Mill-Drill-Lathe combo machines?

javand

javand

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Oct 17, 2010
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I need a mill, and I need a metal lathe, I'm wondering if any of these machines are worth a crap or inherently flawed due to lack of specialization?

I don't see myself needing anything larger than a small precision type lathe, all I'm interested in is turning fittings and such, not doing heavy work, but I like working with titanium. Milling on the other hand, I expect to be doing a ton of when I'm capable.
 
You'll want all metal gears if you're working titanium. I had a Grizzly mill/lathe combo years ago that stripped 3 sets of plastic gears before the last set lasted just fine once I quit cutting titanium. Also, you need a very solid machine for ti since it chatters if everything isn't locked down or moving on very tight ways. Round column mills are almost all out because of the torque issue. Mills like the X2 platform also have issues with ti because the tilt column doesn't offer much support without some modification. In my experience with titanium it's best to go with very small solidly built machines that don't have much room to be flexible or sloppy or bigger machines that can be solid by sheer mass alone.
 
The combo machines make a lot of compromises. The work piece is too far away from ways that are too narrow. Add up the actual distance in the iron between the spindle and the workpiece or cutter in a combo machine and compare to a dedicated design and you'll see what I mean.

I'd suggest getting a separate lathe and mill if you don't have major space constraints.
 
Thanks. That's kind of what I figured.


I don't have major space constraints, generally speaking, but I've since filled those non-major constraints with power hammer, industrial metal cutting vertical bandsaw, benches, grinders, two 80gallon compressors, forges, anvils, benches, etc. etc., and the fact that only 1/3rd of my shop space is semi-level concrete, it's starting to get tight. So yeah, I guess that's why I was considering them.

That being said, I probably just need to get a full sized mill, and try to find something semi-compact lathe wise.

Thanks guys.
 
haha yeah there's an idea :P

I suppose if your mill is big enough, you can put anything on it. They've got some like 6x10 T-slot tables at the local scrapyard that obviously came off something big enough to put a lathe on. ;)
 
I just recently got http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-x-12-Mini-Metal-Lathe/G8688 for a lathe and actually pretty happy. Was worried since it was one of their lower end models but no complaints yet.

For mill I went with http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand-29-inch-x-8-inch-Table/G0705 tho it was a hard decision between that and http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mill-Drill/G0463. Now if you plan to use the mill for alot more besides knives this has some nice features especially the tapping features http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-21-Mill-Drill/G0619
 
If your budget will allow, you might find the best bang for your buck with a good used US made mill and a new Taiwanese lathe.
 
Yeah start with a budget then list options you want and the priorities on them. Remember to budget a few hundred toward end mills, collets, etc etc
 
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