Hello everybody,
You may recall that I recently retired my Edgwick Mk1 to a good home.
Now the search continues for a BOXFORD 280.
I drove a long way to inspect a 280 which I must say was in excellent visual condition BUT ...........
The owner let me do all the visuals , measurements with the dti etc. no problem.
When the machine was powered up, WOW at high speeds super smooth but anything below 1000rpm it sounded like the African Queen, to put it mildly. This was very noisy at low speeds. When compared to the Edgwick which I gave away it was like chalk and cheese. The Edgwick was like a Rolls Royce but the Boxford was like a "lawn mower" to put it mildly.
Thats it, I did not say anything to the owner, who was a nice chap but I walked away with my hard earned cash in my pocket.
So you may say "why did you get rid of the Edgwick". Because of moving house and a downsize of lathe was required to fit into the new workshop.
I am still looking for a BOXFORD 280 with a quiet gearbox but unfortunately not at London prices.
All I can say is "buyer beware", I may have been unlucky but perhaps one day I may find a good one for the right price.