Cummins 7 x 12

I haven't used one, but you might check for owner/user groups on Yahoo Groups. Try searching lathe, 7x10, mini and other terms for their groups. The 7x10 is a fairly popular machine and the Cummins version should be very similar.

Ol' whats-is-name has a great minilathe website, but I don't remember what it's called. This comment is probably not the most useful info you'll ever need, and someone else can probably direct you there.

WB ...........

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No comments but a couple of links that should help:

Best Regards, Keith Marshall snipped-for-privacy@progressivelogic.com

"I'm not grown up enough to be so old!"

I haven't used one, but I've read the Cummins is the best choice of the

7x class lathes... a little better built, and as you said a good package. But, those that own them (or the 9x) say "they come assembled only to prove all the parts are there" as in they require a lot of fixes and fine tuning to get them ship shape, and then they still aren't up to the level of a US-built machine. But, owners seem to be happy. Check out the achives of the Yahoo 7x12minilathe group. I was thinking of getting one but found a Logan for not much more $, and it is a whole lot more machine.

Not following this or any other thread religiously, but the same things are being overlooked that always are. The first and most important of those, most people that are buying the smaller machines have a reason, and it's just as legitimate as any of the reasons "offered" by those that advise to "look for an older US made". It is now possible, with the smaller imports, to have at least some machining capability no matter where the person lives, on a farm or the 27th floor of a high rise. The machines can do reasonable work, but as has been stated, they need to be tuned up first, not a big deal, and those that look down their noses at this should be reminded that it's a lot more work to rebuild even a 9" SB. Someone that's building things for model railroads or some other small hobby doesn't need any bigger machine, it wouldn't make sense to deal with the weight, floorspace and other things if they don't have to. Most decisions to go with the small imports are just as well, or better thought out as the decision to go with an older US made machine. In an ideal world, we'd all have Monarch for the big stuff and Hardinge for the smaller things. It's not an ideal world and most people have to compromise.

The two pieces I see that aren't included with the cheaper units are the follower and steady rests. At least the bed is long enough that you need them. It's a good deal as long as they don't nail you for shipping. Don't let the guys get you down on the 7xs, they can do good work and they're about the largest current production lathe that you can still pick up and stick on a shelf when you're done. Mine required zero work on it out of the box for it to work. There's enhancements that I've done on it to make it easier to use, but nothing major had to be done on it to work in the first place. If there had, it would have gone back to the store for a replacement.

is THE place for replacement parts and additional tooling goodies. You need at least a 4-jaw chuck that isn't included in the kit, plus your own selection of tool bits, budget for those. Don't cheap out with imported HSS bits, get some good US name-brand stuff to start with from MSC or one of the other suppliers, you'll be way ahead.

Stan

I don't know the Cunnins in particular, but one common problem with the smaller imported lathes comes about when you wish to do single-point threading. There are several factors involved in this:

1) Lack of half-nuts, so once you start cutting a thread, you have to reverse the spindle and feed back for the next pass. This can increase the time and frustration to the job to make it less likely that you will do it sometimes. 2) The slowest of the available spindle speeds is still too fast to make threading to a shoulder anything but an exercise in nerves, even if you had half nuts to make it semi-practical.

So -- the best bet for threading is to fit a crank to the outboard end of the spindle and hand crank as you thread.

Both of these can be lived with -- with the hand crank making it at least possible. But -- the next one could be the killer.

3) There is no tumbler to reverse the leadscrew direction relative to the spindle, to allow left-hand threading -- which *is* sometimes needed. If you are *sure* that you will never need to make left-hand threads, go ahead.

Does yours allow left-hand threading?

I know starting out cheap -- I started with a Unimat SL-1000, and there were serious limitations to that, too -- even with *all* of the available options.

Agreed.

Good Luck, DoN.

Hmmmm. Both the Speedway from Homier and the HF 7X lathes have halfnuts.

The speedway has the tumbler on the back of the headstock, just to the left of the speed range and to the right of the gear cover. Not convenient, but it's there.

It's the 9 X 20 that doesn't have the tumbler.

O.K. I've found them on the exploded diagram of the Harbor Freight model. The photos in the manual are too dark to show anything, but with enough work I find them in the exploded drawing.

Again -- I've found it.

It's the 39743 3-in-1 that has the problems I was describing, which turns out to be a 5x7" lathe.

My apologies. It even turns out to have power cross-feed, and perhaps even power longitudinal feed as well. A lot better than I feared.

But I still hold that the lowest spindle speed (200 RPM) is a bit brisk for threading up to a shoulder.

Merry Christmas, DoN.

Genlemen, and gentleladies, thank you each and all for your constructive comments. I now live in an apartment so that does somewhat limit my options. Taking all your advice into consideration I believe I will go with my original decision and look at some way of either dropping the speed (later addition of an infinitely variable speed DC motor) or, as Don suggested, hand feed by adding a wheel to the end of the lead screw, which seems to be common on some English lathes I've seen. Blessings of the Christmas season to one and all, Mike in Burns Lake, BC

WHen threading up to the shoulder (which I seam to do too often) I bring it close using the motor and then rotate the last turn by simply grabbing the chuck. The 3 or 4 inch chuck is small enough to palm easily.

I have the HF 7x10, by the way. It did not require any clean up beyond removing the red grease and adjusting the gibs. I've not messed with the electronics.

Welcome to the group.

Daniel