The heart of almost every metalworking workshop is a lathe. In its simplest form, a lathe is a device that rotates a piece of work, allowing a fixed, single-point cutter to shape it with shaving cuts. In practice the lathe is the most flexible of all machine tools and with the right accessories or modifications it can carry out almost any machining task. The downside, of course, is that it may require considerable ingenuity or extra equipment to do so, and it may not be as effective as using a purpose built machine. But this supreme flexibility is what makes a lathe the obvious first choice of machine around which to build your workshop. So how do you decide what sort of machine you need? There are two main considerations to take into account when you buy a lathe - how large do you need and should you buy new or second hand? A lathe with a centre height of 31/2" (80mm) has long been a popular choice for model engineering, but if you want to tackle larger projects, such as 71/4" gauge locomotives or skimming brake disks you will probably want to look at something a bit bigger. On the other hand, if your interests are in small components, such as for clock making or space is at a premium, you may want a machine you can literally pick up and put in a cupboard. Probably most popular choice of 31/2" centre height lathe for the beginner is a so-called 'mini-lathes', although this description can be applied to many smaller machines it is generally used to refer to machines produced chiefly by Chinese manufacturers SEIG and Real Bull and evolved from the same original Russian design. With a centre height of 31/2 inches (90mm) and between centres distances from just 260mm to 400mm they have a capacity comparable to popular model engineering lathes of the past and have the advantage of variable speed as standard.
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