Mobile workshop

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Mobile workshop

This topic has 12 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 13 January 2025 at 22:57 by Sonic Escape.

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13 January 2025 at 13:05 #776972
Sonic Escape
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@sonicescape38234
It looks like soon I’m going to return to the life of digital nomad. That means I’m going to be away from my industrial machines. Moving them across Europe is out of the question. But still I would like to have a lathe and a milling machine with me. Ideally each should weigh bellow 30kg to take them with me by plane. From my research this leaves only three options. Taig, Sherline and Proxxon.

I can’t decide yet. First in my list is Taig Micro Lathe II. The tail stock is sold separately. It is also the cheapest option even if I buy also the motor.

Next is Proxxon PD 250. The price is at least double, but it ca do threads. It weights only 12kg.

And last Sherline. They have many options. I think there is also the possibility to make threads. The price is between Proxxon and Taig. Actually Taig is not available in EU so if I add taxes the price could be the same.

They all seems to be good lathes. With the obvious limitations due to small size. But are there other options?
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13 January 2025 at 13:42 #776980
Diogenes
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@diogenes
Hobbymat / Prazimat MD65 is a useful small metric thread cutting lathe available s/hand widely across Europe. Same company made a small milling head also available with dedicated standalone base table. Called BF ?(E) 200. Beware that the later mills use delrin gears which are not as stable as earlier phenolic resin ones and problems may arise – check carefully. But nice little mill in good condition.

Taig is now available in UK with thread cutting I think.
13 January 2025 at 13:50 #776982
Plasma
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@plasma
Proxxon are great quality machines, not had hands on the lathe though.

Depends on what you are wanting to make i guess.

If threadcutting at the size those lathes will handle I’d be tempted to just use taps and dies myself?

I’ve had the taig when it was peatol and it was a very robust little machine.

Mick
13 January 2025 at 14:43 #776993
Sonic Escape
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@sonicescape38234
On 13 January 2025 at 13:42 Diogenes Said:

Hobbymat / Prazimat MD65 is a useful small metric thread cutting lathe available s/hand widely across Europe. Same company made a small milling head also available with dedicated standalone base table. Called BF ?(E) 200. Beware that the later mills use delrin gears which are not as stable as earlier phenolic resin ones and problems may arise – check carefully. But nice little mill in good condition.

Taig is now available in UK with thread cutting I think.

Unfortunately MD65 weights 45kg. This is why I excluded also the Chinese mini lathes.

Since UK is no longer in EU it doesn’t make a difference for me 🙂
13 January 2025 at 14:49 #776994
duncan webster 1
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@duncanwebster1
Cowells 90ME weighs 22kg.buying one will make your wallet a lot lighter, but it is a super little machine.
13 January 2025 at 15:08 #776998
Peter Cook 6
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@petercook6
If you go with the Taig, I would suggest getting an ER16 spindle rather than the 3/4 in. – 16 one. They supply 3 & 4 jaw chucks that fit the ER16 thread, but the flexibility and concentricity of the ER16 collets for holding material up to 10mm (11 & 12 mm ER16 collets are available) is worth the slightly higher price.

I would not get the 1/4hp induction motor they show. It’s big and heavy. It’s more than possible to mount a small DC motor to the back of the headstock with electronic speed control for a far flexible unit. The industrial sewing machine motors are popular.

I don’t think they do a screw cutting version. They do have a version with power feed for the carriage. I would agree with Mick (plasma), at this size Taps & Dies are the way to go.
13 January 2025 at 15:10 #777000
Sonic Escape
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@sonicescape38234
On 13 January 2025 at 14:49 duncan webster 1 Said:

Cowells 90ME weighs 22kg.buying one will make your wallet a lot lighter, but it is a super little machine.

I know Cowells. Very nice machines. But price is way to high …
13 January 2025 at 15:16 #777001
Sonic Escape
Participant
@sonicescape38234
On 13 January 2025 at 15:08 Peter Cook 6 Said:

If you go with the Taig, I would suggest getting an ER16 spindle rather than the 3/4 in. – 16 one. They supply 3 & 4 jaw chucks that fit the ER16 thread, but the flexibility and concentricity of the ER16 collets for holding material up to 10mm (11 & 12 mm ER16 collets are available) is worth the slightly higher price.

I would not get the 1/4hp induction motor they show. It’s big and heavy. It’s more than possible to mount a small DC motor to the back of the headstock with electronic speed control for a far flexible unit. The industrial sewing machine motors are popular.

I don’t think they do a screw cutting version. They do have a version with power feed for the carriage. I would agree with Mick (plasma), at this size Taps & Dies are the way to go.

Yes, good idea. Taig Micro Lathe II has indeed ER16 option.

They also have a more expensive lathe called Taigturn , also with ER16 collet. But I don’t understand whre is the tailstock. And why the cross slide is so long? Looks like a possible conversion to milling machine? What are the advantages of Taigturn vs Taig Micro Lathe II?
13 January 2025 at 17:30 #777022
bernard towers
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@bernardtowers37738
I have a couple of peatols one is standard headstock the other is er16 and both are good. the older one is easy to make special collets for and as they are made on the lathe they are spot on. Lods of mods can be done to make them more versatile. Try Deans Photografia. for one. If you take the grease out of the headstock bearings and use oil you can increase the spindle speed, mine is regularly used over 9000rpm which gives a super finish on small diameters..
13 January 2025 at 19:31 #777053
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
Nobody seems to like Chinese Micro lathes, I guess because they’re too small for general work, and not good enough for watch-making. Never used one though, any users out there?

Proxxon get mixed reviews. What do owners do think of them? I suspect an expectation problem. Too small to cut metal quickly, but good enough when driven with consideration.

If clocks are the target, how about a second-hand watchmakers lathe? Not cheap though, especially with all the accessories. If I didn’t have room for larger machines, my hobby would be clock making. Quiet, only slightly messy, and fairly portable.

Bernard mentions Peatol: aren’t they Taig rebadged for sale in Europe with a 240V motor? Having an international power supply might be a good reason for buying one rather than another.

Dave
13 January 2025 at 20:14 #777056
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
The Taigturn is like the Sherline chucker lathes for small production, if you want to drill something you hold the drill in one of many toolposts.

If it were me I would go with the Sherline as it has the larger capacity with the riser blocks, C package will give you screwcutting or consider a small ELS so you get power feed too. Don’t need to limit yourself to watch making, go look at the work of Chris Ruby over on MEM to see what they can do in the right hands. Even my Unimat 3 was capable of making a Stuart 10 size engine and could easily handle all the small engines I have made on the bigger machine or do mods on RC models if thats your thing.
13 January 2025 at 20:49 #777060
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
Is it only sometimes working away from home? Will you still have the big lathes? Could you join a club/maker group etc to access machines. Most of the time making something isn’t using the lathe. The supporting hand tools will also weigh a lot. A portable bench with vice would support a lot of activity.
13 January 2025 at 22:57 #777100
Sonic Escape
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@sonicescape38234
On 13 January 2025 at 20:14 JasonB Said:

The Taigturn is like the Sherline chucker lathes for small production, if you want to drill something you hold the drill in one of many toolposts.

If it were me I would go with the Sherline as it has the larger capacity with the riser blocks, C package will give you screwcutting or consider a small ELS so you get power feed too. Don’t need to limit yourself to watch making, go look at the work of Chris Ruby over on MEM to see what they can do in the right hands. Even my Unimat 3 was capable of making a Stuart 10 size engine and could easily handle all the small engines I have made on the bigger machine or do mods on RC models if thats your thing.

I think also Taig/Peatol has optional riser blocks. Sherline seems to be more expensive for similar configuration. On the other hand it is available in many places, even here in Romania.

On 13 January 2025 at 20:49 Bazyle Said:

Is it only sometimes working away from home? Will you still have the big lathes? Could you join a club/maker group etc to access machines. Most of the time making something isn’t using the lathe. The supporting hand tools will also weigh a lot. A portable bench with vice would support a lot of activity.

I’ll still have the garage with all machines. But I’m moving with my family to Barcelona. We have no plans for how long we’ll stay there. It could be only months or years. And most likely well live in an apartment. To rent a house would cost a fortune there. So it will be a living room workshop. No more welding, cutting 6 meter pipes with TCT saw, angle grinder fun or furnace project. Or maybe I could still heat small parts on the beach with a large Fresnel lens and quench them in the sea 🙂

I didn’t found so far a club or maker group there. But I’ll dig deeper after I’ll arrive. Another city on our whish list was Eindhoven. It has way more jobs that Barcelona and everybody speaks English. There I found a very nice club where Philips donated lathes, mills and other machines. With 35 euro/year you can have access to everything! But my wife didn’t liked the weather. And we both fell in love with Spain.

But now if I’m thinking better the weight limit doesn’t make much sense. Indeed the rest of the tools would quickly add more weight. In the past when we lived abroad we rented space on trucks to move stuff. Probably we’ll do this again. Still I would not bring the 1.5 ton mill but something up to 50-60kg should be fine.
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