Smart & Brown

[Richie mac]

Been looking at a lathe on fleabay made by these guys but know nothing about them..... Anybody know if they are any good & if it might be worth a punt & value? It's a model A mk2... Cheers guys

 

[brightspark]

a well known name -u cant put a price on a machine without seeing it and its condition and if u get a 4 jaw chuck with it it might be clapped out or a winner

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Info on them here:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/smartbrown/index.html

 

[chevy2]

For quality and rigidity an S&B will walk all over something like a myford...

I'm part way through a rebuild on a model L

I had a model L a very long while back,
Very basic but ran true.

 

[Richie mac]

Just tried to copy link but can't seem to from phone but screenshot the Machine & description

 

[Richie mac]

Cheers fella's it's currently sitting at £300 so maybe worth a bid or 2 then as its only a few mins up the road from me

 

[kcchan]

Damn, I was hoping no one else would spot that. There's a couple on at the moment.

 

[brightspark]

Cheers fella's it's currently sitting at £300 so maybe worth a bid or 2 then as its only a few mins up the road from me

go -have a looksy if its near then make your bid

 

[Richie mac]

Haha @kcchan it's been on my watch list a few days cos it's only about 15 mins away hands off haha

 

[Richie mac]

Reckon I might just do that @brightspark ..... Anybody got any idea on the money it's worth

 

[Pete.]

Looks like a Model A. Probably weights over a ton but if you can shift it you won't be disappointed.

What it's worth? well that depends on how many people you have nearby who have the means to shift it and the room to keep it. Personally I wouldn't have any problem at all handing over £800 if it's in as good a nick as it seems to be.

 

[doubleboost]

Single phase looks to have a reversing switch as well
Proper solid built machine
All the chucks & a face plate
In decent nick
Worth a Grand easy

 

[Pete.]

I wish the pics were a little better but from what I see the ways look to be excellent. No scoring, no apparent ridge on the front way in front of the chuck (always a good indicator of wear) and there seems to be a healthy gap between the front flat way and the underside of the saddle. Whoever used that machine looked after it I'd say.

 

[kcchan]

Haha @kcchan it's been on my watch list a few days cos it's only about 15 mins away hands off haha

Well I actually have my eye on another one thats on there. The one you're looking at is too far for me and the one I may put a bid on is willing to deliver it to me! Haha.

It's good to know that they're decent machines!

 

[Richie mac]

Thanks lads will be going for a look see hopefully

 

[Pete.]

Thanks lads will be going for a look see hopefully

Good man. If it was still holiday time I would offer to come along and look it over but I'm flat out working now.

Couple of things to take note of:

It should have a 3 phase motor so take note of what it has fitted and how.
It might need supplementary change-gears to get all the thread pitches on the chart. See if it has all the gears it needs.

 

[Richie mac]

Thanks @pete top fella... I'll keep all that in mind ! If I'm lucky enough to win it for sensible money you're more than welcome to come over for bacon sarnies & give it the once over when ya get time if you're close enough..... Will keep you informed guys

 

[Gareth J]

Why not go with the idea of making an offer while you're there if it suits. Not quite so simple as if no one else bid but worth considering. people like dealing with people they've met face to face (with good reason when it comes to eBay) and the seller will save some eBay fees. If the seller wants to let the auction run, you're in the same boat.

Looks like a nice size

 

[Stueeee]

My "small" lathe is a model "A" mk2. I've had it for more than 30 years now, an excellent machine which I have done a lot of work with. IMO they are stoutly built and accurate and usually available secondhand for a lot less money than you'd probably pay for a Myford.

If you don't buy this particular machine, try and get one that has a good selection of accessories. Most machines seem to have left the factory with fixed steady, travelling steady and some collets -these fit directly into the spindle, are tightened via a drawbar and are not a standard format, so can be tricky (and expensive) to pick up on the secondhand market. The machine also has the option of a taper turning attachment, these are rare though.

 

[Stueeee]

Are the collets used in the A not just 'C' type as used in the L then?

No, the model A (and I think the model M) use Crawford 2804 collets, which are just under 1" OD. Apparently a few of the last Model A's that were made had a Camlock spindle mount (like the 1024 replacement model) and took 5C collets, but I've never seen one of these.