Please list in level of importance

[the rev]

First please list these tools in the order of importance for your work:
Wood Lathe
Sander (belt or disc)
metal lathe
drill press
drill mill



Then if you had to buy just one of these which would it be?

two?


ps, can I just borrow the money to buy all of these? I will pay it back shortly I promise

rev

[Growley]

Metal Lathe
Good Chuck
Combo disc/belt sander
Buffing unit
Porsche 911...you know... so people think you're really good at making pipes.

I'd skip the wood lathe, and have never used a drill press or drill mill to make a pipe.

[e Markle]

Metal Lathe
Good Chuck
Combo disc/belt sander
Buffing unit
Porsche 911...you know... so people think you're really good at making pipes.

I'd skip the wood lathe, and have never used a drill press or drill mill to make a pipe.

I agree with Brian. However, based strictly on your list:
Metal lathe
Sander (just buy a motor off eBay for $50 and slap an arbor on it)

I have never used a drill press, mill or wood lathe to make a pipe so I wouldn't include them in your shop. I'd save that money for a blast set up.

[Massis]

for now in decreasing order:

Drill press
disc sander/buffing station (motor with arbors)
band saw
metal lathe

if I could buy only one though, I'd buy a kick ass metal lathe. But as funds are low, I first invested in all the others, and am not really using my metal lathe much yet as I lack tooling....

[wdteipen]

For my current setup my order would be:

Wood lathe
Disc sander
drill press (although I rarely use it anymore except to chuck up a block to brace my stems while filing.)

If I had a metal lathe it would be second on the list. Yes, second to my wood lathe. I still prefer shaping on a wood lathe. I know you can still freehand shape on a metal lathe but I find it to be more crowded and harder to get into the wood. I do prefer a metal lathe for stem and shank adornment work though. I've never used a milling machine and would only mildly find it useful for making pipes.

[Sokolik]

Metal Lathe
Foredom Flexible Shaft Rotary Tool
Combo disc/belt sander
Buffing unit
Band saw

[Tyler]

If I had a metal lathe it would be second on the list. Yes, second to my wood lathe. I still prefer shaping on a wood lathe.

Spoken like a man without a metal lathe.

[wmolaw]

If I had a metal lathe it would be second on the list. Yes, second to my wood lathe. I still prefer shaping on a wood lathe.

Spoken like a man without a metal lathe.

True. Problem with a metal lathe and, to a degree the wood lathe, is the additional cost of tooling, most times more than the lathe itself.

Never having worked on a metal lathe, I can't opine if it works as well as a wood lathe on shaping, being used as a sander, drilling, etc as a wood lathe does.

but, putting that aside, imo, there is no contest here, WOOD LATHE! And then a band saw. The wood lathe supersedes the drill press, the sander, and, of course, you can buy a kick ass buffing system to go with it.

But, hell, I'm a total newbie and as you say, I don't have a metal lathe and barely know how to work the wood lathe I have!

[scotties22]

I think it depends on what YOUR process is going to be. The wood lathe was the way to go for me....price had a bit to do with that....and soon I will be getting a taig for stems. You need to take into account your comfortability with these tools, how you will set things up and most importantly SPACE. This is my "shop"



As you can see, I really don't have room for a metal lathe of any size. The taig will go on the wooden shelf at the left of the picture. Some day...maybe soon, maybe not...my van will be parked out in the driveway and I will spread things out.

There is really no right or wrong here. It all depends on how you want to work. Everyone, and I mean everyone, here does things a little differently.

[wdteipen]

If I had a metal lathe it would be second on the list. Yes, second to my wood lathe. I still prefer shaping on a wood lathe.

Spoken like a man without a metal lathe.

lol! Perhaps a bad case of metal lathe envy.

[wdteipen]

Everyone, and I mean everyone, here does things a little differently.

Everyone's entitled to do things differently if they want but if they want to do it right they will do it the way I do.

[scotties22]

Everyone, and I mean everyone, here does things a little differently.

Everyone's entitled to do things differently if they want but if they want to do it right they will do it the way I do.

Wellll.........good thing I do that already!! I even take crazy in-debth notes for every pipe......ambient air temp, humidity, star alignment, my horiscope for the day....I even take notes of my notes (I think I read somewhere that's what you do and wanted to do the same)

[the rev]

Thanks for all of the responses, I feel much better equipped to make a decision about acquisition now. For instance the first thing I am going to buy is a whip and a cage, because all of you spastic monkeys should not be running loose.

rev

[Tyler]

There is no question, none, that a metal lathe (of sufficient size and quality) is the best choice on the list. A metal lathe is the most significant tool one can own for pipe making. Come one, come all, I will take any comers in this debate. Metal lathe, hands down.

However and however: a metal lathe is not necessary to make a pipe, and the question as posed confuses the issue.

One can make a pipe with a drill press and files. One can make a pipe with a wood lathe. One can make a pipe with a Pimo tenon tool and trained termites. There are an infinite variety of ways to do it, but some of them stink, some of them work pretty good, and some are vastly more efficient and effective. A metal lathe is not the only way, but it is if you want to be be in the vastly more efficient and effective zone.

The challenge with the question as posed was there is no monetary consideration. A metal lathe is not the cheapest way to get into pipe making. A drill press is. its also very limiting, so a middle ground is often pursued. Something like Scottie's setup a few posts up is a great middle ground. You can start making quality pipes with sufficient efficiency to make a few dollars and piece your way into things. Each new tool will be a delight and big efficiency jump. It's the road I went down, and I think it's the road most will go down. It's great fun, and fun is what it's all about (this being a hobby for most of us).

Also, the question as posed results in a confusing response. You asked which is more important to each of our processes. Since we are all on varying points on the path, the answer will be very different. To a guy without a lathe, a drill press is most important. To Scottie, a wood lathe is most important. To Wayne, a brain transplant is most important. Each of us, because of our current process path, has different most important tools. With this question you are not learning what the best tool is, you are learning the best tool for a certain point in the path. And let's be honest here, some people take really strange paths.

Really, I think it's as simple as this:

Can you afford a metal lathe? ($2500-ish all tooled up)
If no, then:
Can you afford a wood lathe? ($1000-ish all tooled up)
If no, then:
Can you afford a drill press? ($200-ish all tooled up)
If no, then:
Buy kits.

My prices are pulled out of my ear, but with care buying some used stuff, I think reasonable. Obviously, you can spend more (or less) in each category. Regardless, you get the idea.



P.S. Scottie, you have plenty of room for a metal lathe.

[the rev]

Ok, so what I heard you say is:

Rev, you know that quote "there are no stupid questions?" well its wrong, that was a stupid question, you are an idiot, go hit yourself in the head with a hammer.



I was actually counting on the different perspectives Tyler. Because ultimately I need to make decisions based on my unique position as well. So what I am contemplating is getting some better tools for my drill press, and then saving up for the metal lathe.

and thanks for your well thought out post, you have been and continue to be very helpful.

rev

[andrew]

I agree with Brian. However, based strictly on your list:
Metal lathe
Sander (just buy a motor off eBay for $50 and slap an arbor on it
I have never used a drill press, mill or wood lathe to make a pipe so I wouldn't include them in your shop. I'd save that money for a blast set up.

Go with Ernie's suggestion. Metal lathe first. You can even sand on your lathe if you need to, just lots of dust to clean. I use a drill press occasionally, but that's a convenience issue and not a necessity.

You can also make a lot of really good pipes on a drill press until you can afford a lathe, but if you can swing it (no pun intended) buy the metal lathe. The most limiting thing for me on my drill press was thettravel on the quill. More travel = more $$.

[andrew]

My lathe, chuck and tooling cost about $400, but my lathe is probably older than anyone posting on the forum....

[smokindawg]

I still prefer shaping on a wood lathe. I know you can still freehand shape on a metal lathe but I find it to be more crowded and harder to get into the wood. I've never used a milling machine and would only mildly find it useful for making pipes.

I actually can easily take off the cross slide on my Jet 9x20 and made a small adjustable rest for using wood lathe cutting tools. So I can now use the metal lathe just like the wood lathe. I had a good wood lathe I used first but compared to the metal lathe with the rest, there is no contest.

As for a Mill........ I haven't used one to make pipes, but have for making tools too make pipes. Namely the chuck jaws. I even recently upgraded my sherline to a much bigger Mill/drill and am in the process of mounting my Digital Read Out so that I can easily make tooling with some repeatability.

So first on that list and if I had to save for tooling, I'd go with the metal lathe (At least a 9x20), then a Mill/drill as it's more versital than just a drill press. followed by all the small tooling.
But just remember, once you start down this road, know that it's a one way street. There is no going back and it's also a toll road, so expect to spend $$$$ all along the way.

[the rev]

thanks heaps guys.

Lots of good stuff here

rev

[Tyler]

Ok, so what I heard you say is:

Rev, you know that quote "there are no stupid questions?" well its wrong, that was a stupid question, you are an idiot, go hit yourself in the head with a hammer.



I was actually counting on the different perspectives Tyler. Because ultimately I need to make decisions based on my unique position as well. So what I am contemplating is getting some better tools for my drill press, and then saving up for the metal lathe.

and thanks for your well thought out post, you have been and continue to be very helpful.

rev

Sorry I came off that way. While there are stupid question, this wasn't one of them.