Wich lathe for case work

[manodeoro]

Hi ...
I'm finally planning to organise a real workshop in my garage next autumn and to buy a lathe, mainly to rework watch cases.
I'm hesitating in buying an old horologist lathe or one of the two smallest proxxon.

If some of the specialists here could give me some advice and tell me the pros and cons, it would be very kind.
@ado213 @tripdog

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[darknite]

I used an industrial size lathe to work my case ... it required making a custom holder to hold the case for machining. Get a harbor freight lathe it can do anything you want case wise.

 

[manodeoro]

I used an industrial size lathe to work my case ... it required making a custom holder to hold the case for machining. Get a harbor freight lathe it can do anything you want case wise.

I live in EU so no harbor freight but their benchtop mini lathe really looks like the biggest of the Proxxon (and is cheaper)

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[darknite]

If you are just modifying cases pretty much ANY lathe will do because you will have to custom make your own arbor to hold the case you won't be able to use a 3 or 4 jaw to hold the cases perfectly indexed.

 

[Tickleshoes]

I bought a watchmakers lathe and can't imagine it doing anything with stainless steel. I guess I could always get a more powerful motor but none of the tools were build for things as big as a case.

Even the old watchmaker who is training me (and has a dozen lathes) said I'd get WAY more mileage from a mill. He uses a 4-axis vertical mill - a 3 axis machine with a rotary table. It's super powerful, doesn't spin the work itself, and could be upgraded for CNC later. I'm seriously considering getting one.

 

[darknite]

I did mine on a 8 foot lathe...

 

[darknite]

 

[manodeoro]

I bought a watchmakers lathe and can't imagine it doing anything with stainless steel. I guess I could always get a more powerful motor but none of the tools were build for things as big as a case.

Even the old watchmaker who is training me (and has a dozen lathes) said I'd get WAY more mileage from a mill. He uses a 4-axis vertical mill - a 3 axis machine with a rotary table. It's super powerful, doesn't spin the work itself, and could be upgraded for CNC later. I'm seriously considering getting one.

No certain my garage will be large enough for that one

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[SteveA1973]

I'm lucky enough through my job (mechanical engineer) to have access to 5 axis cnc millers, lathes, center lathes, capstans, surface grinders, cyldrical grinders, spark eroders, pantographs, broachers etc etc etc. I just have zero watch making skills lol I'm ok if you need an inconel 718 ball valve spindle or something else off a drawing for the oil industry. I would say if you want a good all round center lathe, go for something with a good set of tooling included like 3 and 4 jaw chucks with soft jaws that can be machined to suit. Ability to screw cut. A good turning capacity like 4 or 5 inch for a hobby lathe. Boxford springs to mind as a great machine tool.

 

[Natas78]

I have a boley flume watchmakers lathe, 8mm.
I bought some jaw chucks and some hardened cutters and now I'm able to cut back a stainless steel caseback or do some mild case work, but that's it.
Would love a CNC machine but I don't have the skill to work it.


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[Tickleshoes]

No certain my garage will be large enough for that one

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He actually has a desktop Mini-Mark microlux with the rotary table. It's all manual, costs about $1k and is quite compact. But yeah, they get pretty big

 

[tomtom2]

If you want to reshape watchcases, you need a lore powerful and bigger lathe in order to cut 316L steel!
I used Proxxon as well in the beginning, but it's not working on cases, only smaller items. For a desctop version, you need minimum one of these...

This is my boy lathe from the late 70ties....powerful enough to shape any watchcase with 900-2100 u/min!


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[SteveA1973]

Boxford lathes really are the Rolls Royce of hobbyist center lathes. I didn't even realise they still make em tbh.
http://www.boxford.co.uk/equipment/manual-machines/
I used to have one similar to this in my garage as I used to work on old lambretta scooters.You could always get a big one lol

 

[tripdog]

^^ What they said - you need power to cut SS . . .

 

[Mr Smith]

I been eyeing this one... would this one be uselessly?

 

[Mr Smith]

I bought a watchmakers lathe and can't imagine it doing anything with stainless steel. I guess I could always get a more powerful motor but none of the tools were build for things as big as a case.

Even the old watchmaker who is training me (and has a dozen lathes) said I'd get WAY more mileage from a mill. He uses a 4-axis vertical mill - a 3 axis machine with a rotary table. It's super powerful, doesn't spin the work itself, and could be upgraded for CNC later. I'm seriously considering getting one.

What something like that cost?

 

[darknite]

THat harbor freight one will definitely work

 

[Tickleshoes]

What something like that cost?

The Microlux is $720 and $350 for the rotary table. Plus tooling, clamps, etc. you're probably looking at $1300-$1500.

Check this comparison out. The Harbor Freight mini-mill is lacking in power compared to others and you def want an R8 taper so that if you move up to a bigger machine later all your tools will still work.

http://littlemachineshop.com/info/minimill_compare.php

 

[Mr Smith]

The Microlux is $720 and $350 for the rotary table. Plus tooling, clamps, etc. you're probably looking at $1300-$1500.

Check this comparison out. The Harbor Freight mini-mill is lacking in power compared to others and you def want an R8 taper so that if you move up to a bigger machine later all your tools will still work.

http://littlemachineshop.com/info/minimill_compare.php

I always wanted to explore this area of machining.
I have a friend here in Southern Tennessee that owns a CNC, Lath ,etc
He Sub contracts to build pulleys and hydrolic decks for Club Cadet lawn mowers. My noliage of the machinery he has is limited but I know they are several different CNC and ten different lath there. I'm currently talking with him to write a program for producing some gen spec 16610 cases , something I been wanting to do for years, As money is the issue right now. But hopefully in the future I can get these produced. But materials and production time is very costly

 

[trailboss99]

Watchmakers lathe def not suitable for case work, they are for cutting gears and making staffs. Something the size of a C3 or C4 will do the job (google it).