bolton

[td9clyde]

all done lol here it is this is what i have
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt80/Tazanitefoxy/10-18-10098.jpg
i really like it alot the cluster is all in one place but very useful it has double locks on the head and dual feeds the head also raises and lowers two speed and 16 different rpm speeds i can also cut threads but thats all beyond me lol i can also do tapers as far as milling with it i haven't tried it yet i don't have any end mill cutter bits

[dirtpusher9]

Henry, the only thing I know is the three in 1 have a round post ,which when milling they say can turn and really srew up some work quick. Just what someone told me but it makes since. Maybe on of the sure enough machinist will chime in.

[modelman]

TD9-I am not a machinist but I have a Smithy lathe & mill combination and I would NOT recommend this type of machine to anyone. I do not have a problem with the mill head turning but changing from mill to lathe & back & forth drives my crazy! It is not difficult to change over & it doesn't take long but when trying to build something I am constantly going from lathe to mill and usually just a quick job on one & then I need the other. It will cost more money but I would suggest a lathe & a mill. Just my thoughts.

[ihbuilder]

trust me you will not stop :eek: all the things I use to do by hand :eek: I already need a bigger one but keep the little one for my small production maybe cnc it . How old is the lathe you got and what type ? If you use the lthe more I'd get that and a small drill press then go for a mill ;) makes life much easier ;) I've pondered a 3 in 1 for a year till I saw 1 ( no thanks ) they're all made by the same co. just different brand names so the lower the price the poorer the quality . now for me I'd start looking for an old tool room lathe (usa made) with the exception of the ways any sloop can be adjusted out .thats my opinion but it comes to what you expect to achieve and do with it .

IHSteve

[Thorsteenster]

At some point I'd like to get a 3-n-1 machine, and was looking at the Smithy like Modelman said above. Tower Hobbies throws in brochures for them in orders.
Biggest reason for a 3-n-1 for me is space, even if I have to frequently switch it back and forth it'll be worth it saving the space of having several different machines.

[CatdrvR]

To be honest, you really do not want a 3 n 1 machine. They just are not great machines. I have worked with several and would never recommend one to anyone even if space was an issue. They just aren't even on the same level as their regular machine counterparts. Save the time and frustration and get the better quality mills and lathes.

Dan

[9W Monighan]

Take it from me don't buy small machines. They do have their place but for all around milling get a Bridgeport. You may find one for the same price as the mill you described. I paid $6000 for the one in my pictures with the 3 axis control. I did get lucky but just a manual version would be nice for you. You may ave to look for one that's not hammered like the one at my kids school they just scrapped.
Here's a link to my favorite shopping place for this stuff. I practically built my whole shop buying from this place. You just need to be patient for just the right deal to come along. One time I was going to buy another Taiwan knock offmill that was missing the head but what I really wanted was the cnc like mine only 2 axis but I him hahed too long and someone else bought it for $1000

http//www.hgrindustrialsurplus.com/ (http://www.hgrindustrialsurplus.com/)

http://www.hgrindustrialsurplus.com/sub/search_results.aspx?k=1&searchKeyword=mill&searchCategory=&sortExpression=&sortASC=&pageSize=&searchMethod=keyword

[ihbuilder]

yea I saw 1 go for under 4000 I wish i had the $ a week ago :mad: and yea like Steve said the little mill has its limits I'm looking @ a bp for under 1000 now but the guy said make an offer so well see pretty tight to .

IHSteve

[tracksntreadslou]

Hey henri..I have one of those cheap jap 3-1 ...1200 bucks at the time..Not alot of work done on it and things are not workig well and very difficult to hold work from moving when milling ...bearings are starting to make an awfull noise ...stay to the two seperate peices ......when i can aford it im changing over...I would rather sacrifice the room

[tc1cat]

Even though I have never used a 3 in 1, as a machinist I cannot recommend one to anybody. I would buy the lathe and then a mill if I was starting over on machines. A bridgeport mill is nice if you have the room for one. So is a floor model lathe but the same goes here-space! Table top equipment is great for the casual user when space is a problem. With most tabletop mills and with a BP you don't need to get a drill press. Just use the mill, most come with a drill chuck.

[Thorsteenster]

Actually when I got back into RC a few years ago and got to fantasizing about making my own parts, I found this site and got to looking at 7x10 lathes.
http://www.mini-lathe.com/
They also have mini-mill, and yeah, honestly I'd rather have individual machines over having to switch around.
I'll probably end up getting this, hopefully in the next year or so.
http://www.micromark.com/MICROLUX-7x14-MINI-LATHE,8176.html