Mellor lathe.

[Dieselman 63]

It’s all very well having big fancy kit but the important bit is the work leaving the jaws.
Take optima for example. His lathe is smaller than mine yet it turns out work that would put most of these big beasty lathe owners to shame.
Size matters a lot but skill matters more.

And experience. The two things you can’t buy.

 

[Hood]

And experience. The two things you can’t buy.

Then again you can be very experienced at producing rubbish

 

[Richard.]

Then again you can be very experienced at producing rubbish

Yep. It’s taken me years to develop such a skill set.

 

[addjunkie]

In my experience, the basics of every lathe are similar, but you need to learn how to get the best out of each one.

But remember any lathe is better than no lathe at all.

 

[Bill Edwards]

@spencer 427
Perhaps you can lower your feed rates better using a compound gear train

 

[Hopefuldave]

Ml10 is a fraction of the size and weight of a boxford.
If I disconnect the motor I can carry my lathe

Hmmm, if I disconnect my lathe, I can't carry the motor...

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Hood]

Hmmm, if I disconnect my lathe, I can't carry the motor...

Dave H. (the other one)

If I disconnected my motor I still struggle to lift it

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Recon my chip tray alone is about 80kg.

 

[Richard.]

Recon my chip tray alone is about 80kg.

Yeah but it’s got no bleeding Bleeding chips in it.
They ain’t there to admire paint jobs

 

[zx9]

Recon my chip tray alone is about 80kg.

Mine in lighter thank goodness.

 

[Hopefuldave]

Recon my chip tray alone is about 80kg.

Mine's part of the full-box base cabinet, all 3/4" cast iron and they surface ground the pads where the bed bolts on, for rigidity...
This may be part of the reason it weighs 2+ tons although the capacity is about as much as a Colchester Student - "Put more iron in it" said Old Man Holbrook.

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Dieselman 63]

The base on mine is steel strip with reinforcement bars and a bit of sheet work for the draw. Still a cumbersome beast and I can just about lift it. For ease I use the engine crane. The chip tray detached and it’s just steel sheet, very easy to handle thankfully.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Mine's part of the full-box base cabinet, all 3/4" cast iron and they surface ground the pads where the bed bolts on, for rigidity...
This may be part of the reason it weighs 2+ tons although the capacity is about as much as a Colchester Student - "Put more iron in it" said Old Man Holbrook.

Dave H. (the other one)

Same idea as mine on a smaller scale. Ground pads sit on my cab and the bed is bolted through both.
800 odd kg for a 4x21 lathe.

 

[God mode restorations]

@spencer 427
Perhaps you can lower your feed rates better using a compound gear train

Possibly Bill.

 

[Richard.]

I’d be looking to get a 12T gear.
You’ll then get the speed rate down by 1/3. (0.13ish).

 

[God mode restorations]

I’d be looking to get a 12T gear.
You’ll then get the speed rate down by 1/3. (0.13ish).

I could get a 12t gear made. But the problem being I would need to get a few other gears made. The set up on the rear screw is non adjustable. In altering one you have to alter a few. But am working on a different idea for that rear screw. For now it's working so a little progress has been made. Today I cleaning change wheels. Kind of looks good with this 127 gear on.

 

[Pete.]

The cross slide feed is already halved by virtue of the fact that the replacement cross-slide screw is 2x the TPI of the old one.

 

[God mode restorations]

The cross slide feed is already halved by virtue of the fact that the replacement cross-slide screw is 2x the TPI of the old one.

Yes. Had forgot it was .that been intresting to see under power .should be nice

 

[God mode restorations]

Things are getting a lot better. Cutting nice.
Am making a tool holder locking pin.

 

[Richard.]

Things are getting a lot better. Cutting nice.
Am making a tool holder locking pin. View attachment 141082

That looks loads better. What did you change to get there mate. Decent looking finish.