Lathes

[simon.holyfield]

Chaps,

I'm toying with the idea of buying a small lathe, before retirement comes and the money runs out.

Worthwhile or will I use it once a year?

[roger.fellows]

You'll suddenly have a lot more friends!

[nevhunter]

Have you the space for it? Prices are good these days. Get an induction hardened bed and all geared head with all accessories about 3,000 AUD. Get a book covering the Basics a few micrometers and dial gauges. Keep you metal stocks identified as to exactly what they are. Don't mix them up and get info on metallurgy and heat treatment processes so you can choose the correct metals for the job. These days you can expect to have to make many special nuts bolts studs, washers as well as more exotic parts as you progress. If you get involved you will wonder how you did without it. It's up to you how much you do. No point doing something others are already doing well. Support them or they won't exist. Nev

[Brian.Fosh]

Hi,

I think a Lathe often sits idle for years but it also creates opportunities to take on more challenging restorations. They come in to their own when the starting bike errs towards the less mainstream or is older or veteran, or very incomplete or rough. I undertook one such restoration of a BSA Sloper that would otherwise have been impossible.

I found I could do the same surprisingly big or complex or precise jobs (like turning a front brake plate from solid for a '38 tiger 80), whether on a motorised 1903 £400 treadle Drummond, 1942 Myford Drummond or on a £1200 1970 Myford with Gearbox. But the latter needed the least ingenuity and time to set up and leant itself to very slow feeds for boring gearbox bushes or for easy set up for screwcutting.

I bought a larger-than-Myford new Chester lathe on a stand, but still cheap @ £2.2k, to take an apprentice through his NVQ in turning and although its crudely simple back gear spindles were fussy to set up for screw cutting, (so mostly just left set for finest feed possible), its variable speed, robustness and good range of accessories served all the required NVQ tasks surprisingly well.

Brian.

[david.anderson]

Here is a little work that I did last weekend. An 8" bsa hub twin leading shoe brake plate turned to 3mm thick from 22mm plate. A couple of brake cam bushes and some brake shoe pivot pins (not finished) turned from some bolts. Next will be the brake cam spindles and cams. I will probably fabricate the brake shoes from steel plate, mount in position and finish turn on the lathe to ensure the shoes are true. Unfortunately my local foundry has closed or I would make a pattern and have them cast in aluminium. but steel shoes in a cast iron drum should still work well. The hub will also be altered and fitted with 2" x 1" x 5/8" wide bearings and then a wheel spindle will be turned to suit as the wheel will be used in the 56+ fork sliders which use a 1" spindle. A bit of work but the hub still looks Ariel to a casual observer and the 8" twin leader should stop much quicker than my 7" twin leaders.
I have turned numerous items including valve guides, valve spring top and bottom collars, fork bushes, cam bushes, improved bar end mirror expanders, a square 4 coupling gear puller, dies for pressing muffler end caps, etc.
David

[ColinPeck]

I have never understood how people can live without a lathe! Remember though......... You can do a small job on a big lathe but you can't do a big job on a small lathe!
I've had a Myford Super Seven for many years and it's a great machine, however there's been a number of times I've needed something bigger and have needed to visit friends. Due to a lack of space not allowing for a bigger lathe, I've now resorted to making a small bed but large turning dia.lathe / horizontal mill, from scavanged bits and pieces and my own castings. It will only have basic functions as the Myford covers anything up to its size limit. But more and more I've needed the larger capacity and I'm enjoying making my Frankenstein model, makes a pleasant change from fixing bikes!
However any sized lathe will be a great asset to your workshop, might be worth looking at college clear outs, one near me is apparently selling lots of machines at knock down prices.
Colin

[GuyH]

Getting even the simplest of parts made round my way is a frustrating process unless you have a lathe: My part of East Anglia is great if you want to grow wheat and sugarbeet but is not exactly full of engineering shops willing to take on small one-offs. I would often wait six or more months for a couple of spacers to be made and these delays set back projects for years. I then got a 70 year old lathe which hadn't had much recent use and now I can make simple parts as soon as I need them. For example the spacer which goes between the inner chaincase and frame on a '39 square four needs to be made to fit snugly to avoid stressing the case. I didn't want to use washers and was able to make it in an hour where before I would have been running around trying to find someone willing to make it. In another case I needed wheel and engine/frame spacers for a 1925 Carfield I was restoring - again I was able to make them myself which meant I was riding it round the yard within a day instead of months of frustration. So, for me, the ability to make simple parts and not be reliant on outside sources has proven to be the best thing about having a lathe. I still get more complicated parts made for me but engineering shops are generally more willing to make them. And as Roger said - you'll be surprised at how many people start calling round - it's a bit like owning a van!

[Bob.Murphy]

A few years ago I bought a 1950s Denford Viceroy from a local Engineering Works. I read a lot of books and gradually became (fairly) proficient with it. However, it is very worn and was jumping and breaking tool tips . . .

I treated myself to a new "Warco 280VF" - a variable speed lathe that covers both Imperial and Metric threads. Setting up the Change Wheels is a real pain however and the Denford's "three levers to select 48 Imperial Threads" was much better.

http://www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-met ... lathe.html

I also bought a new "Warco GH Universal" Milling Machine. A sizeable piece of kit that I had high hopes for.

http://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines ... chine.html

I use the lathes and mill constantly and wouldn't be without them. However, I would give a bit of advice - "Don't go for a cheap(ish) Chinese machine". The Warco machines are Chinese, look good and have a comprehensive specification but I find them frustrating. They are a bit 'cheap' in places and I'm finding it almost impossible to get a good finish on the work as they have too much built-in slack. Adjusting the Mill to get it true is almost impossible as the design doesn't allow for fine adjustment.

I use expensive 'Glanze' cutting tools from Chronos:

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/index.html

And now have a good collection, this site is addictive .

In short - go for it - you will wonder how you managed without (as I did with my 30-ton press that is used constantly), but go for quality. If I could afford Bridgeport machines I'd have them like a shot.

With practice, care and attention to detail you can achieve good work - even with a Chinese machine .

Bob.

[Eero.Korhonen]

I used to work with Myford as a precision mechanic way back in 1986.
It was very good. We now have Colchester in our club house (and another lathe
and two milling machines as well).
Br, Eero

[Richard Woolnough]

I have a Colchester student 3 phase and a Myford ML single phase, the Colchester cost me £800 a good few yrs ago and once I got the 3 phase supply connected has always done what I wish it to, the Myford I bought off a mate for £250 on a homemade stand, both have 4 jaw chucks, often necessary, I lost an 8BA screw from the light switch on a Norman Nippy so challenged myself to make one, did so and was so pleased with myself I made another, on the Myford of course I doubt if the chuck on the Colchester would have held an 8BA however don't tell a lace maker you have a lathe she will ask you to make brass bobbins for her hobby, ask me how I know? kind regards
by the way I have never had any instruction on a lathe but just ask around and with a little common sense they are good fun, BUT!! never forget your safety they can be quite spiteful should you err.