Lorch 8mm Lathe - Looking for Feedback

[gpraceman]

I'd like to get a watchmaker's lathe, but there's a mind boggling array of lathes, collets, accessories, etc. out there to wrap my head around.  I know a watchmaker with several lathes and he has offered to sell me this Lorch 8mm lathe plus a motor for $1200.  I'm just trying to get some feedback on if this would be a good set to start with and for that price.

• Two headstocks, one with a faceplate
• Collets up to 4.2mm.  He thinks he has a spare 5mm collet to add to the mix.
• X-Y cross slide
• Partial milling attachment
• Motor

He'll throw in some other bits and pieces.

I do realize that there are other things that I will be needing to go along with this (belts, speed controller, gravers, etc), just to get going with it.

[nickelsilver]

The slide is for use with the headstock on the right, and may also have reversed threads on the advance (some Lorch do, some don't). I don't think it can be switched for use with the headstock on the left. For me that would be a no-go. As you are in the U.S., I would keep my eyes open for a WW style lathe, perferably with a collet holding tailstock. Levin, Derbyshire, and Marshall (not their Peerless line) are all very nice machines. You might find a Paulson, which was made by Boley-Leinen, also excellent, as well as Boley. Lorch made a WW style, the KD50, but they are very sought after.

[gpraceman]

4 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

The slide is for use with the headstock on the right, and may also have reversed threads on the advance (some Lorch do, some don't). I don't think it can be switched for use with the headstock on the left. For me that would be a no-go. As you are in the U.S., I would keep my eyes open for a WW style lathe, perferably with a collet holding tailstock. Levin, Derbyshire, and Marshall (not their Peerless line) are all very nice machines. You might find a Paulson, which was made by Boley-Leinen, also excellent, as well as Boley. Lorch made a WW style, the KD50, but they are very sought after.

What would be the issue with the advance for that particular headstock?

The seller indicated that a collet adapter could be used with the tailstock, like this one that holds ER11 collets.  Though it would need to have a 7mm shaft he said.

[nickelsilver]

The lathe can be situated with the head to the right or the left. Convention is to have it to the left; but that slide is built to use with it to the right. If you put the head to the left, the crank on the left side of the slide will be crashing into it.

[caseback]

1 hour ago, nickelsilver said:

The lathe can be situated with the head to the right or the left. Convention is to have it to the left; but that slide is built to use with it to the right. If you put the head to the left, the crank on the left side of the slide will be crashing into it.

Like this slide. Works on my 8mm Lorch, but not on my 6mm Wolf Jahn..

Edited October 31, 2024 by caseback