Im looking at getting a small lathe so i can do my own shims and other bits and bobs.

Has anyone got any recommendations?
ive seen This
at machine mart, but i owuld wait till a vat free day to get it.

Fairly gutless, and would prove to be disappointing.

Keep an eye on ebay for Myford lathes - even their basic model (ML10?) is far superior to the one you showed.

If you can find a respectable ML7 then that would be ideal - not TOO heavy, spares and accessories are easy to find, and a wealth of knowledge around the interweb thingy.

An old but tidy ML7 would cost about the same as the MM thing.

Alternatively, look on ebay for a vintage lathe such as a Drummond - positively antique, but as solid as anything and easy to use.

David

Thanks,
The main thing is space i need a bench top one as ive run out of room in the garage!.
their is a drummond one on ebay atm also a Toyo one that looks reasonable.

i brought one of these
from ebay cost £100


for the cost of the machine mart one you could get this myford ML4

[Edited on 14/2/06 by timf]

humm

what about something like This

or This

Already ducking to avoid the incoming derision

I bought one of these http://www.mini-lathe.com/

It cost about £400 and whilst I agree that it is not in the same class as a Myford it does most things I want it to for the car, is compact and above all is metric.

Mick

Edited to add that budgeting for the lathe is the easy bit, don't forget the lathe tooling and measuring instruments you will need / want.

[Edited on 14/2/06 by Mix]

What about this: HERE
Has loads of bits and pieces it would cost hundreds to buy separately as Mix mentioned.
Looks less ratty than many of the used machines.

We had one of those Hobbymat lathes at the first place I worked (in an electronics lab) it self destructed when the technician dialed in a 'too enthusiastic' cut. Found it almost impossible to get parts to repair it.

It was replaced with a big (3phase) second hand french lathe which was 'horrors' metric

I have had a few old myfords and think they are over-rated unless you can aford a well looked after low use ml7 or ml10 But for that you are talking £$£$£$£$£$£

I picked up a restored Super Relm with tooling ect for a couple of hundred.
A nice machine but huge

If buying second hand watch for headstock ware.

Im after one of these when I can find one to down size.

Your own lathe is worth its weight in gold to do small jobs such as spacers and bushes ect

quote:

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Originally posted by iank
What about this: HERE

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I've got a Chester 920 lathe. I wouldn't recommend it though as I've stripped the feed mechanism twice now

quote:

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Originally posted by big_wasa

quote:

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Originally posted by iank
What about this: HERE

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That will make best part of £500

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Tim - I have one of those Zyto lathes!

I agree that Myford prices can be inflated - it's probably better to find an old lathe, as I said earlier. My Zyto cost me £60, plus some materials to fix a few minor problems.

I also have a Colchester Student that cost me £200 - but then I had to by a 3-phase converter for £300 and had to pay £100 for transportation! (it weighs slightly more than half a tonne).

Probably worth looking in your local rag - I often see lathes for sale by people who don't use ebay.

David

BTW: If you see an old lathe but don't know what it is, its size, or whatever, try this link...

www.lathes.co.uk

David

One of my friends has one of these . He is happy with it now after some earlier trouble with the motor, which they replaced under warranty.

Will second the "local rag" suggestion.

I aquired a Colchester Master 6.5" x 40" lathe, with 3hp single phase "conversion" (not brilliant but it works!), transported 10 miles to my house, for £100, inlcuding about 20kg of tooling, faceplate, moving steady, external jaws etc etc etc etc.

Most of the lathes sold nowadays are from China or Taiwan. They suffer from classic QA issues - sometimes they work brilliantly, mostly they work OK, sometimes they are a heap of poo. Depends entirely on whether the 'fit and finish' of the components happen to match or not.
Sometimes you may find casting sand in the dark and mysterious corners...

David

Yes, wouldn't dissagree with that, but when buying from the likes of Ebay you're at the mercy of the sellers description.

Mick

I would buy a second hand British lathe rarther than a new Far east job.

Look out for Boxford or Harrison.

I sold a couple of small lathes for a school a few years go and I really struggled to get more than a couple of hundred pounds for them.

Look at the machine tool dealers and you should find one.

I do believe that it is practically impossible to build a car from scretch without a lathe or access to one, they are so useful once you have had one you will wonder how you did without it.

John

just be carefull on older stuff as to how hard its been worked. weve got a fair few older lathes going back to the 50s at uni and they are good bits off kit but most are suffering from terminal wear meaning they arent good enough for precison work any more. this will be worse on smaller lathes that have been used on steel alot.

umm im half tempted to go for something new as i know its all kosher, but then again i could save myself a couple of hundred if i hunt around.

This is probably one case where you're better off going 'off ebay' - there are a lot of people who advertise old lathes who don't realise how much they could be worth...

Myfords are the darling of the model engineering fraternity, hence allthe spares and accessories, but there are plenty of alternatives.

I have an ancient Myford either just prewar or just post war with a half horsepower washing machine motor of a similar vintage. It was cheap, works well enough though it struggles to achieve a fine finish on steel. It is big enough to handle all sorts of car bits but not big enough for brake drums or flywheels. It is worth making space in the garage for a decent sized thing the little ones are not really up to working steel at the sizes needed for bushes etc.

Caber

I got an ex school boxford for £300 from loot - first purchase towards the locost! It even came with a calibration certificate!
It's an excellent thing - I 've made countless bits on it - up to some 11" brake discs, thread turning a shortened rack etc. etc. Tonight I'll be finishing some camber adjuster sleeves. I dread to think what the machining costs on my car would have been if I didn't own it!
cheers
Bob

i bought an Myford ML4 off ebay for 150quid, im very happy with it, its accurate to 3 thou when i cut a length of bar 12" long held between the chuck ans a revolving centre.

Paul