Feeling a little restricted.

[Windy Miller]

WHOAHHHHHH. Ok we really need to talk. And it's only 1.3mt. I'm gonna go get my tape out now.

Richard, I've seen this lathe in the flesh, and believe me it really is superb!

 

[Kent]

Nice. Thanks for the help.
You've based that on ??????????
The others are been a tad more optimistic and actually throwing links and ideas my way so I'll Probably take the more useful advice rather than "not worth your while".

The limitations. Perhaps more than you think. You know when you push a big drill with a little drill press right - it's not fitting the drill in its the vibration and torque etc ruining dimensions and finish of the work

Honestly I don't know your shop but I do know you will want to turn out half decent work as a minimum

Your time and money though I will butt out and leave you to it

 

[Richard.]

Richard, I've seen this lathe in the flesh, and believe me it really is superb!

I've no doubt about that. I was pondering the idea but now it's just got serious.
I can make that fit too.
Now ive got transport to think about. Didn't think I'd be needing to think about that so soon.

 

[Pete.]

Looks like it's sold Richard.

 

[Richard.]

Ah ok pete.
I see that just now.
Cheers mate.

 

[tinman123]

i had a minter of a harrison M250 here last year but for what i wanted it just wasnt up to the job, its grand for light stuff and a beautiful lathe but more a model makers lathe more than anything imo , along with that a good one isnt going to be cheap, i got 4k for my one when i sold it.
i have a harrison 12" swing lathe here at the moment that i bought many moons ago for 400, it isnt much bigger than the m250 but it id eat it for breakfast regarding how solid it is, ive faced it into some large bits of work and its performed very well even tho its still a small lathe.

i know richard you say you havnt got the space but if i was you id make some if it was at all possible.

 

[Windy Miller]

Ah ok pete.
I see that just now.
Cheers mate.

That was REALLY cr@p timing

 

[Richard.]

i know richard you say you havnt got the space but if i was you id make some if it was at all possible.

Can't be knocking walls down mate.
Petes sized lathe is as big as I can go. I'm not needing such a machine to take huge cuts on big things. I'm talking light use on soft small materials.
Thanks to you all I'm now much wiser in the direction and options. I'll be looking at bantams, Harrison, Boxfords and even myfords. And we will see how it goes. The thing is what ever I chose it will be used and if I make the wrong choice I'm sure I can recover my spend and look into something bigger. I'll be sure to check in with you guys before spending the cash mind as you know more than I do.

 

[Richard.]

That was REALLY cr@p timing

Telling me. I was putting a pm together with some questions about it Lol . Oh well at the end of the day its in Petes interest to take that sale on the first pm.

 

[Barlidge]

That was REALLY cr@p timing

Just for the record it was a conversation that was already in progress earlier on, not intentionally meant to pull the rug on anyone.

 

[tinman123]

Can't be knocking walls down mate.
Petes sized lathe is as big as I can go. I'm not needing such a machine to take huge cuts on big things. I'm talking light use on soft small materials.
Thanks to you all I'm now much wiser in the direction and options. I'll be looking at bantams, Harrison, Boxfords and even myfords. And we will see how it goes. The thing is what ever I chose it will be used and if I make the wrong choice I'm sure I can recover my spend and look into something bigger. I'll be sure to check in with you guys before spending the cash mind as you know more than I do.

ive never measured the harrison here but at best guess id say its no more than 5' long.
how much space have you got?.

 

[Richard.]

Just for the record it was a conversation that was already in progress earlier on, not intentionally meant to pull the rug on anyone.

I don't feel like that at all mate. Don't worry. At the end of the day I was Just thinking about it and I know you'd discussed this far more seriously with pete prior. No hard feelings my end at all, I'm in no rush for one. Good luck with it It looks a stunner.

 

[Windy Miller]

Just for the record it was a conversation that was already in progress earlier on, not intentionally meant to pull the rug on anyone.

I'm absolutely sure you didn't, and also for the record, I hope it didn't come across that I was having a dig at you. Cos I wasn't. For the record!

 

[Disco_Mark]

Richard, if I was in your position I would be looking at Harrison m250 or m300 or Colchester bantams. Boxfords are very capable machines, and a good bet. The Raglan little john has a lot of fans, as do viceroys.

Personally, when I was in your position, I was chasing an m300 to replace my ml7 when I kept running out of capacity, but a myford 254+ came up at the right money, so that is the way I went. It's a really nice machine, but they seem to change hands for daft money.

My friend then showed me a bantam he had. Had I not bought the myford, I would have bought the bantam on the spot.

He still has it, and it is still available if you are interested. Nothing like as clean as the one advertised here by Pete, and still running the original 3ph motor, so will need replacing or (better) running from an inverter/vfd for 1ph use. Pm me if you are interested.

Cheers
Mark

 

[ukracer]

I think I'm struggling to get the point over.
A big lathe simply won't fit.
Physically won't fit .
If your telling me I can't turn Alu,steel, brass and copper down on a smaller machine then there is no point in me buying one.
Telling me to use or get a big lathe doesn't help me as I made clear in the 1st post.
Are the smaller machines no good for my needs.

You need a raglan 5 inch. It's perfect size for you. Sadly mine has now gone but they knock spots of an Myford for less than half the price. Much more rigid but not much bigger and can be removed from stand if they do come with one.

 

[ukracer]

Not for me tom.
I'm looking for something bigger than that. And I'll be aiming to spend most of the budget to get all the required extras with it.

That's looks as big as a myford Richard.....next size up I would say is a Boxford or similar..

 

[Seadog]

Buy a Boxford model A and make sure it has a couple of chucks and steadies too. It's more than capable of doing what you require and weighs in at around 650lbs with cabinet.

 

[ukracer]

I missed a few posts while replying. If Petes lathe will fit (I know it's sold now) then a Boxford is your best bet IMHO or another bantam. I think you confused many of us when you said you want a myford sized lathe and not a half tone one. I bet Petes is close to half tone..

 

[Gritineye]

Half a ton of cast iron takes up surprisingly little space

I know you said you didn't want a stand, but I'd recommend considering it tbh.

For instance, the s&b cast iron stand on mine means I don't need 27 foot thick concrete underneath it to damp vibrations - the cabinet pretty much takes care of that. Sturdy floor still required obviously...

Plus, it nicely houses the motor and associated gubbins and means no messing trying to shield exposed belts etc.

Good advise there, mass is everything with smaller lathes, one on a bench or tin cabinet will be half the machine that one on a cast stand bolted to a concrete floor is.

 

[addjunkie]

I agree here, ive an imported 14/40 lathe, does what its designed to do, but yesterday i thought rather than grind the old brake plates off a pair of stock trailer axles, though big lathe, fixed steady much better to machine them off.

Lathe isnt bolted down, never been a problem before. But was noticable yesterday. Will be getting bolted down once i finally decide where i want it.

Richard, measure the space you have and get the biggest machine you can squeeze in. Ladies say size isnt important but in lathes it is.

And machines out of schools usually have very little real use, much easier life than something that spent 30 years in a machine shop


Be warned machine tools can be an expensive addiction, do you have space for a mill too?