Micro-Mark has been selling the MicroLux Metal Working Lathe since the early 2000s and we have sold thousands to satisfied customers. The lathe started as a gear driven machine with an MT3 spindle and 350 watt brushed motor. It was a 7 x 12 inch machine with turning maximums of (7 inch max diameter over the bed and a 12 inch length). Its next evolution was an increase into a 7 x 14 inch machine with the same motor and geared driving mechanism, but upgraded steel spindle gearing and an extended body cam locking tailstock. Several years ago, it saw a major upgrade into its current version with a more powerful motor that is a 500 watt brushless motor with advanced motor control circuitry and a belt driven spindle. Additionally we further increased the turning length capacity with an extended bed that will accommodate 16 inch long workpieces between centers.
Our current model: https://www.micromark.com/MicroLux-7x16-Mini-Lathe
This lathe is much more reliable now and easier to maintain and still utilizes a reversing switch and bi-directional gear driven automatic feed with thread cutting capabilites. There are only a few similar machines on the market, but we would like to talk about why the Micro-Mark lathe is the best choice.
For a quick overview of the Micro-Mark lathe check out this video:
Key Features of the Micro-Mark Lathe
Better Motor – The 500-watt brushless DC motor is the most powerful on the market in the mini lathe category. The brushless feature is better than a motor with brushes and is less likely to breakdown. This lathe also has variable speed ranging from 100 to 2500 RPM. While maintaining full motor torque at even it’s lowest speed. Finally, this machine is more powerful, quiet, efficient, and reliable
True Inch Dials – Another unique feature about the Micro-Mark lathe is that it has “True Inch” dials and 20 thread per inch feed screws. The zero resettable dials with 0.001 inch graduations provide 0.050 inch movement per revolution and exactly 1 inch per 20 revolutions. Other mini lathe machines use 1mm pitch feed screws with 0.001” calibrated dials which move the cutting tool approximately 0.040” per revolution. More exactly the metric feed moves 0.0394 inch per turn, 25 rotations of the feed which according to the dial calibrations should provide exactly 1 inch movement, in fact fall 1/64 inch short of a full inch. Micro-Mark’s MicroLux lathe is the only imperial or “True Inch” mini lathe on the market.
Easier and Less Expensive to Ship - Another benefit of the Micro-Mark lathe is delivery. Other lathes come as one unit and are contained in an extremely heavy crate. They are susceptible to damage in transit and are very heavy to handle and set up. These machines must be shipped as freight, often delivered by a truck equipped with a liftgate, and at a much higher shipping cost. The Micro-Mark lathe is packaged in two heavy duty corrugated cartons that are easier to manage and deliverable by standard Fed Ex or UPS service. The two boxes ship as a matched set and contain a machine that has been factory assembled and tested then packaged for shipment. The boxes weigh 67 and 59 pounds. Having the lathe disassembled into major components and packaged separately reduces the chances of damage and makes the delivery much easier to handle. Reassembling and setting up the lathe machine takes about an hour and is easily completed by following the step-by-step instructions included.
Tool Changes Fast and Easy – The four position tool post allows up to 4 cutting tools to be installed at a time making tool changes from one to the next fast and easy.
See the Micro-Mark MicroLux mini Lathe in operations:
Many Accessories – There are many accessories and add-on’s available for the Microlux Lathe, many of which are unique to Micro-Mark. Micro-Mark even offers the lathe in a value package, Item # 88175 which includes a number of our most popular accessories. This package includes items that will “trick out” your lathe, called the MicroLux 7x16 Hotrod Lathe Super Value Package. Additional items that can be purchased to add features to your Micro-Mark MicroLux 7x16 Inch Lathe include Milling Attachment Item #82734, which mounts in place of the lathes compound rest and allows small milling operations to be performed on the machine with an end mill cutter held in the lathes chuck.
Milling Attachment for the MicroLux Lathe
Also, Micro-Mark offers a Grinder attachment to the lathe, Item #82883, which operates at 6000 RPM with a 1/3 horsepower motor. The grinder also mounts to the lathe in place of the compound rest and allows for grinding operations to be performed on turned pieces while still mounted in the machine.
There are many videos available about Micro-Mark’s MicroLux Mini Lathe. This lathe is so versatile it will cut all metals, including carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, brass, copper, bronze, and nickel-silver, plus non-metals such as wood and plastic. And, with the optional accessories sold separately, it will perform virtually any lathe operation you'll ever need.
