Author Topic: Mother of all Myfords! (Read 13206 times)

John Hill · « **on:** April 01, 2011, 03:17:44 AM »

IMGP9204 by aardvark_akubra, on Flickr

My Drummond 3 1/2" flat bed lathe circa 1908 after a bit of a clean up and a lick of paint!
I seem to have almost the entire set of accessories as would have been delivered with the machine the only thing missing being bracket that support the tool rest and the 3 jaw Cushman chuck would not be original. All change gears are there but not the optional 53(?) gear for metric use. The red paint on the change gears is probably original as I found the same colour under the green paint, which was under the blue paint which in turn was under the the cream(ish) house paint which covered the rest of the machine.

Drummond made small lathes until WWII when the designs were transferred to Myford, hence "Mother of all Myfords"! Drummond continued on making bigger machines and specialised machines.

lordedmond · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2011, 03:29:16 AM »

wish I still had my round bed Drummond it was complete with its cast iron drip tray and treadle stand , 7/8 whit nose on the mandrel

nice to see the old iron

Stuart

John Hill · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2011, 05:32:12 AM »

Stuart, I have the legs for this but not the treadle though I guess I could make something that looked about right. I do not have the floor space to set it up on the iron legs right now and I would rather have a motor on it anyway as I assume this machine is still capable of useful work.

John Hill · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2011, 05:33:47 AM »

How fast should I allow for when setting up the motor drive? It has bronz bearings, oil cup lubrication and the spindle diameter is about 1".

lordedmond · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2011, 06:15:35 AM »

John

As these are basically treadle machines , If my brain cell is servicing me well today the big belt wheel was about 18 inch dia so how fast could you spin it with your leg say 60 rpm that could be a staring point

More info here ( bet you have it though )
http://www.lathes.co.uk/drummond/index.html

Stuart

BTW I could ring Malcolm up down the road at Myfords to see if they have any info ( its only 5 miles away ) , but it will have to wait till Monday as they shut early Fridays

dsquire · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2011, 06:55:43 AM »

John

That sure cleaned up nice. I guess all those extra colours of paint helped to protect the old girl. Now we have to come up with a name for her so that she can command respect beside Sally Shaper. Thanks for saving her from the scrap heap John, I'm sure that she will still have a few more pieces to caress with her spindle.

Cheers

Don

John Hill · « **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2011, 03:34:14 PM »

Thanks guys, I have some other advice from other sites and it is obvious 1000 is absolute tops but more like 800 or so. So far, no one on THSM&MWM has told me to fit a 3 phase motor and VFD!

I have not thought of a nice name but now it is all spiffed up I better keep it well away from Sally as there is hardly room even in the new shop for any more little machines!

dsquire · « **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2011, 03:53:42 PM »

John

Putting Sally Shaper and ?????? Lathe close together should not be a problem. I have been thinking of her as a female all along so unless there is some funny business going on you should be OK.

What does everyone have to say? Shall we give the little cutie of a lathe a name? Any suggestions.

PS: I am going to suggest Lizzy the Lathe. Reason being that Elizabeth was a very popular name back when the lathe was build.

Cheers

Don

added PS:

John Hill · « **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2011, 04:21:01 PM »

I was thinking more long the lines of "Liana"

andyf · « **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2011, 04:24:54 PM »

I thought lianas were vine-like things which Tarzan used to swing from tree to tree.

How about Dora Drummond?

Come to think of it, did I know her in the '60s?

Andy

John Hill · « **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2011, 05:03:09 PM »

I am sorry but Dora Drummond reminds me of Ena Sharples, Liana is a fine old Scottish name, but maybe Drummond is not a Scottish name?

dsquire · « **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2011, 05:04:01 PM »

Quote from: John Hill on April 01, 2011, 04:21:01 PM

I was thinking more long the lines of "Liana"

Liana sound good to me John. Shall we forever after now know her as "Liana Lathe"?

Cheers

Don

John Hill · « **Reply #12 on:** April 09, 2011, 01:55:23 AM »

Drummond drive by aardvark_akubra, on Flickr

I finished making a drive system for the Drummond lathe, just 1/4HP motor and a simple layshaft, belt tension is by gravity!

It works well and although the big pulley on the layshaft looks quite small the slowest speed of the lathe is a modest 30rpm, top speed is about 1050. This is a bit faster than might have been expected from the treadle system and also faster than the placarded speeds of slightly later Drummond lathes that were supplied with electric motors nonetheless I think I can sleep easy.

Top speed is a dream for turning small stock using HSS tools, quiet too provided I do not engage the power feed at the higher speeds. The spindle bushes appear comfortable at the top speed with no sign of heating even though I have snugged them up to the point where I can just detect some drag then backed off one BST**.

Hmmmmmm.... I notice some oily speed stripes on the new workshop wall!

**BST, British Standard Tad.

Pete. · « **Reply #13 on:** April 09, 2011, 09:27:17 AM »

John that is almost identical to how I rigged the drive on my round-bed, in fact the only difference is I used box section instead of angle section. I was also going to use the weight of the motor to keep the belt tension but I found that it tended to jump when I put a load on the chuck. In the end I spring loaded it and it was fine.

dsquire · « **Reply #14 on:** April 09, 2011, 03:47:42 PM »

Hi John

Very nice to see that Liana Lathe has got herself a nice new snazzy driver. She will be able to step out in fine style now. Her and Saly Shaper will make quiet a team. Keep up the nice work John.

Cheers

Don

John Hill · « **Reply #15 on:** April 09, 2011, 04:02:22 PM »

Quote from: Pete. on April 09, 2011, 09:27:17 AM

John that is almost identical to how I rigged the drive on my round-bed, in fact the only difference is I used box section instead of angle section. I was also going to use the weight of the motor to keep the belt tension but I found that it tended to jump when I put a load on the chuck. In the end I spring loaded it and it was fine.

Hmmmmm..... I might add a spring, I have considered adding a stay but not wanting to drill holes in the lathe has left me stymied on that one. The first time I ran it the motor really jumped around but when I changed to a modern, more flexible, drive belt it settled down.

John Hill · « **Reply #16 on:** April 09, 2011, 04:06:11 PM »

Quote from: dsquire on April 09, 2011, 03:47:42 PM

Hi John

Very nice to see that Liana Lathe has got herself a nice new snazzy driver. She will be able to step out in fine style now. Her and Saly Shaper will make quiet a team. Keep up the nice work John.

Cheers

Don

Too true Don but Liana better not be thinking that she can sit on my workbench forever, taking up usable space!

AndyB · « **Reply #17 on:** April 10, 2011, 07:15:22 AM »

Hi John,

Beautiful set up!

Your drive setup is almost identical to that of the later Myford M types (those that Myford took over from Drummond in 1942.)

The first flatbeds like yours are often accused of having flex in the bed but I have seen someone with the same model who builds telescopes. As long as you don't want to cut too much they would seem fine.

The B type (from 1912) beds were carried through the M types, but the headstocks were strengthened; I can cut 1/4in cast iron with my M but my B doesn't like any more than 1/16in.
Brilliant lathes that are very forgiving, sturdy as hell and still producing excellent work after up to 100 years...now that's what I call craftsmanship!

I am not biased in any way...I have 7 all told (3 Bs, 3 Ms and a roundbed)...and nearly enough bits to build another M!

You know how it is...you get the first one (actually my great grandfather's), then you see a cheap one with some extras that you want, then you find out that another one can do some extra work, then you see one that comes with some bits that you were getting ready to make that is the same price as the bits would have cost...and you just can't bear to get rid of any once you know how old they are or where they came from (I have a 1948 Myford M that originally came from de Havilland. It's got the DH plant number plates on). How can you part with provenance like that? Of course, you then have to build another shed to put them in!
This is why my Rider Ericsson project has stalled because I am building a shed for SWMBO so that she can get her crap out of mine so that I have more space...

Never got round to naming them though.

Andy

John Hill · « **Reply #18 on:** April 10, 2011, 04:23:27 PM »

Thanks for the comments Andy. Since getting this Drummond I have seen a couple of others available although none with the complete treadle setup, I have the iron legs put away in the corner of the shed where I think they will stay as I am trying to get my workshop into an 'easy clean' mode and having things like that to invite junk, sawdust and swarf to collect under is not in the plan.

I am suprised that they are thought to be flexible though I suppose they would be a bit weak working on longer length. The little bits I have done came out very smooth with no sign of chatter or those undesirable patterns. Maybe if I set it in the 30rpm stump-pulling-gear and try a bit of tractor axle with a blunted insert I might be able to make it cringe!

This little lathe only got her name because Don thought she should have one, the Adept shaper is the only other machine with a (printable) name!

John

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Author Topic: Mother of all Myfords! (Read 13206 times)

lordedmond

lordedmond