Hello there,
I would like to comment on that lathe you were looking at....don't buy it!....I know it looks tempting when you are just starting out, but you would soon discover how limited you are by the size and quality of this unit. I have been a machinist for a long time, and I currently own Sherline lathe and mill with practically every attachment they offer ( long bed lathe with riser blocks and deluxe mill, not the 8 direction model though ). I do also have a 6" Atlas/Craftsman lathe. I have used those small Asian lathes and mills. They work, but very crudely. The fasteners and materials used in manufacture of the units are very suspect!...i.e. very poor quality! Do a lot of research on small machine tools before you purchase any. If you have very little experience, you will probably want to wait to spend your money on a wise purchase. Nick Carter is right about the size limits on the machines needed for airgun work.
Since I can vouch for the quality of the Sherline equipment I will say that they are worth purchasing. But I would say that you should get the long bed lathe and not the short bed lathe for airgun work. You will need the distance between centers for barrel work. The great thing about Sherline equipment is that you can get all the attachments needed for micromachining. If you don't have experience yet, having to make every attachment can set you back time in making it, instead of making the parts you're needing for airguns!
Good luck!
Christopher
|
