7 x 12 Mini Lathe

[Seabass]

Some folks were requesting some specs of my machines so I figured I would start with the lathe. It is a 7 x 12 Cummins tool lathe (same as Harbour Freight, Grizzly, Micro Mark, and several others). It is made in China and with most things, there is alot to be desired. On the other side, the machine is also pretty decent and can be very useful in making parts (as some of you have already seen).

I have the A2Z quick change tool post which makes changing tools super easy. About 3 years ago Cummins had a sale $399 shipped. I couldn't pass it up. Came with all the accessories except a quick change tool post. It does come with a tool post that you could mount several different tools in, but the shimming the tools is where people get frustrated.

I recently put digital readouts on the machine thinking they would make life mush easier, but the opposite has occured. The things do not work right and are not reading properly. I need to take the things off the machine and try to figure out what the problem is.

The tailstock on the machine is pretty much garbage becouse it is not centered with the chuck. It makes precision drilling impossible without having to modify the tailstock. There are several webpages out there showing how to fix the tail stock problem but I have not had the time to figure it all out.

Overall I am very happy with the machine and it has provided alot of experience in machining. I am no where near as proficient, but I can still produce some pretty decent work. This is the machine that made those Delrin shock cups. The chuck is currently mounted to my rotary table for my mill which is out of the picture.

There is a website called littlemachineshop that offers pretty much every replacement part for the machine and for the most part, repairs can be done pretty easily (such as my broken gear).

I hope to upgrade to a larger machine in the next few years. I will continue to work with what I have and learn each day I use it. So far I have made RC car parts, did some maching on my guns (another hobby), made some parts for a buddies RMZ 250 Dirt bike, made some 1/24 scale model car parts, and a few other odds and ends. Enjoy the pics, I will get some specs and pics of my mill in the next few days.

The total cost I have in the machine is somewhat broken down below.

$399 - Machine
$79 - Quick Change tool Post with 4 holders
$150 - Digital Readouts
$300 - tooling, magnetic bases, dial calipers, etc.

This machine was much cheaper to equip vs my mill. It also helps when your dad has a full size machine shop and you get stuff to use from him as well

Jake

[m_vice]

Very cool stuff, i hope to get something like thsi some day. You are making some cool parts for the R/C people.
THANKS.

[pancar]

Jake,

LittleMachineShop.com was one of our (A2Z CNC) biggest customers, great bunch of people. I don't think they sell machines, but they have everything else a guy could need for accessories. Part of the problem we found with some of the import machines is the fact that the machines are all really metric (leadscrews) and to convert them to english they just put different handwheels on them. The result is close...but not quite. Don't get me wrong, not all imports have issues. In fact some of them are fantastic in accuracy and quality. Get what your budget will allow and grow from there.

In my shop in Texas I purchased a Chinese Bridgeport clone. After I took a file to all the sharp edges on the machine it was really nice and served me well for a bunch of years. I have attached a pic of some pieces made on the NON-CNC mill with a rotary table (I really need a better camera ). From left to right: Lightened Mugen flywheel, servo saver with inserts for MTX-3, same for a Kyosho V-One RRR, clutch pressure plate for Mugen MTX/MRX.

Don't worry about what machine you have, sit down, learn it and make some parts. I've seen guys make some incredibly precise items on machines that wer so clapped out they should have been in the scrap heap. It's the operator and not the machine.

Tom

[Seabass]

Tom, little machine shop is pretty awesome. I have spent quite a bit of money there between both the lathe and the mill. Most of my mill accesories came from those guys.

On the gun side of things, I have seen some guys make so really awesome stuff. There are a ton of guys dedicated to these machines and have really rasied the bar on what can be accomplished. I am really glad I was able to talk my wife into letting me spend the money on them. It also helps that I was selling resin cast parts for 1/24 scale cars and most of the money to buy the machines came from selling the parts.

My biggest complaint would be adjusting the gibs. It is somewhat of a pain but regardless, the lathe can do things that nothing else can come close to. There is no way I could make the stuff I have without the lathe. It will be in my arsenal of tools for many years to come.

Good to see another guy on the forum who is knowledgable with the smaller machines.

Very nice stuff you have there by the way. I am assuming you still have your machines?

Jake

[rc10johnny]

I have no idea of how to make the parts that you make,even if I had the machines,you guys are great. Thanks for your Contribution to the sport. Johnny

[Halgar]

I have no idea of how to make the parts that you make,even if I had the machines,you guys are great. Thanks for your Contribution to the sport. Johnny

Come on Johnny, all ya gotta do is chuck in a chunk of metal and it will magically spit out whatever you want. How hard can that be?

[Seabass]

Come on Johnny, all ya gotta do is chuck in a chunk of metal and it will magically spit out whatever you want. How hard can that be?

[rc10johnny]

I'm too OLD to start loosin fingers now

[pancar]

Very nice stuff you have there by the way. I am assuming you still have your machines?

Jake

Jake,

All I have left for machinery is my 6" atlas sitting in the back corner of the garage buried under a pile of who knows what. When you do someting all day it's hard to come home at night and do more of it. Machining is like that for me. If I need to do something I just head back to A2Z and use their tools Like they say "Why own a cow, when you can get your milk for free someplace else".

Tom

I'm too OLD to start loosin fingers now

Johnny, it's not that bad. I've been diong this for quite a while now and I still have all my fingers....all ELEVEN of them!

[Seabass]

I can understand what you are talking about. It is good to have someone around who is knowledgable in machining and has a good amount of experience with these smaller machines.

Just go easy on us rookies when you see us making parts.

Jake

[Halgar]

I can understand what you are talking about. It is good to have someone around who is knowledgable in machining and has a good amount of experience with these smaller machines.

Just go easy on us rookies when you see us making parts.

Jake

Pshshhh! Frigg'n newbs ...

In case you missed the winkies, I was joking!

[rc10johnny]

pancar I would be more worried about that 11th digit gettin cut off