# Lathe VS Mill



## bikeabuser (Aug 12, 2012)

If you only had the money for one... Which would you purchase and why ?


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## unterhausen (Sep 28, 2008)

if you can get a lathe big enough to pass tubing through the headstock, it is incredibly useful for cutting tubing to length. And you can miter on a lathe too. Mills are nice, but I'm pretty sure that most people would be better off with a lathe if they only have one of the two


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## RCP FAB (Jun 15, 2011)

Depends on the lathe


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## doug fattic (Mar 11, 2010)

I use one of my 2 vertical mills much more often than my lathe. If I had to start over and only had money for one in the beginning I'd get a mill first. I can make fixtures with it that I couldn't do with just a lathe alone. I like using a mill better for mitering as well although that depends on the design of the fixture. 

I think machinist skill is also an influence. Those that have significant training seem to lean more towards a lathe than a mill.


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## Clockwork Bikes (Jun 17, 2006)

I'd go for a lathe and I'm an amateur machinist. I end up making a lot of parts on my lathe that would be a lot harder to do on a mill.

For example, this bike has 11 parts I needed the lathe for.









Some other various lathe uses here: Tooling - a set on Flickr

-Joel


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## TrailMaker (Sep 16, 2007)

Hey;

I would say that since most of the pieces on a bike tend to be round and/or hollow in some fashion, a lathe is the most useful for pieces that will stay with the bike. Milling can be done on a lathe to some extent, but it is tedious in setup at times, a bit limiting overall, and the sub components to do it with are generally less than commonly available. For pieces to MAKE the bike, a mill is nearly indispensable. Nearly. Having said that, a lathe is much harder to learn to use in my opinion, mostly in terms of how to choose/create the cutting tools and set them up to make them work properly.

This from a newbie machinist who loves changing the shape of metal on any machine, but knows only a little about how.


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## ALBM (Jan 16, 2012)

You have to think outside of the box. I've put round slugs in a R8 collet and different turning tools in the vise on risers, I can then do my turning work. Add a compound sine plate, rotary table, dividing head and you can machine some very cool parts. Or just get one of these:

http://www.moriseiki.com/english/products/multi/01/nt_index.html


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## swift (Apr 3, 2007)

A lathe is the only machine tool I'm aware of that can recreate itself. If that's not enough to convince of it's versatility, then I don't know what is.


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## 1 cog frog (Dec 21, 2004)

swift said:


> A lathe is the only machine tool I'm aware of that can recreate itself. If that's not enough to convince of it's versatility, then I don't know what is.


I have heard this said, and believe it to a point. A lathe could be used to build most of it's own parts, but not all.

Many parts of the carriage, compound and cross slide would require mill work, at least to my way of thinking. Someone with more experience than me may be able to set me straight, and if so, go for it! I would love to learn more.

Personally, I love working on the lathe more than the mill, but I have seen some crazy stuff done on a mill by the guys I work with.

frog


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## nogod (May 30, 2009)

1 cog frog said:


> I have heard this said, and believe it to a point. A lathe could be used to build most of it's own parts, but not all.
> 
> Many parts of the carriage, compound and cross slide would require mill work, at least to my way of thinking. Someone with more experience than me may be able to set me straight, and if so, go for it! I would love to learn more.
> 
> ...


You can mill in a lathe.....


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## Meriwether (Jul 26, 2007)

*depends*

I think the responses you are getting reflect the vagueness of your question.
(BTW - there's an old thread on this same question somewhere on this board with great responses either way, but i couldn't find it.)

What do you want to use the lathe or mill for exactly? If you're making frames only, I think a vertical or horizontal mill would be a better call. All you need are tube blocks, angle finder, and a mill vise and you're all set to go. All the mitering fixtures made by Anvil, Sputnik and most 80/20 fixtures people make are for use on a mill.

If I could have a do over (i have a Grizzly mill/drill), I'd probably get a big Bridgeport with a right-angle attachment. Or just a horizontal mill. I've never used one, but a horizontal looks better for mitering tubes, but not as flexible as a vertical as far as I can see so that's why you see many have dedicated horizontal milling machines for ONE miter type.

If you want to make your own tools and make bits and pieces for the bikes, you'll want a lathe even though like some guys have said, you can pull it off on a mill sometimes. I want a lathe (yet), but I wouldn't make bikes without a milling machine. I have heard Joe Breeze made his bikes with a lathe only -- mitered the tubes on there and all, but it is more of a PITA and that's why you don't see many doing it unless they don't have a mill.

whatever you do, don't get a "mini" mill...they pretty much blow and you'll outgrow it instantly (i'm speaking from experience here).


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## bikeabuser (Aug 12, 2012)

*Thanks all,*
I really am looking at doing both frame and jig work (someday in the near future), and would reallly like to own both machines, but I guess for now, I might settle on a lathe that can accept a milling attachment ... I'd hate to make a purchase and find that is not an option.

This guy pretty much made up my mind about a lathe - MACHINE SHOP TIPS #68 Atlas Milling Attachment Part 1 of 3 tubalcain - YouTube

Long, slow, but very informative stuff.


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## TrailMaker (Sep 16, 2007)

Hey;

I have watched EVERY SINGLE ONE of Mr. Peterson's machining vidoes. Very practical, non nonsense advice with a characteristic mid western sensibility. Pretty cool old dood.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

I'm a machinist and i'd say you need both sooner or later.

If you are buying, buy old beefy durable reliable stuff, no new ****. We have a new manual lathe at work. A taiwan **** lathe. Costed like 15k euros at least.

My review of the new **** lathe (and this is as good as it gets these days) : Firtst the top slide and the z+- slide in the the wrong positions, they are in the opposite places compared to I'd guess 99.99% of all GOOD lathes made in the last 100 years.

The prisms ****ing rusts! After like 6 months. Remember they are being soaked in cutting fluid every other day and that definitely is corrosion inhibiting.

The damn lathe turns cones if you push it harder than lets say 1.5mm (diameter) cuts and a feed of 0.3mm/rev (coarse-ish) in material much weaker than 4130. It just cant keep going in a straight line when its doing some very normal cuts. (this is definitely an indicator of the lathe being **** **** ****)

The damn gearbox is ****. And its highly cryptical and it has at least one lever too much for what it does. its like the last 100 years never happened and someone invented their own lathe. Hardes machine I have ever ran to make gear changes. Also there are "few" gears to be honest, and they are all in the wrong places.

The ergonomy is like ****.

When cutting threads trying to figure out the feed you want is like deciphering messages from an enigma machine with a banana. thgis is true for the regular feed too. And there is at least one lever too much here for what it does.

The tool holders are this and weak and not rigid enough to make me happy, also their adjustment system is crappy, and crappy executed. Actually the whole support (the top slide and everything around there) is seriously underdimensioned and weak ****.

The through hole in the chuck is small.

The feed screws are thin and spindly for this size of machine, and prone to corrosion.

The rear end (tail stock) is a bit underdimensioned.

Cleaning the machine is hard since the bottom tray is fixed to the machine fundament, it should be a tray on wheels that you can easily remove and clean when it gets filled up with chips or whatever its called., also its positioned too close to the rest of the frame, it should be positioned lower to get better accfess since it wont wheel out.

but the biggesat letdown except for it being highly cryptical as to feeds and such and its unhderdimensioning in everything making it turn cones is that the controls are in the opposite places. What a ****ing let down! Its like learning how to walk. With your new robotic ears.

I'm like, seriously?? You gotta be *****ing* (<-this word is in bold fyi) kidding me.

So instead of investing in new chinese or taiwanese **** you should be looking at used and maintained machines either from your own country of from europe or japan, and even worn and crap machines that are old will be better, and companies actually renovate and measure/calibrate old machines. If its made before 1980 its probably good. If its japanese its very likely a good machine worthty of new feed screws and such, also most machines from sweden and germany, or the whole northern europe from the 80ies or before are good.

Mori Seiki (now mori seiki, only makes cnc) manual lathes are the ****
Mazak (now mazatrol, only makes cnc) manual lathes are the ****
Storebro (they actually recondiotion old lathed to new spec, ouf of produiction since long) lathes are the ****.

And lots of more japanese and swedish brands. Basically the rest is just a joke compared to these fine machines. Steer clear.

The mills that i know of that are good are Sajo, Abene and TOS. Sure there are probably more out there. But these are high quality durable and high precision. Not really "work horses" in any kind of enterpretation, but high quality, very versatile machines. CNC machines are work horses.

These are very much suited to hobby manufacturing such as bike building. Just make sure to get heidenhein digiatal systems for the machines. It makes your life about 200% more comfortable and the machining like 5 times as fast, both mill and lathe. The heidenhein system is the best one. They will mount some weird glass rods under the prisms that are being read and that will make everything very smooth. Best investment you can make on an old but good machine.

Good luck machining away, I'm gonna have a beer now apparently


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