Which Comm Lathe?

[Chrislong]

Im on the market for a new Comm Lathe.

What is available, what is best, what should I avoid.

Chris

[lotusmark2]

Just got the Xipp perfect and for the dosh it does a great job.
I dont see paying a fortune for one of these if a cheaper one gets a com smooth and round thats all we need isnt it?

[Chrislong]

I want it to last as I will be skimming regular and im gonna be racing til my thumbs drop off.

I heard the Cobra lathe is good, but not sure if still available. I like the look of the LRP one too as it looks substancial.

Will look at yours on Friday Mark if you bring it.

Chris

[lotusmark2]

I will try and remember it ;D
Just sent you 2 mails

[TurboNutter]

I use the Eagle lathe. Would really recommend gettin the diamond tip though, the standard one is poo. Other than that its good, and looks the nuts in purple

[Craig]

I got the Xipp perfect lathe. Got mine from across the pond (PM me for details) but get the diamond bit if you do quite a few motors.

[DA_cookie_monstA]

I would recomend the Diamond tip to ANYONE doing skimming, whether for themselves or as a sideline to their mates, it gives a much better finish of cut, and is consistent everytime.

[Chrislong]

Isn't Eagle distributed through CML?

Are they all pretty good then? or are there any I should avoid?

[chrislee]

The Hudy lathe is very good

[Chrislong]

Very impressed by Marks Xipp Comm Lathe, so one is now ordered with Diamond tipp and case - nice!

[PDW]

Another vote for the Hudy here - beautiful engineering, exquisite manufacture, accurate and reliable.

Things to look for - thickest possible base, adjustable plates in the slideways (to remove play) solid Vee slots in the blocks that support the armature spindle (not ball bearings and not round slots) and a good qaulity motor to power it.

Nice to have - switch on the baseplate, good solid box to cart it around in, shims for adjusting the tool height, stop on the main slide to prevent cutting the armature tabs, diamond tool.

A standard tool is fine when set to the correct cutting height. Remember that you are looking for a round commutator, not a shiny one! Non-diamond tools will require a regrind every so often but are very robust and stand some abuse. A diamond one tool goes on until you chip it - and that could be the first day you get it!!

HTH. :)

[MattW]

If you're lucky you can re-shim the tool height to compensate for a chiped diamond. Trust me ;)

[PDW]

Matt - lucky?!!! You must have won the lottery, the F1 World Championship and a BRCA National Championship all on the same day!! Never happens to me - just the cost of replacing them!!!

;D ;D

[MattW]

Think about it, a diamond chips. After you chip something you leave a sharp edge!!! Well, i've been using a chiped one for about 6 years!!!

[PDW]

Matt, agree. However, depends where it chips!! Take the face off and you have no edge with the correct rake and clearance. Take the top off and you can use it again (you lucky b****r!!). Like I said - it's a lottery ......

Guess which one mine did!! ???

[Chrislong]

Im well impressed with the Zipp Perfect unit, all parts are adjustable AND replaceable individually. Comes with the 55x1 motor and 1700mah 4 cell pack (enclosed in base) ready to go, with handy little switch on it etc..

The only thing it doesn't have is a bump stop but I have good eyesight so can cope no probs.

My first skim on an old motor was perfect, rainbow like finish on the comm. Re-skimmed all my old motors yesterday for practise, each one was perfect.

[Rick]

Are there any major differences between these or is it just down to the build quality?

[al]

there are better and worse ones but the hudy lathe is a good lathe and quite cheap too !!!

al ;D

[Chrislong]

Best thing to do is have a look at each and decide what you'd feel more comfortable with, or prefer colours of.

I quite like the Cobra Lathe from TOP (is it still made), the LRP lathe and my own Xipp Perfect lathe - cos theyre all simple and easy - uncomplicated design, not had a good look at the Eagle and the Hudy one doesn't do it for me.

Theyre all designed for a purpose and they are all as capable as well as the operator is. If they wasn't theyd be braking trade description (I think).

Chris

[Oscar]

I bought an Eagle one brand new, but sold it after a few months as I got fed up of the bearings at the comm end becoming clogged with copper filings and siezing up, requiring flushing out and a re-lube. I am not saying this is down to Eagle, as I am sure other ball bearing lathes suffer the same problem, however I would not buy a ball bearing type lathe again.
I am now using an ancient Twister lathe, V block guides and well over 10 years old, the tip has been replaced but the rest is good as a new one. Surely this is testimony to a quality product :)

[burgie]

I have an eagle lathe, and don't have any problems with it. If you can be bothered to brush the copper cuttings off the lathe when you have used it, then it never clogs. I oil my bearings every time I use it, and every once in a while I strip the unit down and thoroughly clean it.
It's like any other peice of kit that you use, the more you look after it, the better it behaves and the longer it lasts. It's that simple.

[Doughty]

Either of the two LRP Lathes are good.

Last year I used the old one (the V one) and Tricky used the new one (3 bearings) and we were both very fast and able to get the motors back to the same performance each time.

[nicholas mitchell]

i just read the whole thread, my choice on lathes is very limited by money! the only real cheap one seems to be the Eagle Lathe with a Carbide tip, its only £100. it does not come with a motor, can i use any motor with the lathe as i have an LRP pulsar which can power comm lathes?!
does this lathe come with bearings or bushings?
anyone had any experience with it?
thanks for the help
nick

[DA_cookie_monstA]

You are best to use a stock motor, run off a 4 cell pack, which is a bit of a paint, as you have to break up a pack to do it. Duration isn't very clever, and the spinning speed will drop as you begin to cut.

If you use the 55turn Eagle Lathe motor, they are a little cheaper than a stock (I think) but allow ANY 6 cell battery pack to be used, and the extra torque you get by running the 6 cell pack, and the motor spinning at the correct speed for cutting, means you get no RPM drop, so it don't afect you cut.

[B3buggy]

hi,
Just use the motor run in feature on the pulsar,variable voltage, no probs.


Ross.

[nicholas mitchell]

thanks guys, when u say stock motor, do u mean one of them Silver Can Johnson or Maubuchi motors or somethin like a monster stock?

[Ben Turner]

A silver can sealed one would be best, but i use a high wind mod in an old can i had lting around, and run it on 3cell (3.6 volts), and it works well. I have the eagle lathe with the carbide tip and like it a lot. I wouldn't spend the extra money on a diamond tip as i keep resharpening my carbide one on a diamond whetstone, and it works great.

Ben

[nicholas mitchell]

thanks ben, well i already have one of those silver can motors so that will save me a few quid!
how often does the carbide tip need to be sharpened?
nick

[nicholas mitchell]

has anyone else had any experience with the eagle lathe and sharpening the carbide tip?

[Ben Turner]

i only sharpen it when i see a noticable difference in the cut, as it seems to take a cut or two after sharpening to get it back to its "mirror" finish. This can change however if you chip the tip putting the comm in, but i find this is also easily repairable by resharpening.

Ben

[kriss]

How much can you get a cheap lathe for?

[marcoski]

Why not have a look on the web?

[Rick]

Just oredered a Trinity TruLathe. Comes with motor, carbide bit, switch, v block &or bearings

[Rick]

I am trying out my new Trinity lathe, however the comm is jumping out of the support blocks.

I have read the instructions, and am using the supplied motor with the recommended 4 cells.

Can anyone advise as to why this is happening?

[DA_cookie_monstA]

There could be two reasons for this, either the drive band is too slack which turns the armature or you are turning the armature the wrong way (motor hooked up backwards).

[Rick]

Cheers

Played with the tension of the drive band and its OK now

[Declan]

Hi this might be a bit late but this is wot i use a hudy Lathe.