Metal working lathe

[jasonB]

Making hinges? hardly worth the bother

Have you seen the price of Brusso's lately :wink:

The mill is a X3 clone same as ARC Euro and Axminster do but I got it from Engineers Toolroom.

Fairly standard machine fitted with digital scales and remote readouts but I'm likely to change them in the near future for proper Glass Scales and DRO. The "calliper" type scale are too temprimental

Jason[/quote]

 

[Digit]

Cheers mate!

Roy.

 

[wizer]

Thanks, the idea would be to make something along the lines of Brusso quality but for lower costs (yes I know by the time you've factored in tooling it'll costs more, but tools don't count ).

Metalworking will probably be my mid-life crisis. Or if my back really does get better, sod the tools, I'll be chasing women half my age and buying sports cars 8)

 

[Harbo]

I have a Milling attachment for my Unimat which has proved more than capable of cutting clock gear wheels, drilling accurate holes, slot sawing for knife making and milling the bottom of Aled's plane kit!
Cannot post photos at the moment but have done so before.
I also have a screw cutting attachment but no copying threads (they are very hard to find) but you can use existing screw threads to clone.

Not as powerful as the others mentioned but very useful and such a tiny machine.
There's a photo in one of the Unimat books showing one kept in an office filing cabinet - for when the manager has a spare moment?

My friend as a MLSuper7 and has spent a fortune on accessories over the years - another slippery slope? We were looking at the Seig X3 at the Midlands ME Show - looks like a good machine.

Rod

 

[Escudo]

Thanks for all the replies fellas.

I am going to take stock and give some further thought to a metal working lathe. Lots of information in the above posts to study.

I spotted this on the bay, looks interesting;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320455184247&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

The C3 route via Euro Arc is perhaps the best modern approach. I noticed that they provide a set-up and fettling service (3 month wait !) for a reasonable £120 fee.

I also found the Cowells site. Very nice but expensive. I wonder if a second hand ME90 might just surface.

http://www.cowells.com/90me.htm

The cost and quantity of tooling also requires thought. The advantage of buying secondhand is the chance to bag some tooling with the lathe.

Great response, thanks again for all thoughts and comments.

Cheers, Tony.

 

[seaco]

This is my Myford Super 7 and I wouldn't be without it now, as I was told while I was looking "you can do small stuff on a big lathe but you can't do big stuff on a small lathe" which makes sense the Myford was about the biggest I could fit in my workshop...

I have been to Axminster and it's a bit hit and miss on quality if you can find a good Myford you won't be dissapointed with the quality!

 

[9fingers]

The cost and quantity of tooling also requires thought. The advantage of buying secondhand is the chance to bag some tooling with the lathe.


Cheers, Tony.

Tony, If you buy secondhand from a dealer, they will be likely to strip out all but the very basic of accessories to sell separately.
Private secondhand sales and workshop clearances are best value.

Bob

 

[jimi43]

Really weird...I am working on an early Myford too....£150 on fleaBay..

The spindle has no play at all, the bearing surfaces are fine and I think (once I get it set up properly), that it will be a fine machine.

The only problem with one of these vintage (ML1 to ML4) pre-war machines is spare parts...I am having a hell of a job getting a pulley countershaft setup (missing) in order to drive it. I want to retain the originality and flat belt but thought I could drive a V-belt motor pulley via a countershaft fitted with a V-belt pulley to motor and flat pulley to lathe.

This is work in progress....so if anyone on UKW forum has any bits they want to sell...especially the drive train bits...I would love to hear from them...

Jim

 

[9fingers]

Jim,
Are you a member of the myfordlathes yahoo group?
This would be a good route to discuss restoration and possible sources of parts for these early lathes.
The group is well moderated and the posts are kept well focused.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/myfordlathes/


Bob

 

[Boz62]

I wonder if a second hand ME90 might just surface.

There's one for sale here. Still expensive though.

Boz

 

[jimi43]

Jim,
Are you a member of the myfordlathes yahoo group?
This would be a good route to discuss restoration and possible sources of parts for these early lathes.
The group is well moderated and the posts are kept well focused.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/myfordlathes/


Bob

No Bob...I had not thought of that...thanks very much for sparking that thought and the link..I will sign up post haste!

I am already a member of the INCA forum and, though not exactly super active...those threads that do appear are hugely useful and as you say, very specific!

I am not sure whether I will be keeping this little baby....I am tempted and I have the space for that and the large "T.Taylor" that I use for wood now...so maybe she will be a keeper...I too want to turn up some finer metal bits and bobs...and the Taylor is just too butch for that...OH...and archaic!!

Cheers Bob.

Jim

 

[wizer]

I'm always surprised when I hear that Yahoo groups and the like are still going. Such a bizarre and frustrating method of communication.

 

[9fingers]

Why bizarre Tom?

At least they offer some file storage which is more than in here
They also host the photos. They are also free to both organiser and users

Different maybe, bizarre? I can't really agree.

Bob

 

[wizer]

Must be an age thing Bob. It just seems such an old fashion way of communicating. Many of those old boards evolved into proper forums (like here). I take your point about storage but that's a specific issue with the method in which this place is run

 

[jimi43]

I find them very sedentary....not a hive of activity like here....

I use the photo sections and the files but once you download all the interesting files to your PC...then they tend not to be much use. I find they are great crossovers for finding where the real forums are though!



Jim

 

[jlawrence]

There's one yahoo group which I still follow - UKHA - about home automation in the UK. It still gets at least 10 posts a day. I think they now have a forum as well.
Uploading photo's etc (or rather not) is a choice that Charlie made.
I've no idea what resources Charlie has available for hosting this site. If he wants to discuss alternative hosting, I've sure I could persuade my other directors to offer some sort of sponsorship deal.

 

[wizer]

I believe UKW is run on a dedicated server. He has the resources, just not the time nor inclination.

 

[Boz62]

Thanks Bob. I signed up to the myfordlathes yahoo group, and after many years searching, I now have a scan of the original manual and brochure for my ML2 . It's lovely to see the original docs - very quaint! Also downloaded an ML7 manual so I can dream

I use Yahoo Groups like a forum - just select "web access" mode and then group by subject. Bit clunky but I've seen worse. And as said, they do include file hosting.

Boz

 

[Escudo]

Here is another expensive option from Wabeco;

http://www.emcomachinetools.co.uk/P...0ELathe/tabid/202/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Looks nice doesn't it?

Still mulling over whether to bid for that Unimat on the bay.

T

 

[jimi43]

Yes Bob...and Boz!

I got the manual too...and that was wonderful...I was really wondering which blinkin' model I actually had....

This solved all of that! It's an ML1

I didn't realise that the ML1 and ML2 differ only on bed length and swing...

Now all I need is the motor countershaft and pulleys/belts and I am well away! One up on fleaBay now so maybe I will get this baby going soon!

Ta guys!

Jim