Used lathes

[Cooper]

The houses are littered with bowls, every family member dreads birthdays

Oh dear, is that my future?
My graduate was scrap more than 30 years ago and sat in my garage waiting for me to retire and restore it. All it really took was a new belt and an inverter made by Bob Minchin, to make the 3 phase run on single and give variable speed, which is brilliant. Six years on I still look forward to using it more than any other equipment, though may have given up without the variable speed.

 

[Democritus]

Marcros
What a bleak future you paint. Worn out body, friends and relatives running for cover on smelling Hampshire sheen ( other finishes are available), and not being able to move in the house for bowls, vases, and candlesticks ..... Instead of an upgrade to my lathe, I think I might invest in a length of rope instead!
D

 

[marcros]

I didn't mean that everybody that buys a lathe falls into that category but some certainly do!

 

[Democritus]

Hi Marcos
I know you didn’t mean everyone. It would be a poor world if we couldn’t laugh at ourselves sometimes.
Best wishes
D

 

[quintain]

Why didn't I find out about inverters 25yrs ago when I bought for a very low price a graduate lathe that a school was throwing out (supposedly) because it was 3ph. I bought and fitted a single-phase motor and it has been used infrequently ever since.

 

[flh801978]

Quintain
25 years ago inverters (VFD’s) were only just becoming available really and very expensive

 

[OldWood]

Don't be star struck by a Graduate - there are plenty of competitors of a siimilar age and don't carry the high price millstone. The reason for their popularity is that there is really so many of them and like the Myford metal lathes they were the go-to for so many. I for instance have an Wadkins Bursgren of the same period and possibly built to target the schools market too - better as it is a longer bed, and has a larger throw. Certainly look to having variable speed.

 

[leisurefix]

The Graduate is a fine lathe, I (and I'm sure the O.P. too) would be interested to see examples of alternate lathes for similar money. It has the mass needed to damp vibration, being cast iron rather than pressed steel of small Wadkin, Viceroy, and Union Jubilee etc. Available with 54" bed (that I have) if you need to turn longer stuff. Inverter VFD is pretty much mandatory nowadays on a lathe for bowl work, and is fairly easy to retrofit. There's a good reason there are so many, it's a good lathe. It is quite low, so needs either breeze blocks, or steel H or I girders to increase height. Can be modified to increase swing over bed by 4" which I had done 20years ago. Can also drop outboard rest on steel plate to allow much larger swing. Only problem I have had is when coring very large bowls of 2' or so diameter, 0.75kw motor is underpowered & the support for outboard turning is not quite as rigid as I would prefer. I believe you can fit a 1kw motor, and possibly a 6pole giving lower rpm & higher torque.
I now also have a VB36, for the increased power & rigid support for coring, but have kept the Graduate as it's such a nice machine.

 

[quintain]

The Graduate is a fine lathe, I (and I'm sure the O.P. too) would be interested to see examples of alternate lathes for similar money. It has the mass needed to damp vibration, being cast iron rather than pressed steel of small Wadkin, Viceroy, and Union Jubilee etc. Available with 54" bed (that I have) if you need to turn longer stuff. Inverter VFD is pretty much mandatory nowadays on a lathe for bowl work, and is fairly easy to retrofit. There's a good reason there are so many, it's a good lathe. It is quite low, so needs either breeze blocks, or steel H or I girders to increase height. Can be modified to increase swing over bed by 4" which I had done 20years ago. Can also drop outboard rest on steel plate to allow much larger swing. Only problem I have had is when coring very large bowls of 2' or so diameter, 0.75kw motor is underpowered & the support for outboard turning is not quite as rigid as I would prefer. I believe you can fit a 1kw motor, and possibly a 6pole giving lower rpm & higher torque.
I now also have a VB36, for the increased power & rigid support for coring, but have kept the Graduate as it's such a nice machine.

I have set mine up about 4-6" on blocks; I am about 6' and it is an ideal height for me. It is very solid and stable. I have not yet tried to increase the height over the bed and would welcome an example of how to do so. I am also infrequently changing speed by use of the belt and pulley.

 

[minilathe22]

The Union Graduates do command a slightly higher price than other similar machines, but they maintain that value if you ever sell it on. Also there are many advantages to a popular machine when it comes to finding parts and accessories being an easier task. I fitted a 1.1kW 6 pole motor which greatly improves the bowl turning capability.