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6:04 AM
October 23, 2011
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Hello, my name is Bob and I am just getting into this hobby. I have never used a metal lathe before but I am about to purchase one and learn. I belong to a local Model Engineering Club and I really enjoy seeing and hearing about their projects and they have inspired me to give this thing a try. I plan on purchasing a Micro Mark 7x16 mini metal Lathe. I have a very small shop and I will not be buying anything larger than that simply because of limited space and I will only be doing parts for my Garden Railroad, at least that is the plan. If this doesn't work out it may end up being an expensive pen turning lathe. If any of you have some suggestions for me on getting started I would like to hear from you. Thanks for reading my post.
1:22 PM
October 20, 2011
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Hello & welcome
3:37 PM
August 13, 2011
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Welcome. I thought in the same terms but it's taken on a life of it's own:)
5:06 PM
July 18, 2010
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Hello and welcome. As SteveM said "it will take on a life of its own". I would like to suggest the Harbor Freight 8x12 lathe but I do not know if it is available in Canada. The 8x12 is much sturdier and heavier than the 7x's but it still boils down to preference and need. This is a great site – no egos, just people helping people.
Regards, Al
7:21 PM
October 23, 2011
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There is a Harbor Freight about 15 miles from where I live which is right on the border so it is not too far from me. I hadn't looked at the larger lathes because I wanted to keep the size down but it does look like a sturdier machine and it would fit on my work bench. I looked at the smaller lathe at Harbor Freight last week but it has a smaller bedway and didn't impress me as much as the Micro Mark lathe because of it's features. This particular HF store did not have any larger lathes to look at. I'm not sure if the store price would be the same as the internet price and whether or not they could get one for me. I will call and ask tomorrow and see if it can be purchased through them. I'm not in a hurry to buy so I certainly have time to investigate further before I make a final decision. Thanks for the info.
9:50 PM
January 13, 2011
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Hello and welcome. As others have said "it takes on a life of it's own". I have been at it about 9 months now and my suggestion is don't get discouraged. I have progressed to 2 ounces of project for every 2 pounds of metal now. 
Sammy
12:21 AM
April 27, 2011
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Welcome to the site!
Since becoming a member I have had many ideas and alot of very helpful solutions to my machining troubles. Everyone is happy to help – hassle free!!
Mtw fdu.
12:37 PM
July 23, 2010
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Bob, as Al suggested, you should look at the 8x12/8x14 lathes. I have the Lathemaster version, and have been very happy with it. I was living in Edmonton when I ordered it, and getting it shipped to Canada was no big deal (Lathemaster posts shipping rates to Canada right on their website, http://www.lathemaster.com). I wouldn't be surprised if my lathe was on the last truck out of Baton Rouge before Katrina hit… Currently Lathemaster has it backordered, but they list the lathe as $969, plus $349 including shipping to Canada. HF lists the lathe as $999 (but it seems to be on perpetual sale for $699), and I don't know what the shipping would be to Canada. Don't be fooled by the two different names for the lathe (8x12 vs 8x14), as they are the same lathe. HF measures the distance between centers with a live center in the tailstock, and Lathemaster uses a dead center (which is shorter, hence the longer distance).
The big advantage of the Lathemaster version (besides not being fire-engine red ;-) ) is that it comes with all of the major lathe accessories (the following do not come with the HF version):
5" 4-jaw chuck,
Steady-rest
Follow-rest
Face plate (I think that it is 8" diameter, but I could be wrong)
Chip tray (big metal base pan for the lathe)
You'll easily pay $300 for these accessories, and IMHO, you might as well get the ones intended for your machine up front. Just my 2 cents. Also, Bob Bertrand, the guy who owns Lathemaster is a really nice, helpful guy. I recently cracked one of the small brass oil ports on the lathe (4 years after purchasing it), and Bob sent me a couple of new oil ports for free, no questions asked.
-Chris
2:15 PM
February 10, 2011
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Welcome to the site Bob! 
4:17 PM
October 23, 2011
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ironring1 said:
Bob, as Al suggested, you should look at the 8x12/8x14 lathes. I have the Lathemaster version, and have been very happy with it. I was living in Edmonton when I ordered it, and getting it shipped to Canada was no big deal (Lathemaster posts shipping rates to Canada right on their website, http://www.lathemaster.com). I wouldn't be surprised if my lathe was on the last truck out of Baton Rouge before Katrina hit… Currently Lathemaster has it backordered, but they list the lathe as $969, plus $349 including shipping to Canada. HF lists the lathe as $999 (but it seems to be on perpetual sale for $699), and I don't know what the shipping would be to Canada. Don't be fooled by the two different names for the lathe (8x12 vs 8x14), as they are the same lathe. HF measures the distance between centers with a live center in the tailstock, and Lathemaster uses a dead center (which is shorter, hence the longer distance).
The big advantage of the Lathemaster version (besides not being fire-engine red ;-) ) is that it comes with all of the major lathe accessories (the following do not come with the HF version):
5" 4-jaw chuck,
Steady-rest
Follow-rest
Face plate (I think that it is 8" diameter, but I could be wrong)
Chip tray (big metal base pan for the lathe)
You'll easily pay $300 for these accessories, and IMHO, you might as well get the ones intended for your machine up front. Just my 2 cents. Also, Bob Bertrand, the guy who owns Lathemaster is a really nice, helpful guy. I recently cracked one of the small brass oil ports on the lathe (4 years after purchasing it), and Bob sent me a couple of new oil ports for free, no questions asked.
-Chris
I am close to Port Huron Michigan and I can ship to a business there and pick it up my self. The business is set up to receive packages for Canadians and it saves some money on the shipping costs. For something as big as a lathe it will be a considerable amount saved. I'm getting a lot of good information here and I would to thank every one for their input.
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