# What kind of lathe could I get for around £600?



## Sawdust=manglitter (29 Feb 2020)

I’ve been woodworking for quite a while now, but i’m very keen to get more into metalworking. 

I’ve done a few bits and bobs, mostly by hand, and also done a little brass turning by hand on my wood lathe.

Apart from the above I did some work on a metal lathe back in schoool as well as a summer job in an engineering’s factory when I was 16. 

So apart from the above it’s safe to say I’m fairly new to metalworking. 

It’s probably a big ask, but I’d like to get myself the best second hand metal lathe I can for around £600, but would ideally like to future proof too if possible. It would be lovely to have the capability to turn metric threads, some that may rule out some of the older lathes. I ideally don’t want one of the smaller modelmakers Chinese lathes that’s dont seem to have the best of reputations. 

I may be able to stretch to £1k if absolutely necessary, but that’s would take some serious grovelling to the OH! :lol: 

Does anyone have any lathe suggestions for me to keep an eye out for please?

And to try to pre-empt the ‘what would you like to make on the lathe’ question, i’d love to have the capacity to make anything and everything that may crop up in future (in other words, no idea yet!! :lol: )

Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can offer


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## Trevanion (29 Feb 2020)

My lathe is probably one of my best purchases, gets me (and others!) out of a hole time and time again. I think if you're working with woodworking machinery day-in-day-out it's a must to have a lathe tucked away somewhere for those moments where something goes wrong and you could be down for a couple of weeks because they don't have that part in stock or you could be down a couple of hours because you can make the part. A decent milling machine is pretty much at the top of my "to get next" list for the same reasons  

That's a fairly standard budget when it comes to the older machines such as the Colchester Students, Triumphs or Masters but bear in mind the logistics of moving the older and much heavier gear isn't easy. I spent over 2 hours moving my 1.5 Tonne lathe by myself four inches to the left a couple of months ago, granted all I had was lever bars, wedges and scaffold pipes to move it and some will have better equipment than that :lol: 

Some of the more desirable and smaller machines like the Myford ML7 or a Boxford will fetch quite a bit more than the older and better built stuff just because there isn't so much logistics with moving that weight and they don't take up as much footprint. I think a Myford can take change gears to make it cut metric threads but all the dials will be in thousands of an inch and I know some Boxford lathes were totally metric in layout.

Power is another thing, most of the larger, older kit will be three-phase power, but you might be lucky to find one that's been converted to run on single-phase like mine was. If you've got three-phase on tap it's a non-issue but if you don't it's something to consider, again, that's why the little Myfords and such fetch so much is because they're pretty much all single-phase and can easily run off a household supply because of the sub-2HP motors, mine has a 4HP motor and requires a 32A supply to get moving.

Another thing... Some machines will be more worn out than others, it takes a fairly keen eye to spot hard wear on lathe beds, especially if they've been tarted up with an oil stone before a viewing. It's not unheard of to have some stripped gears in a machine once purchased, and it's quite common to see people lifting them by slinging a strap under the chuck rather than where they're supposed to be lifted from which will absolutely wreck the bearings in an instant.

There's no real or definite answer really, It depends on what turns up and how desperate you are for one right this second more than anything.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (29 Feb 2020)

Thanks for the reply Trevanion. I forgot to mention that I don’t have access to three phase, so require single phase.

Obviously i’ve seen that so many people love the Myford Super 7, but as you said they seem to go for quite a lot of money. Again, a Boxford is another one I’ve been keeping an eye on, but again they go for a pretty penny for something half decent.

The larger lathes like the colscheater student lathes look the bees knees, but the size and logistical side of buying one is pretty intimidating, as you've already illuded to.

If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that you have? And how much did you pay for it? Did that also come with tooling/accessories too?


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## Trevanion (29 Feb 2020)

Sawdust=manglitter":cvke6x5d said:


> If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that you have? And how much did you pay for it? Did that also come with tooling/accessories too?



I've got a CVA MK1A Lathe, I paid £2600 for it which was about 20 weeks wages when I was an apprentice joiner! :lol:. It was ALOT of money, but the way I look at is that I've got this machine practically for life now and If I live for another 40 years that works out at £65 a year, and even then it will still outlast me and be passed on to the next generation.

It came with a few bits and bobs but nothing particularly extravagant, I was fortunate enough to recently buy an original 5C collet chuck for it that the seller had pinched from the local RAF base when he was working there, I'd like to get a fixed steady for it but they're like gold dust and so are metric change gears.

I've pinched this photo off Lathes.co.uk, but the lathe in the photograph is actually MY lathe, I didn't realise it was famous until after I bought it. It was kind of a double-take moment, "Eh, That looks a lot like the lamp I've got on my machine... and the coolant nozzle... AND IT'S THE SAME TRAY ON THE TOP OF THE HEADSTOCK!"


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## Sawdust=manglitter (1 Mar 2020)

Wow, that lathe is a lump and a half! But no doubt a worthy investment. Looks impressive

Do you have or have you tried one of the vertical slide milling attachments for a lathe before? Are they any good? Or would it just be something to temporarily tide you over until you get a proper milling machine?


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## AES (1 Mar 2020)

@Sawdust=Manglitter: IMO there's a lot of very good advice in the above post from Trevanion. But I'd like to add a couple of points:

1.Although Myfords (and Boxfords perhaps to a lesser extent) seem to be fetching a LOT of money these days, there are still some bargains to be had. It's a question of being patient and keeping an eagle eye out in all the usual places - private internet sellers, Model Engineering web sites, and even local papers. Another big advantage of Myfords and Boxfords (e.g.) is that even though both are no longer in production there are LOADS of them out there, and that includes not only the machines themselves but also accessories and tooling of all sorts. I'm not sure, but THINK you could even find a set of Metric change wheels to convert, say, an Imperial Myford to a Metric.

2. Also, if I may , don't get too carried away with thread cutting. I think I've used that facility just once on my lathe, because 99% of the threads I've cut have been standard threads, so I've used taps and dies (mounted in the lathe to ensure a nice square result of course - the special holders are another useful pair of accessories).

3. Don't be in too much of a rush to discount the "infamous" Chinese Mini Lathes" either. In reality you do get a lot of bang for your buck, though even if buying new, you will apparently spend quite a bit of time fettling (that was so in my case, though from what I read, that situation has improved considerably in recent years). And once again, just like Myfords and Boxfords, there is a huge variety of accessories of all sorts available, and at quite good prices. Just as a matter of info, have a look at the ArcEurotrade web site as just one example of what's available these days:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk

Usual disclaimers, and there are other good suppliers too.

4. Regarding size, there's no doubt that the Chinese Mini Lathes are smaller in capacity than, say, Myfords and Boxfords. But one thing "model engineers" (which is what you'll become, more or less)! are noted for is finding ways to squeeze a quart out of a pint pot. Example, I regularly swing a 6 inch (diameter) chuck on mine. In fact, the biggest limitation is not so much the size, but the lack of rigidity inherent in such lathes when compared to bigger machines. Trevanion's machine (and similar, such as Colchester) are GREAT in that respect, but in my case I have neither the budget not the space for such a machine, let alone the wherewithal to move it.
But as a general rule, Trevanion is bang on, and it's always better to have a big 'un than a little 'un!

5. Trevanion is also correct to say that a lathe PLUS a mill of some sort would be great. BUT not only are we looking at doubling the budget (at least) we're also looking at double the space requirements. I wish I had a mill, but I don't, and very much doubt I ever shall have. BUT I do have a small "milling attachment" for my mini lathe and that coupled with a willingness to take my time and use hand tools (files, saws, etc) has enabled me to do whatever milling jobs I've "needed" so far.

6. Finally, if buying new, expect to at least DOUBLE the price of whatever you buy for all the tooling and accessories you need. Similarly, if buying S/H (which unless you do go Chinese seems likely from your 600 quid budget), don't forget to look not only at the state of the machine itself but also at the number and state of whatever tooling is included within the sale.

Good luck mate, you've started down a VERY slippery - but a fascinating and rewarding - slope. Just as Trevanion says, the peace of mind you have to KNOWN that if something's broken you can easily repair it or replace it is well worth it.

But just a word of warning. Having made that beautiful eccentric-shouldered bolt that fits PERFECTLY, do NOT expect SWMBO to be at all impressed when you proudly display "that funny little bit of metal"! ("Is that it? You spent all morning making just THAT? Using all that expensive machinery?"). DAMHIKT - but have fun anyway mate


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## MJP (1 Mar 2020)

As has been said, don't dismiss Chinese lathes out of hand - take a look at Ade's Workshop on You Tube, he lives down near Newgale and he's got a Warco WM180 and has just bought a Warco WM16B mill. You'd be surprised at what good work he does with his machine.
I bought a very nice clean used WM180 with a good few extras a couple of years ago for £470 and am very happy with it.
Martin.


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## Trevanion (1 Mar 2020)

AES":2y0pat1v said:


> But just a word of warning. Having made that beautiful eccentric-shouldered bolt that fits PERFECTLY, do NOT expect SWMBO to be at all impressed when you proudly display "that funny little bit of metal"! ("Is that it? You spent all morning making just THAT? Using all that expensive machinery?"). DAMHIKT - but have fun anyway mate



I made a pair of triple start threaded bolts for another forum user this time last year, It was actually my first time doing threading so to say I jumped in at the deep end might be an understatement but I managed it after a bit of thinking. I had a similar reaction with someone, "You spent all that time making two bolts?" YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH TO MAKE THESE! :lol:. We definitely take the fact we can walk into a shop and buy a pack of a hundred bolts for less than a fiver for granted.

You're totally right about threading though, I've done it only three or four times in the last couple of years and that was only because they were BSW and I didn't have the dies for the sizes or they were triple threaded like above. Everything Metric up to M12 I would do with dies, you could probably do up to M16 with a big enough die stock but it would be hard work in steel. I've got a whole range of Metric Presto HSS taps and dies from M3 to M12 which set me back about £150 for them all, which really isn't a hell of a lot of money for very good quality stuff, they bite instantly, cut easily and they don't seem to go dull even after several threadings in stainless steel, I had a cheap Aldi set before and it seemed you turned the taps and dies 40 times before they would bite into the material and even then it was hard going.

I have thought about buying a small milling table for the lathe and I've even put a couple of bids on some second-hand ones on eBay, but I've always thought they would be a lot more awkward than a vice set up in a mill. I don't think I'd need a big mill, even though it would be nice to have something like a Bridgeport or a KRV2000 I could probably get along with a small Arboga, Marlow or similar.


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## deema (1 Mar 2020)

For your budget, and if you have space a Cholchester Student is within your budget. A Mk1 or Mk2 with threading cutting box can cut both metric and imperial threads with the odd one missing. Spares are plentiful. You can get one with a face plate, 3 and 4 jaw chuck along with a quick release tool post and a few tool holders plus the moving and fixed steadies that isn’t worn out. 

With an engine crane and a a sleeper cut into two they are ‘easy’ to move. There is a threaded hole to take an eye in the bed for lifting. Manuals are available free with a google search. They are big enough to do just about everything and hold their value. 

Plan on spending another £500 at least for tooling, measuring stuff over time. That said, I made a surprising amount with a single HS steel cutter and the measuring kit I had for wood working!

I’ve been amazed how much I’ve used the lathe considering I’d got by without one until I bought mine!!


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## MusicMan (1 Mar 2020)

Don't sweat about cutting metric threads on an English lathe. The gears themselves don't care whether they are cutting English or metric, as they are just the reducers between the headstock and the lead screw that drives the carriage. The key thing that you need is a gear with 127 teeth. If you have an English lead screw, this allows you to cut metric threads (since 1 inch = 25.4 mm exactly) and only metric threads. Swap this for say the 120 tooth gear and you will cut only English threads. It's easy to work out the possible ratios and threads that you can do.

I'm a fan of old German lathes and it's an advantage that they are metric for the cross-slide and top-slide indicators. I have three Boley of varying sizes, from the 1920s/1930s. One is plain turning Boley 3 which I use a lot, one is a big Boley 4 with screw cutting gears (unfortunately not a full set) and the last is a Boley 3 with a full set of screw cutting gears. I assumed that this would be either 5 or 6 mm pitch lead screw and was puzzled when it was somewhere in between ! It was obviously an export model for the English market so it had an Imperial lead screw! But it had the all-important 127 tooth gear so I can get all the metric ratios that I want.

Agreed about the wear problem on an old lathe. Best way to check quickly is to wind the carriage along the bed and see if it is much looser near the headstock than far away. It should be movable without slop all the way though it is acceptable if the tightness varies as long as there is no slackness in twist. Otherwise you are in for a regrind, which is not cheap.

Small chinese lathes can be made to work quite well, though they do lack stiffness. They are also small - which means that there may not be room in the gearbox or gear-fixing arms for a 127 tooth gear (mine is about 200 mm diameter). You will be limited to metric threads.

I only have single phase in the shop, but run the 415V three phase machines happily through Direct Drive converters. Note that these will cost as much as the lathe, though!

Keith


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## AES (1 Mar 2020)

Blimey Trevanion, you ARE "bold", I've NEVER tried a triple-start thread. Well done Sir.

For Manglitter: Agree with all the above posts. Good advice all round.


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## Trevanion (1 Mar 2020)

AES":1kl5do5o said:


> Blimey Trevanion, you ARE "bold", I've NEVER tried a triple-start thread. Well done Sir.



It was quite simple really once I had sussed how to do it. If I remember rightly, the bolt I had was roughly 20TPI but triple start, 20 divided by 3 gives you 6.6, I had a 6.5TPI gear selection on the lathe so I selected that and the pitch of a 20TPI thread is 50thou. So with the TPI selected at 6.5TPI, I cut a thread sticking to a single number on the threading dial, once I was at full depth I would zero the machine again, advance the cross slide longitudinally 50thou to give the pitch of the next thread and repeat the process until all three threads had been cut.


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## SammyQ (1 Mar 2020)

I bought an older-than-me ML4, for just over £200. It can do all the small stuff like bushes, bolts, collars, yada yada, perfectly adequately. 
A big weighty lathe is nice, I was taught on a Colchester, but who has the space? A concrete bench or similar and a small ML10, Drummond perhaps, maybe even a Perfecto, and PATIENCE will sort you out.

Sam


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## TFrench (1 Mar 2020)

I'd only messed around with dad's old drummond before I got the big harrison at work. You could only take micron passes with it or the belt would slip. Most frustrating thing I'd ever used - I ended up taking the part home and using my wood lathe and a parting tool (it was only brass) :lol: Getting the harrison was a revelation - you can really hog some metal off with that! It only cost £1000 with a massive amount of tooling, but its a big old thing. I've just bought a Hardinge as well - because once you've got a big lathe, you need a small one as well - right? That cost me £1500 and I'm still stripping bits down and cleaning it 3 months later. It will be a phenomenal machine when I get it done though. Metalworking machines are a LOT more complex than woodworking, thats for sure!
If you're quick off the mark with ebay/facebook/gumtree and willing to travel there are definitely bargains to be had.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (2 Mar 2020)

Some great advice here, thank you all for the pointers


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## Blockplane (2 Mar 2020)

Given that what I know about inverters would fit on the back of a postage stamp - would it be worth buying an inverter to run a 3-phase machine, given that there is less demand for them in the amateur market and your money will go a lot further?


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## TFrench (2 Mar 2020)

Definitely worth looking at inverters. Or even swapping the motor for a single phase one. Just beware some fancier machines have dual speed motors which can't be run on VFD's. Ok with a static or rotary converter though. 

I turned down a holbrook minor for £350 today because I don't have room for yet another lathe


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## rxh (3 Mar 2020)

Trevanion":4bb8kcoh said:


> I think a Myford can take change gears to make it cut metric threads but all the dials will be in thousands of an inch.


Yes, a Myford ML7 or Super 7 can be used to cut metric pitches. You need to obtain a couple of 21 tooth change wheels to add to the standard set. At the end of each cutting pass the tool should be brought back to the starting position by reversing the motor (the half nuts should not be disengaged).


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## Sawdust=manglitter (10 Mar 2020)

Thanks for all of the replies. 

So I've been keeping an eye out for both Myford and Boxford lathes as something that size would fit ok in the workshop, but any bigger and i'd struggle.

I've seen a couple of different lathes, but what I'm now wondering is how would I best collect/transport the thing. Does anyone have any tips on how they've managed it themselves before?

Is it a good idea to take the lathe apart to make it more handlable, or is there a risk in doing so that putting it back may loose accuracy/parts etc (considering i'm a beginner)? I dont have an engine hoist/crane thing, but would it be worth considering using one? My car isnt the biggest (Audi A3), so i'd be surprised if i could get the lathe in my car, but if taken apart would the lathe realistically be too heavy to manage to get it into the car (possibly alone)? Or am i better off hiring a van, possibly with a tail lift, but that eats into my budget too.

Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated!


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## AES (10 Mar 2020)

Having the infamous "Chinese Mini Lathe" myself, I dunno mate, sorry. BUT there have been several threads here about exactly the best way to go about moving lathes so I suggest you do a search.

BTW, if your Audi A3 is the estate version then I GUESS Myford/Boxford would fit if dis-assembled, but if it's the "standard" hatch back version then I'm not too sure.

Best of luck anyway, I'm sure someone with better info will be along soon, and meantime "welcome to the slippery slope mate". It'll be fun AND an interesting learning curve anyway


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## Trevanion (10 Mar 2020)

A Boxford/Myford should fit in an estate car pretty easily with a bit of wangling, the base is probably going to be the most awkward thing as most can't be disassembled and have to be put in the car in one solid lump.

There's quite a nice little Denfords Boxford that's popped up on my eBay that's about 45 minutes north of you. No idea what goes with it but it looks to be in quite good nick.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (10 Mar 2020)

AES":1m2wc7d7 said:


> Having the infamous "Chinese Mini Lathe" myself, I dunno mate, sorry. BUT there have been several threads here about exactly the best way to go about moving lathes so I suggest you do a search.
> 
> BTW, if your Audi A3 is the estate version then I GUESS Myford/Boxford would fit if dis-assembled, but if it's the "standard" hatch back version then I'm not too sure.
> 
> Best of luck anyway, I'm sure someone with better info will be along soon, and meantime "welcome to the slippery slope mate". It'll be fun AND an interesting learning curve anyway



My A3 is just the usual hatchback unfortunately, so it may be a squeeze. I’ve finally got a chance to do a little research for moving tips, so will have a good trawl of the forum. And yes, it will no doubt be a slippery slope, but one I welcome  




Trevanion":1m2wc7d7 said:


> A Boxford/Myford should fit in an estate car pretty easily with a bit of wangling, the base is probably going to be the most awkward thing as most can't be disassembled and have to be put in the car in one solid lump.
> 
> There's quite a nice little Denfords Boxford that's popped up on my eBay that's about 45 minutes north of you. No idea what goes with it but it looks to be in quite good nick.



That's probably the one i’m going to go and see on Friday in Crymych as it happens. Trouble is, I asked if I can see it working and they’d said ‘yes, as long as you know how to turn it on’ :? I think it’s something they’ve inherited, so have no experience with it themselves. Thing is, i’m also in the same boat!! #-o Wouldn’t know we’re to start! :|


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## Trevanion (10 Mar 2020)

Sawdust=manglitter":1vwt5hkq said:


> That's probably the one i’m going to go and see on Friday in Crymych as it happens. Trouble is, I asked if I can see it working and they’d said ‘yes, as long as you know how to turn it on’ :? I think it’s something they’ve inherited, so have no experience with it themselves. Thing is, i’m also in the same boat!! #-o Wouldn’t know we’re to start! :|



My best guess would be that the long lever above the headstock is the start/stop switch when engaged left or right, Might be worth having a trawl through the Boxford section of the Lathes.co.uk website to see if you can see/read anything about the machine at all, from what I gather from the site this particular machine dates somewhere around 1950-59 since it's got the V-groove pulleys and the motor at the back of the machine rather than underneath in the cabinet.

If I knew I was going to be free on Friday I'd offer to come up and have a butchers at it with you, as you know I'm not exactly too far away :wink: 

You're going to love Crymych, perhaps the glummest place with the glummest people in the whole country! :lol:


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## TFrench (10 Mar 2020)

Looks a nice small lathe, got a gearbox as well which is a plus. I generally take a dial indicator on a stand with me when I go to look at machines, it quite often shows up wear or slop you can't really see. That one looks to have been looked after, and it would probably split down fairly easily to go in a car.


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## Robbo3 (11 Mar 2020)

Back in the 1980s, weighing ten & a half stone, I could just manage to pick up an ML7 to move it from one bench to another. Two people would easily put it in the boot of a car or on a board on the back seat.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (11 Mar 2020)

Trevanion":2kg8fcts said:


> My best guess would be that the long lever above the headstock is the start/stop switch when engaged left or right, Might be worth having a trawl through the Boxford section of the Lathes.co.uk website to see if you can see/read anything about the machine at all, from what I gather from the site this particular machine dates somewhere around 1950-59 since it's got the V-groove pulleys and the motor at the back of the machine rather than underneath in the cabinet.


Thanks for the tip. I have been looking at that website. I might be able to figure something out, just hopefully without looking a fool to the seller, and hopefully with pour cousing an accident! :? 



Trevanion":2kg8fcts said:


> If I knew I was going to be free on Friday I'd offer to come up and have a butchers at it with you, as you know I'm not exactly too far away :wink:


I’ve sent you a PM.



Trevanion":2kg8fcts said:


> You're going to love Crymych, perhaps the glummest place with the glummest people in the whole country! :lol:


Been to Crymych y few times... makes me appreciate home :lol: 



TFrench":2kg8fcts said:


> Looks a nice small lathe, got a gearbox as well which is a plus. I generally take a dial indicator on a stand with me when I go to look at machines, it quite often shows up wear or slop you can't really see. That one looks to have been looked after, and it would probably split down fairly easily to go in a car.


The gearbox looks to be imprial only, but would still come in handy. I do wonder whether there are metric gears available too though. So what exactly would you be checking for with a dial indicator (I do have one)? Would it be slop in the head stock? If so, wouldn’t I need some sort of round bar of known accuracy? Or would it be also to check the flatness or co-planarness of the bed somehow?



Robbo3":2kg8fcts said:


> Back in the 1980s, weighing ten & a half stone, I could just manage to pick up an ML7 to move it from one bench to another. Two people would easily put it in the boot of a car or on a board on the back seat.


Hmmmm, that’s encouraging! If or when purchased i’d take tools with me to take it apart, so maybe it would be do-able in the car then!


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## TFrench (11 Mar 2020)

I'd just set the tip of the indicator on the chuck and give it a wobble, see if the bearings are ok. Then do the same with the carriage - put the indicator on the ways or the stand and try to rock the carriage back and forth. If it's got slop it's not the end of the world, you can adjust the gib strips to tighten it up, but it can make a good bargaining point. Realistically you won't use the gearbox much - most of the small threading jobs you come across can be done just as easily with taps and dies - and quicker than single pointing it.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk


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## Sawdust=manglitter (13 Mar 2020)

So I went to view the Boxford lathe today. I have a few questions.

So the chuck appears to have a wobble of 0.05mm. Does this mean that the bearings are on the way out?

The bed seemed to be in decent nick for the first 18” of the bed, however there is some rust to the remaining right hand section of the bed, but the carriage seems to travel easy enough over it.

There’s a large wheel which takes the first belt from the motor, but there’s an obvious wobble to it. How difficult would it be to source a new wheel??












The belts seem to be the old school type with (assumed) leather links. They don’t seem to be in the best of condition. Where can these be sourced from, and are they difficult to fit (for a beginner!)?


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## Trevanion (13 Mar 2020)

Sawdust=manglitter":215s0ojo said:


> So the chuck appears to have a wobble of 0.05mm. Does this mean that the bearings are on the way out?



More than likely the chuck is out rather than the bearings themselves. That's a pretty good reading regardless, it's very difficult to have it running totally concentric to the rotation and even then it may just be the outside of the chuck doesn't run true but the inside is spot-on. Those old Chas Taylor chucks can sometimes be a bit iffy but if they've been looked after there isn't much better. 

If you mean you're wobbling the chuck back and forth by hand and all you're getting it 0.05, that's pretty good.



Sawdust=manglitter":215s0ojo said:


> The bed seemed to be in decent nick for the first 18” of the bed, however there is some rust to the remaining right hand section of the bed, but the carriage seems to travel easy enough over it.



A light rub with fine (Grey) scotchbrite to get rid of the rust, perhaps a very light rub with a flat oilstone after to take off any burrs, bumps and high spots.



Sawdust=manglitter":215s0ojo said:


> There’s a large wheel which takes the first pulley from the motor, but there’s an obvious wobble to it. How difficult would it be to source a new wheel??



A wobble in what kind of way? left to right or out of round? It would probably be fairly easy to correct, with a lathe 8) 



Sawdust=manglitter":215s0ojo said:


> The belts seem to be the old school type with (assumed) leather links. They don’t seem to be in the best of condition. Where can these be sourced from, and are they difficult to fit (for a beginner!)?



You can still get link belts fairly inexpensively, you just need to figure out what section it is and order a length and remove links to the size you need. Alternatively, you could put modern rubber belts on but some people prefer link belts for less vibration and noise.

Did you manage to get it running in the end?


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## Sawdust=manglitter (13 Mar 2020)

Trevanion":12pkufyy said:


> More than likely the chuck is out rather than the bearings themselves. That's a pretty good reading regardless, it's very difficult to have it running totally concentric to the rotation and even then it may just be the outside of the chuck doesn't run true but the inside is spot-on. Those old Chas Taylor chucks can sometimes be a bit iffy but if they've been looked after there isn't much better.
> 
> If you mean you're wobbling the chuck back and forth by hand and all you're getting it 0.05, that's pretty good.



What I did was take a router centre pin with me which I believe, or hope, is accurately concentric, so the run out i saw would be from the inside of the chuck. Hence wondering if it’s the bearing on the way out or something? 




Trevanion":12pkufyy said:


> A light rub with fine (Grey) scotchbrite to get rid of the rust, perhaps a very light rub with a flat oilstone after to take off any burrs, bumps and high spots.



Ok, thanks for the suggestion. That would no doubt sort that issue out.




Trevanion":12pkufyy said:


> A wobble in what kind of way? left to right or out of round? It would probably be fairly easy to correct, with a lathe 8)



Thinking about it’s, it’s probably the shaft that’s gone, as the wheel was wobbling outwards. So the wheel might be fine, but if it’s the shaft then that would presumably be worse  




Trevanion":12pkufyy said:


> You can still get link belts fairly inexpensively, you just need to figure out what section it is and order a length and remove links to the size you need. Alternatively, you could put modern rubber belts on but some people prefer link belts for less vibration and noise.



Where would I get these kinds of belts from? Are they difficult to fit?




Trevanion":12pkufyy said:


> Did you manage to get it running in the end?



I did run it briefly, but felt like I had an audience and didn’t want to risk breaking anything, so didn’t run it for long. Sounds like an old machine, but it seem to run smooth enough... apart from the wheel wobbling and the belts being fairly noisy.

The more I think about it the less I’m wanting to take on something that need too much work :?


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## AES (13 Mar 2020)

What 'ee said (Trevanion above)! And generally, from the pic you posted, it looks overall in pretty decent nick to me. Also if you buy that lathe and cannot correct the drive pulley, it's relatively easy to make a complete new one (just using the dodgy one for that purpose until you've finished the new). Lathes are a bit like doctors are supposed to be ("Physician, heal thy self").

How many chucks come with it, just that one?

Did you buy it?


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## Sawdust=manglitter (13 Mar 2020)

AES":1eeihwe2 said:


> What 'ee said (Trevanion above)! And generally, from the pic you posted, it looks overall in pretty decent nick to me. Also if you buy that lathe and cannot correct the drive pulley, it's relatively easy to make a complete new one (just using the dodgy one for that purpose until you've finished the new). Lathes are a bit like doctors are supposed to be ("Physician, heal thy self").
> 
> How many chucks come with it, just that one?
> 
> Did you buy it?



There was another smaller chuck with it, but felt a little rushed so didn’t do a full inspection of all of the bits it comes with. It had some other random stuff like a set of adjustable reamers, and other things I don’t really recognise.

Haven’t bought it yet, but after a think I was possibly going to go back on Sunday to buy it... but I’m thinking more now that I’d ideally like an already fixed up lathe rather than a fixer-upper, particularly as it’s my first metal lathe and I’m a completely beginner :? But maybe I’m overthinking it?


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## Trevanion (13 Mar 2020)

Doesn't sound like it needs too much work at all, and if it does it seems to be fairly simple stuff.

As far as link belts go, they're a puddle of water to fit as it literally as it's just twisting the links together and apart. As I said, there are a few different sections like A, B and Z which are different sizes in cross-section. They're pretty easy to get a hold of like on this listing on eBay which is £13/m.

I'd suggest you get it, pretty much all machines you'll come across will need some degree of TLC, even new ones :lol:. You certainly won't regret it, and you'll wonder how you didn't do without one.


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## AES (13 Mar 2020)

Once again, I must agree with "'im above me"!

There's little there that you'll find difficult if you've "got an 'ead on yer shoulders" (and it sounds like you have), and in reality, I think I had more to do to my (then brand new) Chinese Mini Lathe than you'll have with that lathe (though I've heard the Chinese have improved their QC these days - mine was VERY poorly assembled).

You'll anyway learn a lot about your lathe just as a result of doing the necessary fettling. I think I'd buy it from the looks of that pic.

HTH.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (14 Mar 2020)

Thanks both for the advice and the nudge. I agreed a price earlier and arranged pick-up for Sunday, so fingers crossed it’ll all go to plan. So now I have to make space in the workshop


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## AES (14 Mar 2020)

On that one Sawdust=manglitter, you're very much on your own!


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## TFrench (14 Mar 2020)

Congrats! Its a slippery slope....

I recommend Abom79, Keith Rucker (vintage machinery) and Steve Summers on Youtube - I've learnt so much from their videos.


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## MusicMan (14 Mar 2020)

Agree with all the comments above. I'm sure you can get that going without too much work. It'll be fun and do ask here for advice. I agree it looks a decent buy.

On the runout of the chuck, it sounds like you held the centre in in the three-jaw chuck then measured the runout with a dial gauge, is that right? If so, that is a respectable figure. Three jaw chucks don't actually centre all that accurately. You get a better reading by taking the chuck off and putting the gauge on the nosepiece of the shaft. 

belts of all sorts are available at lathes.co.uk as is info on the Boxford machines: http://www.lathes.co.uk/boxford/index.html
You should study that in depth.

Make sure you get as many bits and pieces that go with the lathe as possible, chucks, any steadies, cutting tools etc even if you don't know what they are. And a book should get you started, from the Harold Hall series

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lathework-Comp ... C94D7672BB

Let us know how you get on. Photos compulsory. 

Enjoy!


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## Sawdust=manglitter (14 Mar 2020)

TFrench":2j0of1bn said:


> Congrats! Its a slippery slope....
> 
> I recommend Abom79, Keith Rucker (vintage machinery) and Steve Summers on Youtube - I've learnt so much from their videos.


Thanks TFrench. I’ve already been keeping an eye on Abom79, but have Justin subscribed to the other two. This Old Tony can also be informative, as well as entertaining. 




MusicMan":2j0of1bn said:


> Agree with all the comments above. I'm sure you can get that going without too much work. It'll be fun and do ask here for advice. I agree it looks a decent buy.
> 
> On the runout of the chuck, it sounds like you held the centre in in the three-jaw chuck then measured the runout with a dial gauge, is that right? If so, that is a respectable figure. Three jaw chucks don't actually centre all that accurately. You get a better reading by taking the chuck off and putting the gauge on the nosepiece of the shaft.
> 
> ...



Thanks very much MusicMan. I have frequented lathes.co.uk on and off for a while, being metalwork-curious, but I can definitely see me referring back to it once I start properly down the slipper slope 

With regards to books, the lathe comes with a couple, so i’ll see what they are like, it’s that one you recommended sounds just what I could do with seeing as I’m pretty much a beginner


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## Sawdust=manglitter (15 Mar 2020)

Got my new Boxford home safe and sound 

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.






The move went well, but it did get rained on when we loaded the lathe on the trailer, which took a bit of time for me to dry off. Probably far from the best stuff, but for now i gave it a good spray with WD40 to hopefully prevent any rusting for now.

Tell you what made a world of difference was these, which i rushed out to get the castors from screwfix first thing this morning and rushed to make them before leaving to collect the lathe. Will no doubt become very useful in future 







The massive learning curve begins!!


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## AES (15 Mar 2020)

Looks good mate (and so do the "double dogs"). Well done, welcome to the "magic, help yerself circle"


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## MusicMan (15 Mar 2020)

Well done. I forgot to mention the use of dollies, and you are right, I still use mine a lot.

Enjoy slipping down the slope. I see you have a nice cabinet to keep all the bits and pieces in. You'll need it!


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## Blockplane (5 May 2020)

Well then S=MG, how are you getting on with your new lathe?


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## Sawdust=manglitter (5 May 2020)

I’ve spent a few hours playing on the lathe, learning and getting used to it, but unfortunately I’ve had loads to do with the house (the OH’s list is ever growing), and working from home i’m somehow busier than ever with work... and worst of all the workshop attic was invaded by squirrels, and when I found out I saw the damage they’d done to all of the wiring... so was completely on stop for a while before having to completely re-wire the workshop which was a proper nightmare! So i’ve not had anywhere near as much time on the lathe as I would have liked :?


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## MusicMan (27 May 2020)

That's a bummer. Keep at it, we need piccies! 

(as if I can talk about finishing projects quickly ...)


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## porker (27 May 2020)

Congrats on the lathe. Know just how you feel having a lot of other jobs to do without a play. 

You may have found his channel already but 'doubleboost' on youtube started his earlier videos using a Boxford lathe and did some great projects.


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