New lathe

[mechman]

I was in machine mart to day (my mate was buying gear) I just happened to try the cross slide on one of their small lathes(as you do) It took one an a half turns of the handle before the cross slide moved.
In this day and age you would expect tolerances to be a tad tighta instead of slacka.
Mebbe the play takes up when they are run in, I could be wrong.
Norm.

 

[langy]

Machine mart is another name for cheap horrible equipment

 

[ford34/2]

It will never tighten up, its the way its made and the price reflects the quality, and that includes the quality of the cast steel used to make it.Or in their case the lack of quality.

Still some cracking machines on the S/H market, cant go far wrong with your Harrison and Colchesters. The fact they are still servicable and can command a good price after 40+ years is credit to the manufacture and build quality.

Stan

even if they changed VAT free to completly free and you only pay VAT, you realy would need to think twice.

 

[penfold]

Or consider the better quality chinese stuff from the likes of Chester or Warco; it isn't Colchester or Harrison, but neither is the price.