rovercoupe Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 For better or worse I have bought a lathe or most of a lathe! Its missing a few bits and needs some gears to get the auto feed working and its a odd bore so thats going to be fun finding those! The head is a later addition and there is some odd gear setup that just locks up when meshed so think that needs ripping out. Spent today stripping it down and un seizing everything and sanding the rust off the bed and its come on nicely allready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 A nice project, keep taking the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manton Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 I love old machines and can rarely walk past one. This machine is restorable but the lack of a tailstock is a real pain and quite hard to sort out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 I love old machines and can rarely walk past one. This machine is restorable but the lack of a tailstock is a real pain and quite hard to sort out. hello, try looking on the web eg google or there maybe a forum ? be nice to see that back to how it was when new, have you researched the maker? a bit of a side track but today saw a fully restored steam tractor pulling 2 carts and old van, lovely smell of coal smoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 I think that the "odd gear setup that just locks up when meshed" is the reversing gear, which on your lathe looks very similar to that on my old Henry Milnes of Bradford lathe of about the same era. I will try to send some pics of the assembly tomorrow which might help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted September 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 I have the tailstock, its off being cleaned and oiled up! The maker is a enigma dont know if they just didn't last long and went bust but there is nothing about the maker on the net apart from the address still existing allthough it looks like its apartments now! It looks like a design that was fairly universal round the 1900s so its quite old but its nice and tight everywhere and if i can get it going it will be a nice bit of kit. I have the motor and a few other bits, apart from the gears i am missing the legs but going to get it working and worry about that later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSpredder Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 .....try looking on the web eg google or there maybe a forum.....The best info source for lathes is usually reckoned to be: http://www.lathes.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Some older lathes share what seems to be generic beds! I believe some were just bought in, and finished to a manufacturers own specs! I am currently wanting a cheapo lathe myself! Something around a 7x14 ish for a few things I need sorting at present! I am waiting for a while first though as I have other things I need to spend on first. I need to rebuild some old caravan corner steadies, and need to make new worm blocks for them! "Hence the lathe" and some parts for a torch too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 now ...that is an interesting post/project................update PLEEEASE.... as you go on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peck Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I dont think its anywhere near 1900s, cap head bolts didn't come in till much later. More like mid 20th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I will be very interested to see how this progresses. I bought an old Drummond, a few years ago. Beautiful bit of machinery, with the little oil bottles on top. The on switch transformed it into a bit of machine magic. Sadly, I was useless at using it - unless turning a solid block of phosphor bronze into a pile of dust qualifies as a talent. I have been tempted recently to get another - I don't like quitting, but can't really think of what to make with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I dont think its anywhere near 1900s, cap head bolts didn't come in till much later. More like mid 20th The box with the cap heads is a later addition, the original head that i think i have is a all open type with brass or bronze bearings. Its a bit of a mashup but i think it can be brought back to life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I think it should look something like this allthough I am thinking of keeping the newer box so my fingers dont get mangled! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 (edited) I hope that you can get the parts to get it up and running I got a new Chinese made lathe a few years ago but did not rate it that much it did not seem strong enough unlike the good old British ones in the end I sold it got most of my money back though. Having said that I did manage to make some parts that I needed for something and could not buy. Edited September 26, 2016 by four-wheel-drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Here are photos of the screw drive set-up on my old Henry Milnes This is the nameplate - made in Bradford With the lead screw in neutral ie no screw-cutting taking place and the tool is hand-fed to the piece being turned With the lead-screw in forward drive to cut a thread. I have a selection of change gears that allow me to cut a variety of imperial and metric threads With the lead-screw in reverse. This is always employed with the tool disengaged from the piece, and used to return the cutter to the start of the cut to start subsequent cuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Thanks for the pictures it makes alot more sense now, it looks like i need to make up a handle and some form of lock to give me forward and reverse. The gears are there for that but it looks like all the gears to give cutting threads are all lost. Do you know if there is a general gear setup for autofeed when not screwcutting just to feed the tool along the bar being turned down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I am sure that you could find sets of screw-fitting gears. As far as using the lead-screw as a power feed, well that would depend on the gearing. I found that even with the finest pitch gearing, the speed of the lead-screw is too fast. But then, I've not usually been turning long pieces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajb403 Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 I have been tempted recently to get another - I don't like quitting, but can't really think of what to make with it. How about a fire piston? http://makezine.com/2015/11/02/watch-a-master-create-a-simple-survival-tool-on-a-lathe/ Or a gyroscope? http://makezine.com/2015/08/28/watch-benchtop-gyroscope-build/ I've got a 1946 Myford M Type lathe, basically the same as the Drummond M Type after they took the design on, still with 1" spindle before they increased it to 1-1/8". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 Interesting thread considering my main subject matter at the moment of painting old tools. Apart from brief spell of wood turning I haven't used a lathe since school, but a cousin who served as a CPO in the Royal Navy from leaving school to going on the rigs made a 50% scaled down version of a full sized lathe as his apprentice piece as a young lad. It is a thing of beauty. Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSpredder Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 I've got a 1946 Myford M Type latheI have one of those, mine is plated 1949. Not a bad little lathe, though it would be nice to have a larger spindle bore and an MT2 tailstock instead of the little MT1. And I have never liked the fact the carriage handwheel has to be turned the wrong way. I didn't have enough spare cash for the later ML7 model when I bought mine 35 years ago. About 15 years ago I had the chance to acquire a Boxford VSL, a well-built machine with a good size spindle bore, but it was the 3ph model, phase converters were still very expensive in those days, and it would not have been a straightforward job to change the motor. I still regret not buying that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajb403 Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 I have one of those, mine is plated 1949. Not a bad little lathe, though it would be nice to have a larger spindle bore and an MT2 tailstock instead of the little MT1. And I have never liked the fact the carriage handwheel has to be turned the wrong way. I didn't have enough spare cash for the later ML7 model when I bought mine 35 years ago. I'm still getting used to mine, only had it 6 months, the hand wheel going the wrong way is rather frustrating, when moving the tool off of the work piece I need to think twice before I turn it to make sure I don't run it into the headstock! Why they didn't fit an idler gear I don't know. The spindle bore (3/8" from memory) is frustratingly small but I have access to a Hardinge collet lathe and a Harrison M300 chuck lathe at work so it it just gets used for little domestic jobs. I think I was quite lucky with it, it was bought brand new by a chap after his apprenticeship, he then started a metal working shop with various bigger tools so the Myford only got used for the odd job here and there, it was then passed onto his son who I bought it from, the son had a Colchester and some other big lathe in the garage so again the Myford only saw light use. The bed ways are spotless, it's all mounted on a homemade wooden bench along with the motor and pulley wheels and has two drawers stuffed full of tooling, change wheels, shims, faceplate, dogs, centres etc. The chap wanted £370 so I bit his arm off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Heron Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 The mention of change gears took me back to my college days in 1968. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Sorry there has been radio silence for a while, had some other things to do before being allowed to play! Not done much else recently apart from build it a stand so i can work on it off the floor and put back all the freed up parts and so far everything is working and moving. So today i had a look at the electrics and its a bit scary. Old wiring scares me so went carefully and gave the motor and switch box a quick once over and it all looked ok apart from a wire on the motor has corroded away so re connected the wire back up and powered it up and the motor burst into life! The switch box has a forward and reverse but they both turn the motor in the same direction so something is amiss in there but the motor runs nice and quiet. So next up is a full rewire and test of the switchgear. I am also stuck on how to drive the lathe, i can direct connect to motor which is supposed to be rated at 425 rpm but it looks fast to me but i will get 6 speeds out of it direct, the other option is to hook up the other pulley block i got with itand run it with many many gear options! The only problem is i presume the pulley wheels should be set opposing big to small and the way it looks like i can set it up the gears will be equal. If i get a chance im going to have a look closer and see if i can swap the pulley wheels round and this will solve the problem. I also did some reading and managed to free the gears in the main box so they do not jam anymore and learnt about bull gears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 This is what im getting at with the pulley wheels if its mounted in this direction the pulleys are equal and it wont fit the other way as the main wheel will foul the chuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Ropey electrics! Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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