Steamingspud:
I find the 3/4" parts comfortable to make with the 9X20 lathe, and you could get away with doing a good amount of the 1 1/2" scale parts with it as well, although it'd be a bit slower going.
I think however if you could find a used 12X36 lathe you'd be a lot happier, especially if you have all that room. There is a caveat with that which you need to be prepared for though - the 9X20 is the largest lathe than can be moved by two people without help. The 12X36 needs an engine hoist or similar apparatus to lift it. It's too heavy for human hands. If you buy it used you'll have to arrange to have it secured to a palette, forklifted on to a truck and moved. With the 9X20 two people can (barely) lift it into a pickup.
In any case, get the lathe first. The first parts are all made on the lathe (wheels, axles and bearings) in the mean time start looking at the mill after you've gotten some experience setting up the lathe, and you'll get a sense of what you're looking for.
For the 3/4" scale version, Kozo reccomends a mill with a 20" horizontal travel on the table. That's pretty big already. For 1 1/2" scale, you'd probably want a little bigger still, there's some long pieces there that need machining and hole drilling in one setup if I'm not mistaken. Again since you say you do have room after all, a used bridgeport knee mill would be optimal. A knee mill is where the table moves up and down for height adjustment instead of the head, on a dovetail column. Same effect, different part moving.
Here is an Enco 8X23 knee mill for sale on Discover Live Steam:
www.discoverlivesteam.com/forsale/1_Sprayberry/index.htm That mill has a DRO (digital read out) which is normally a $1,000 option. Looking locally you might be able to find a similar deal.
The mills are all very heavy, heavier than the lathes. Machine assistance required to put into place.
A good place to start for general knowledge, BTW, is Machine Shop Pratice by Karl Moltrecht.
www.amazon.com/Machine-shop-Practice-Vol-Shop/dp/0831111267 I learned how to manually cut outside threads with that book, for example. will also teach you basic things like making and sharpening tools.
One thing you'll need to do is find some tutorials or a knowledgable person to help you tram up and align your equipment. Cause it won't be aligned right out of the box.
The short list again for 1 1/2" scale chip making -
Mill -
- Dovetail column or knee mill
- as big as you can manage / afford
- DRO (digital read out) preferred - it will save you a lot of time and mental acrobatics, but is pricey add on when bought new
Lathe -
- can get away with 9X20, 12X36 preferred
- DRO not neccessary, although will save time.
Initial Accessories and tooling to get you going for making round parts:
Quick change tool post (QTCP) for lathe. we can fill you in later after you've gotten the unit, if it didn't come with one already.
Good tailstock drill chuck for the lathe.
A good set of drill bits. (100+ pieces with lettered, fractional and decimal sizes)
A set of center drills.
boring bits.
HSS tool blanks.
A few reamers appropriate to finishing the axle holes and bearing holes in 1 1/2" scale.
One of these days I should post a list of everything I've ever bought from Enco, heh.
A grinder for making and sharpening lathe cutting tool bits. (see moltrecht book)
A disc sander (I find it handy for zotting sharp flash off the ends of parts that have been parted in the lathe before re-chucking for additional clean-up.) Also good for many other things. I got the sander and grinder from Harbor freight for cheap. No need to spend money on these two things.
Lathe and Mill brands, somewhat in order of ascending price / quality:
Enco, Grizzly, Harbor Freight and Wholesale Tool - all sell lathes from the same factory in China. Options, fit and finish vary with each seller. Harbor freight is consistently cheaper but you get better customer service and more goodies with the other brands. I have an Enco 9X20 lathe and I am 90% happy with it as a good hobbyist lathe.
Rong Fu- Taiwanese. Slightly better than the Chinese stuff. More expensive. Sold by Enco, Grizzly, etc. Some Chinese mills are knock offs of Rong Fu Taiwanese products.
Jet - can't remember country of origin. Popular lathe brand with many folks. Also Taiwanese?
Bridgeport - American milling machines. Good value when bought used.
Emco - Australian. The Chinese 9X20 lathe is based on the Emco Compact 8, an old but proven design.
Prazi - German. Real expensive. My dad likes this stuff because he can afford it.
Myford - British, maker of the Super 7 lathe mentioned in Kozo's book. Very expensive as with other European brands.
That only names a few but will get you familiar with the field.
Anyhow, I have a few decades less experience than most people on this board (if you look back far enough in the posts you can see where I am asking all the same questions) but since the 'newbie experience' is fresh in my head I thought I'd give my opinions based on my experience so far, feel free to chime in and correct me. I was real happy when other people steered me in the right direction back then.
-M
Went through that whole 3-in-1 idea until every single person I talked to warned me away from it.
