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Hollow spindle engine lathes come in sizes from roughly 5 inch thru hole on up to over 20 inch hole. Lathes with spindle holes of 3 or 4 inches may be referred to as big-hole engine lathes, but are not hollow spindle lathes and generally do not have the ability to mount a second chuck in the rear. The reason people buy a hollow spindle lathe, is, most often, to do end work on cylindrically shaped parts that require end work or ID work and long bars or pipes. But, there are many parts that are ideally suited for a lathe than can swallow the part deep into the chuck and headstock. These parts are often found in the aircraft and hydraulic industry long parts of not too great diameter that need to be machined on the ID and held very securely for minimum deflection. In a pinch you could machine these parts on a regular engine lathe by holding one end in the chuck and the other with a roller steady rest, but the rigidity and therefore accuracy of such a setup is questionable.
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