Show us your lathe

[doubleboost]

 

[Spark plug]

We'll I suppose it's my turn, this is my harrison m300

Ps: Show Dr yours might look like this one day

 

[madkayaker]

The levers and gear box are to do with selecting feed speeds and when screw cutting pitch. The table to the right of the moan speed control give you rates and pitches in relation to rpm of machine.

 

[ukracer]

Sharp eyes! Im pretty sure the one on the floor is off a Colchester Student or Master, i could machine it to fit i suppose but the base would be a bit thin.

You should sell the colchester one to me and then you can buy some steel and machine one for yours lol

 

[Mr shiney]

Get a photo posted matey. Lathes just seem to be one of things where you start with something fairly small and then they end up growing in size to meet current needs. Small lathes are perfectly fine, and they don't take up shedloads of space. There's no point in having something large if you'll never need the capacity. I've been using a 3-1/2" for everything I need, upto just.

I will take a picture tomorrow. No **** taking please!!!!!

 

[tlovatt]

I just finished building my new workshop (think big shed not industrial unit!) and installed my recently purchased Boxford ME10 model B

Everything moves nice and smoothly with no detectable wear.

Does anyone know the correct paint code for the Boxford Lathes so I can get some touch up work done?

 

[ford34/2]

Possibly:British standard 381C - 692 'Smoke Grey'
http://www.stationaryengineparts.com/Boxford-Lathe-Smoke-Grey.html


or take a part of the lathe to your local car paint mixer suppier.
I have heard Boxford are very good with info --even for old Lathes, http://www.boxford.co.uk/docs/about/about.htm
Try an E mail-- costs nowt.
I have used Smith and Allen in Darlington, they do a great mail order as well. http://www.boxford.co.uk/docs/about/about.htm and 692 is listed as SMOKE GREY
Stan

 

[Mr shiney]

My lathe!

 

[Shox Dr]

We'll I suppose it's my turn, this is my harrison m300

Ps: Show Dr yours might look like this one day

Never again, it gets looked after these days.


Mr Shiney: Don't feel too much lathe envy, I have made thousands of pounds using one of those lathes, strip it down degrease and Oil, setup they are capable of surprising accuracy and repeatability.

 

[MattF]

My lathe!

Nice bit of kit. Awfully clean as yet though.

Mr Shiney: Don't feel too much lathe envy, I have made thousands of pounds using one of those lathes, strip it down degrease and Oil, setup they are capable of surprising accuracy and repeatability.

True indeed. I'm a great believer in a tool being exactly that, these days. You get some folk who go on about how they need this or that to do something, when in truth the most basic of things will usually suffice. Lathes seem to be one area where that attitude is more notable. When you see some of the things the third world chaps can do with the most basic of tools, it makes you appreciate just how much it's down to skill/dexterity/attitude of the operator rather than the machine itself. The best of kit won't make a plonker any good at his job, yet someone with ability can make the most basic or clapped out item literally work magic. Hence, there's generally no such thing as a bad or lacking tool these days, IMHO.

 

[mr_splatter]

Here's my old Mk1 Myford S7. Had it a couple of years and its been good learning. Would like something bigger but at least I can move this fairly easily.

 

[Shox Dr]

I think that's a big decider on buying a lathe: How the hell do I move it? Im lucky I've no intention of moving, from here, so bought the lathe I wanted, it's never going to move unless I win the... and by then I won't care if it costs me £150

 

[brightspark]

Here's my old Mk1 Myford S7. Had it a couple of years and its been good learning. Would like something bigger but at least I can move this fairly easily.


View attachment 40553

ive got an ml7 along with a harrison, i wouldnt part with it because if your making a lot of small parts a larger lathe is a pain in the a,,se and clumsy . depend on what your needs are

 

[mr_splatter]

Good point brightspark. I think I must have missed of the "as well" part . I'm not good at parting with anything. Unfortunately, I am supposed to be moving this year and I have a Bridgeport mill to the right of that lathe which is the best part of 1 ton. And a Q&S donkey saw which must be 3-400kgs. The wife has said if a buyer for our place wants a workshop I could leave them there!!! She doesn't understand.

 

[ukracer]

Never again, it gets looked after these days.


Mr Shiney: Don't feel too much lathe envy, I have made thousands of pounds using one of those lathes, strip it down degrease and Oil, setup they are capable of surprising accuracy and repeatability.

What on earth were you making thousands of pounds on using a lathe like that? I grabbed an almost new one but sold it after 2 weeks of banging my head against the wall trying to get it to cut. They look nice and shiney but I just aint capable of using them I guess I am spoilt by having a Raglan 5 inch for 20 years and then a Colchester Master 2500.

Dont get me wrong I am sure a decent engineer would be able to use one but I aint a decent engineer. lol But what you make thousands with one doing I am intrigued about.

 

[MattF]

I guess I am spoilt by having a Raglan 5 inch for 20 years and then a Colchester Master 2500.

There's your problem. You've been spoilt all these years.

Dont get me wrong I am sure a decent engineer would be able to use one but I aint a decent engineer.

It's nowt to do with good/bad as such. This's why I always prefer to start small and work upwards. The smaller stuff does have limitations, but you learn to work around them. When you get to the bigger stuff, you usually find everything tends to be easier to do simply due to the more rugged build quality. You ne'er tend to lose the knack and forget the tricks learnt when using the smaller stuff though. When you've had to be awfully creative to get something done, it's not something you tend to forget in a hurry.

 

[Shox Dr]

Suspension Bushes for MTBs, I used to buy Aluminium ones in at 25p a pair and sell them at £9.95, at the time there wasn't any standardisation so there were many sizes, many needing to a be custom made. Also made them out of Stainless, for the likes of Specialized, I could machine a 50mmx10mm dia piece of SS to bang on spec, with a finish like glass.

And it could be carried into the race truck for tech support at the races

that's us just turned up to Innerleithen DH


And to add to what Matt said, if you start on a small lathe, crashing the saddle into the work peice is less colourful

 

[MattF]

if you start on a small lathe, crashing the saddle into the work peice is less colourful

Ain't that the truth. Once and only once have I managed to run the slide into the chuck, (giving the bairn a walkie talkie so that he can talk to you when you're in the shed ain't a smart idea, might I add), when the little 'un interrupted me whilst I was working on a piece close upto the chuck.

This is the lathe I've been using as my main machine for ages. Not sure if I've posted a photo of it before, so here it is.

That's the one which is going to be replaced by this, when I eventually get it up and running.

Even though I'm only doing a quick refurb rather than a restore on this one to get it in decent shape, it's taking longer than I expected. There's quite a few little bits need sorting, but it's getting there. If it's half decent when I start using it then I'll sort it fully one day, but for the moment it's just there to be worked.

 

[Pete.]

Here's my most recent lathe. I'll never sell it.

 

[Shox Dr]

Very nice, How much if you don't mind me asking, and what are you going to be using it for, and where was it from.