# Tyme Avon lathe - which parts do I need?



## leonard-on-his-bike (10 Dec 2013)

Hey guys, first post here, so hello.

My friend and I have been very slowly setting up a workshop outside our house. We have a Tyme Avon 48" lathe that my friend picked up at a car boot sale for £40, all working (pretty much). We've been turning some things over the past few weeks but we are yet to get any more parts for the lathe, so we can't turn bowls or anything hollow.

We haven't got a chuck or a faceplate, and the switch on it is pretty dodgy, so now we can't turn it off without unplugging the entire lathe.

SO, we want to get a new switch, and also make it able to turn bowls, but we don't know how to go about it. We don't have any other experience of using a lathe, so our knowledge is limited. We know that it has a 25mm x 2mm thread size, but we can only find 1 chuck that would fit and it's expensive. 

So how do we go about turning bowls safely without spending a fortune? What parts would we need and where could we get them?

Also, where can we get a new switch.

Were finding it really hard to find specific information or parts.

Thanks a lot.


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## Phil Pascoe (10 Dec 2013)

Join Cornwall Association of Woodturners. Mondays, Wednesdays and Whursdays, 7.00pm til 10pm.
It's at Baldhu - not far from you. Google CAW for an e mail address or phone number - you need someone to meet you by the gate, you'll never find it. No charge first two nights. Someone there will help you.


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## bellringer (10 Dec 2013)

For a new switch you can get that from axminster or RS 

For a chucks look here http://www.peterchild.co.uk/chucks/threads.htm


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## Bodrighy (10 Dec 2013)

CAW used to have a Tyme Avon amongst their lathes, I have it now and they are great little lathes. The switch can be changed to any of the normal switches you can get at Axminster. You can get an adaptor for the chu standard chucks that goes onto the Avon thread spindle size is 25mm x 2mm. Peter Childs can provide them. 

Pete


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## leonard-on-his-bike (10 Dec 2013)

Great, thanks for the replies. I will definitely try and get to the CAW soon. I've heard of them but never been.

And thanks bodrighy that's some really useful info. Will have a look at axminster website now and shop around.

Just a general question about lathes, do we need a chuck? How can we attach a faceplate without using a chuck, or is it specific to each lathe?

Once again, thanks


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## leonard-on-his-bike (10 Dec 2013)

What exactly do you mean by chu standard chuck? Sorry for the slow uptake


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## Harry 48 (10 Dec 2013)

You need a faceplate to match your spindle thread size the faceplate screws onto your spindle


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## Paul.J (10 Dec 2013)

Hello and welcome  
Can't help with the lathe but take a look in HERE for turning bowls on a budget and without a chuck.
What parts/tools have you got with the lathe??


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## leonard-on-his-bike (10 Dec 2013)

OK, our lathe spindle isn't a solid threaded rod though, it has a kind of arrow shape to the end of it. I will take a picture of it tomorrow, not sure if we need a new part for the spindle.

Thanks Paul.J. So far we have no extras for the lather with regards to attachments/faceplates/chucks. I'm not sure of the exact terminology of each part, so tomorrow I will take some photos and see if you can give me some advice about what parts we should buy. As for tools, we have 6 decent chisels/gouges for different jobs. Again, don't know the exact names, but we have a medium gouge, a small gouge and some different pointed chisels.


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## leonard-on-his-bike (10 Dec 2013)

OK, if you have a look at this image:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/althea/image ... eAvon1.jpg

The lathe at the bottom is what we have, but 48" so a bit bigger. The spindle and tailstock are the same as what we have, with no other accessories.


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## Bodrighy (10 Dec 2013)

Not sure what you mean by the 'arrow shape to the end of it.' The thread at the headstock is where your chuck, face plate etc screw on and is a tube not a solid rod. The head stock will turn using the camp underneath so you can turn larger pieces in a chuck or on a faceplate. I have turned 20" on mine that way. Turning bowls can be done using the faceplate which, if you haven't got one. is a lot cheaper than a bowl and is usable with the head stock turned to allow for larger bowls. I use mine mainly for spindle work and like yours is the 48" version. The switch can be unbolted from the plate that it is on and attached somewhere more convenient if you wish so changing it for another zone isn't a problem. Changing speed is really quick on this lathe even though it is a case of swapping the belt from one set of pullets to another but I tend to leave mine at 1000 most of the time. I turn full time and use mine daily as it is a good little work horse and though I would love a wivamac or better yet a magna I would still keep the Ty
me for the smaller work I do. Lovely little work horse and well worth what you have paid for it. 

Pete


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## nev (10 Dec 2013)

leonard-on-his-bike":2ht13q2p said:


> OK, our lathe spindle isn't a solid threaded rod though, it has a kind of arrow shape to the end of it.....



Sounds like you have a drive of some sort inserted into the headstock. This is a machined taper fit known as a Morse Taper (or MT) and they come in different sizes (MT1 or MT2 ). It is a push fit and if its been in there a while you may well have some fun getting it out if there is no centre ejector (big nut on the thread of the spindle that when you undo it pushes the taper out of the hole.) 

some examples of different drives on here...
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/althea/image ... ccess1.jpg


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## Rhossydd (11 Dec 2013)

In addition to the good information above;

Turning tools and MT2 centres etc. are all easily available, it's just some of the propriety items that might be difficult to source now.
Have a look at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/althea/tymelathes.htm which has all the parts made for the Avon listed.
Not shown on the listings are the pair of supplied 200mm 8mm dia. steel rods used for locking the tailstock when changing drive speed or removing accessories, plus they're also the correct length to gentle tap out stuck centres through the tailstock (being careful with a soft faced hammer).

Unfortunately the 25mm headstock thread hasn't been very popular for other makes, so as you've found, there aren't a lot of accessories made for it by other companies.
Other than scouring eBay and putting 'I want to buy' notices on every woodworking forum you can find, you'll either have to bite the bullet and buy a new chuck or get some parts made for you. A local engineering workshop may be able to make a new faceplate(s) for you, maybe a screw chuck and a longer tool rest should be simple enough to make too. Another useful item that ought to be 'makable' easily enough would be the 90 degree bowl turning rest if you get hooked on making big bowls and platters.

For £40 you got a real bargain, the Avon is a really good lathe. Looking at the link above you'll see that new they cost a lot. I remember paying £380 for ours in 1988.


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## dickm (11 Dec 2013)

+1 in favour of the Avon. A much underrated machine, especially when attached to a heavy, solid bench to compensate for the relative lightness of the headstock. Even if it's relatively light, it's rigid and the bed bar arrangement, with one square and the other diamond profile ought to be a model for all lathe makers. 
BUT as you have found, accessories for their specific nose thread are not too easy to find. 
While belt changing on the Avon is relatively easy, if you get hooked on turning, you may want to fit a 3-phase motor and Inverter drive to get infinitely variable speed. I was about to do that with mine before buying the Mystro, so still have an appropriate foot mounted 3-p motor should you want one.

(Just remembered the only other complaint about the Avon - the lid over the pulleys can resonate annoyingly at certain speeds. Easily solved by screwing a lump of MDF or similar to the inside of the lit)


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## John. B (12 Dec 2013)

Here is a couple of pics of the Avon I used for about 20 years. It is a superb lathe, slightly under-powered IMO
but for all that a good lathe. 

It sat on a home made bench which just needed a couple of pads to raise it to my level.







I sold it with the accessories you see on the lathe including the outrigger bar on the left some 3 or 4 years ago.

It came with a Multistar Duplex chuck which I kept when I sold it and just bought another chuck body on fleabay for my new lathe.(Still got and in use now)
I also bought a Precision chuck from Axminster, which I still use after 22 years.







A closeup of the faceplate on the lathe. Also shows fablon stuck to the lid and split plastic tube in an attempt to stop the lid from vibrating, the only problem I found!  







These are the accessories that went with the lathe.
Banjo with long and short rests, Faceplate, push out bar, Home made rest with an end curve.





Me turning a pen on the Avon!





Me turning a pepper mill with my Precision chuck on the Avon.

A good lathe, Enjoy!!! (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

John. B


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## leonard-on-his-bike (16 Dec 2013)

Thanks for all of the replies and advice, it's really helped me understand it a bit better.

So what is the most basic parts I would need to start turning hollow items such as bowls etc? If there was one faceplate I should go for, what would it be?

Thanks again


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## Rhossydd (16 Dec 2013)

leonard-on-his-bike":3dj7c7w7 said:


> So what is the most basic parts I would need to start turning hollow items such as bowls etc? If there was one faceplate I should go for, what would it be?


It may be a better to ask this question separately as a new thread, qualifying it with what approach you've decided to adopt for your particular lathe.

A lot depends on budget, ambition and how quickly you want to get started.

Getting the bits for an Avon might take some time second hand, but ought to be reasonably cheap.
There's a vague chance that a dealer might have some original Tyme parts collecting dust on a shelf that would fit, so it might be worth phoning every wood turning dealer you can.

Buying new leaves less options, especially if you're on a tight budget.
The fastest and cheapest option would be to buy a mini faceplate from Peter Child http://www.peterchild.co.uk/osc/mini-fa ... p-275.html however that does very much limit the size of the pieces you can work on.
Next cheapest might be to have a faceplate made for you by an engineering shop.
The most versatile option would be to invest in a chuck system that fits; the Versachuck from The Tool Post or an Axminster Evolution SK114 Chuck could both fit, but neither is a cheap option.
(Whatever you choose it might be worth keeping an eye out for either of the above chucks as the spindle threads are changeable and you could pick up one for a different lathe and then buy the correct thread adaptor)


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## John. B (17 Dec 2013)

I second what Rhossydd says, but a thought that occurs to me is the dusty shelf thought.

I started my turning with Chris Child and the lathes we used were Avons. 

Certainly must worth a phone call to see if he has a dusty shelf in the back somewhere, 

if not he may be able to point you in the right direction.

Just a thought :-k :-k :-k :-k :-k


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## Rhossydd (18 Dec 2013)

John. B":2tlzrkyq said:


> I started my turning with Chris Child and the lathes we used were Avons.
> Certainly must worth a phone call to see if he has a dusty shelf in the back somewhere, if not he may be able to point you in the right direction.


Oi that was mine line too ;-)
I remember having a rather good lunch in the local preserved railway when on my course back in the 80s.
I think he gave me a good grounding in technique too. The table light I made on the course is still in daily use nearly 25 years later.


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## leonard-on-his-bike (18 Dec 2013)

Brilliant, I live in Cornwall but I'm going home next week back to Essex.

I'll give Peter or Chris a ring later today. Fingers crossed. 

Thanks guys


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## Rhossydd (18 Dec 2013)

leonard-on-his-bike":3v8712mm said:


> I live in Cornwall but I'm going home next week back to Essex.


If you come back via the M4 and won't be in a big hurry, another place to call is The Tool Post in Didcot. They are a real Aladdin's Cave for woodturners and only about 20mins off the M4.


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