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mr_splatter
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Depends on your budget really. Most of the old (from my meaning of old!) English stuff won't be metric as standard but you may be able to adjust via change wheels or getting near equivalents with imperial. I would look to see what's around and what tooling you can get with it as this can add considerably to the cost. Boxford, Colchester, Harrison are all good makes but there are plenty more. Also the condition is a big factor - the paint job doesn't always tell you the full story. Wear in the bed (near the headstock) is probably the most common wear area. Either get someone who knows about this or read up so you can assess. A bit of wear is normal and does not necessarily mean you can't do good work on it. Also consider transport as this can be expensive if you don't have the means or access.
julianf
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- devon, uk
My 1950s smart and brown model M cost (with a load of other parts) £181. I sold the other parts (which were not even lathe parts) for £180.
For a quid, im happy.
You can get a lot for your money if you stay away from buzz-words such as "myford" : )
For a quid, im happy.
You can get a lot for your money if you stay away from buzz-words such as "myford" : )
Pete.
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There's a nice-looking Smart & Brown 1024 on eBay right now but beware, I put a dial on it and the spindle isn't running true. And it's imperial threads only.
http://peterrimmer.myby.co.uk/vids/1024spindle2.mp4
http://peterrimmer.myby.co.uk/vids/1024spindle2.mp4
lotus 30
classic car enthusiast mostly lotus
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When something serious comes in i have a tool maker who works for the royal mint to drive it he is quicker and better than me I'm just a good amateur.
He does the screw cutting i find grinding tools the hardest he is brilliant really does p!!!!s me off I bought it with him in mind as he was nagging to get a good lathe never regretted it it came out of pointypridd college. In fact the royal mint still run these machines.
He does the screw cutting i find grinding tools the hardest he is brilliant really does p!!!!s me off I bought it with him in mind as he was nagging to get a good lathe never regretted it it came out of pointypridd college. In fact the royal mint still run these machines.
brokenbiker
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- Llanbobyll, south wales
My 1950s smart and brown model M cost (with a load of other parts) £181. I sold the other parts (which were not even lathe parts) for £180.
For a quid, im happy.
You can get a lot for your money if you stay away from buzz-words such as "myford" : )
will it cut metric and imp threads? also what is the bore through the spindle, centre height etc? that's a cracking looking lathe
julianf
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You will have to forgive my ignorance here, but ive never used it for screwcutting. Id have a look at what gears i have, it it were not for the fact that the unit is 250 miles away from me at the moment! (we moved, and its in my ex-neighbours workshop still - he has used it more than i ever have!)
Lathes.co.uk list the bore as 3/4 inch, but i think that is just the maximum collet size? With a chuck fitted, im sure a little larger is possible.
Smart and brown are still (kind of) about, so getting changewheels for metric would, i assume, be possible - but again, im really no lathe expert - i used them now and again to do jobs, but it was purchased more as it was local, and a good buy, rather than that i 'needed' it at that point in time.
(the point of my initial post was simply that there are quality items about, but without the following / price of the usual names)
brokenbiker
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it appears to have the same gearbox on it as doubleboosts boxford (i only notice as there is one on the bay for 150 quid right now that needs a lot of attention but has the same data plate on the box as johns has in his latest big head video.
very tempting to go for it, but its a bit distant and transport would be an issue
very tempting to go for it, but its a bit distant and transport would be an issue
lotus 30
classic car enthusiast mostly lotus
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- caldicot south wales uk
OOps i thought it was expensive. To watch my mate drive it fascinates me he made some front hubs for my car started with 7"x 5" lump of some fancy steel
spent a day on each hub disc mount internal bore for bearings and a knock on thread for the wheel swarf was every where and it fitted like a glove there was no room for error the calliper only just goes inside the wheel brilliant to watch a skilled man at work same as a good welder very under rated these days got to push a pen or be in IT with a suit on not a boiler suit. But reading on this forum there are still plenty of fred's in sheds. As Enzo ferrari said the english work out of sheds.
Thanks. Saved my bacon! Thought about having a punt on this- but it'd have to be sight unseen, picked up by the shipper and delivered to me in Portugal.
I'd have been sick as the proverbial parrot.
Obviously people are finding stuff much cheaper than ebay- an M300 for £600 would be great. My only source from here is the net though and I just don't find stuff like that. An M300 in Portugal would be £3000+......way out of my (retired) league!
Agree about the 3 phase- I'm budgeting for an inverter etc. as well.
penfold
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I learnt on one of them as a sprog apprentice 20 odd years ago; lovely, not used anything as nice since.
