Hello, newmember here trying to decide whether or not I really need and would use a lathe. Intro - I am a cutler (a blacksmith who specializes in knives) and have been for about 9 years. So, I have some knowledge of working with metals - just from a 'fire, hammer and anvil' point of view rather than a machinist. I have recently started adding guards to my knives which requires cutting a slot in the metal for the guard for the tang of the blade to go through - a difficult task by hand. So, I got a cross-slide vice for my 14" Jet drill press, a mill holder and mill set. Much easier, but, I've read, hard on the drill press spindle bearings. I started looking at mini-mills and mini-lathes with a milling attachment - a rather expensive solution to a small problem. So, the question becomes, what else would a guy who's into knives, guns, fishing, camping (outdoor kinda stuff) use a lathe for? I see a lot of you good folks make small engines for the fun of it. Or, maybe you are into race cars or go-carts and use a lathe to support those hobbies. I guess I'm looking for suggestions for what else I could do to justify spending 600-1,000 dollars on equipment. In a nut shell, what do you do with your lathes??
I hope the question makes sense.
Regards,
Jacque (pronounced 'Jack')
I hope the question makes sense.
Regards,
Jacque (pronounced 'Jack')
Comment