Wood work on a Smithy?

[yellofins]

Hi Folks,
I was wondering if any of you have used or heard of using a Smithy Lathe/Mill combo for wood work. It is generally sold as a metal working unit.
I have an opportunity to get one but want to use it as a wood lathe also.
The speeds available seem comparable to the midi lathes on the market, and Smithy offers a wood lathe rest to mount on the T Track.
Any info?

Thanks,
Ron

 

[froglips]

Without flaming here, I am under the impression a Smithy is a cheap knock off Shopsmith.

Then again, I'm sure the opinions on a Shopsmith news group would be a bit skewed....

Jim

 

[michaelgarner]

I think you would be fine, in fact you would have the added benefit of crafting metals. Something I wish I could add to my furniture like make customer pulls and stuff. I'm sure the unit would be solid as well. Just make sure you look at the specks, and are what you are looking for. Make sure you know the swing capabilities of the lathe and the distance between centers is what your looking for. Other than that you will need some good turning tools and your set. If you want to get into bowl turning and pen turning you need to talk to the guru's on here. I do basic turning to fill the need for case constructions moldings and lamps and such. Hope this helps. If you go for it make sure you take pics and stuff. Be blessed friend.

 

[yellofins]

Froglips,
Smithy does have a knock off shop smith. Only the shop smith owners think it's a lower quality unit ;-)
The unit I'm looking at is a metal lathe and mill combo.

Lathe:
Swing:
12" over bed, 7" over table
Distance between centers: 20"
Spindle bore: 1.03"
Tapers: headstock MT4; tailstock MT3
Speeds:
6 (160 to 1600 rpm)
Pitches:
SAE (inches) 6 to 120 tpi, metric 0.5 to 4 mm
Travel: 20" longitudinal, 8" cross-slide

Ron

 

[michaelgarner]

if you dont mind me asking how much does that unit go for?

 

[yellofins]

The new units start at $1,300.
I'm looking at a older lightly used unit for much less.
I need to turn some teflon pieces and was hoping to use it for woodworking after the teflon project.
Ron

 

[michaelgarner]

I bet it would be a good investment. It just depends if you will use it to its full capabilities. If you think you will use it again for metal crafting then its a win win situation. If you were wanting to use it just once maybe you could get a less expansive wood turning lathe, and see if you can use some shop time on someones milling machine. Just some thoughts. If you do get it I might have a proposition for you. PM me for the details.