similar to the GA Precision team using $1200 Bushnell scopes, when many others use $3-4000 scopes.

But if you can afford it, buy a better machine.