Considering a new metric lathe

[raynerd]

I'm moving house, the workshop has been dismantled and in storage and I'm keeping myself entertained by thinking of options for a new lathe. I've got a Boxford Model A - it's old and tired but has been a great workhorse during my period of learning in hobby engineering. It is imperial, it has the gearbox for thread cutting and should have the cross power feed but this hasn't worked for a while. I have 4 chucks, each with visible wobble. The answer from some of you would be restore it, which could be done, but this is time.

I'm curious to know what you guys are using. I certainly wouldn't like to go much smaller than the boxford. I also definitely want a metric machine. New machine, old machine?

Thoughts and opinion would be welcome.

[garym]

Hi Chris,

After using my mini-lathe for the last two years I'm hoping to replace it later this year with something bigger. After looking at the various options I'd come to the conclusion that the most suitable choice for me is the Warco WM250 VF as it will fit in the space available, has power cross-feed and is quite popular on the ME forum. As Warco have now improved it to the WM250V with an inverter and AC motor it seems like an even better choice. If I had more room I'd go for the WM280V.

Just my two penn'orth.

Gary

[The Steamer]

DB11GVS not to big to move,similar weight to a boxford. Ive used mine for at least 6 hours a day 7 days a week for far more than hobby work it hasnt missed a beat in over 6 months touch wood. I got mine for almost half price as a display model and chester have an open week at the end of the month so it may be worth a look

[Fergus OMore]

I went the other way. I had had a string of Myfords- all past their prime. However, I had collected  or made Myford accessories which were too good to ignore. I bought a scrap Myford Super 7B which had been abused. It was full of mahogany dust in the gearbox- for starters. Again, it had had a jam and broken gears in the output side of the box. It wasn't the end of the world, I could make 20DP gears and I could scrape etc. So for an extra £250 I had the lathe slideways ground and the saddle Turcited. The rest of the restoration was me. Apart from the lack of paint and tarting up, the lathe is probably better than buying something for £250 and a second hand price from someone who has no money. Plenty about who assemble with tire kickers and tut- tutters.

So I have a Myford with two faceplates, 4 three jaw chucks a catchplate, a pair of dividing heads, a couple of rotary tables that fit , two sets of collets and a heap of rather useful goodies.


Always think that that it is better to have a devil that you know- to one that you don't.
There is a very good slideways grinding firm not far away and a bit nearer is my friend Don Ashton of Stephensons and Walschaerts gear fame who is selling a Myford. He's in Cadishead and is not farting about with toys, he building a full size loco!

Have a nice day

Norman

[awemawson]

Like Norman I re-built rather than bought new when I retired. I bought a 'fair' Colchester Master 2500 (metric ) from Home & Workshop knowing work was needed.  I cheated and got most of the hard work done by a slideway grinding firm who re-ground all the slideways and cosmetic ground surfaces using Turcite to bring things back into alignment.

I still believe that good British or American iron is better than the far east derived hobby machines when put in good fettle, and if you buy one of the imports you are likely to have to do quite a bit of work on it to bring it to a reasonable standard (sand in castings, fasteners made from cheese, alignments all over the place).

Once I had my machine up and running (and that's more than ten years ago) the first thing I did was fit a DRO so I could work Imperial or Metric. Now I ignore the dials - all cuts and measurements being done on the DRO.

[Arbalist]

What about getting a later model Boxford?

http://www.lathes.co.uk/boxfordmodern/

[philf]

What about getting a later model Boxford?

http://www.lathes.co.uk/boxfordmodern/

I'd second that - I have an 11-30 which I'm very happy with.

The TR (Toolroom models) have precision taper rollers fitted to the headstock and are finished to a higher standard.

Unlike some makes you can still get spares from Boxford for them (or could when I tried).

It's better if you can get the fixed and travelling steadies and the set of change gears for odd threads with the lathe.

The spindle nose is D1-3 so extra chucks, faceplates etc are relatively easy to come by.

You can be lucky and pick one up ex-college or school fairly cheaply. (I wasn't so lucky!  )

Phil.

[Arbalist]

Here's a nice Boxford 280. Click on the link near the bottom of the page.

http://www.homeandworkshop.co.uk/boxford.htm?11564

And another.

http://westpointuk.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/boxford-model-280.html

[caskwith]

While I can't talk with a whole lot of experience on lathes I will second the idea of fitting a DRO and not worrying about imperial/metric. I am a confirmed metric man when it comes to engineering, although I do have to work in imperial from time to time I don't like it. I run a Myford Super 7, obviously an imperial machine but I have no trouble working in metric as I fitted a DRO to all axis including the tailstock. Cost me less than £100 for all the bits ( I got the value set from ARC, plenty good enough for my needs) and about a day or so to set everything up. Couldn't be more happy and it has really improved the speed and accuracy of my work.

[ieezitin]

hello.

stay away from the eastern stuff too much work, saying that work will be needed to American or British hardware, but work will be applied to a better cause.

its likened to regrets lasts like an ex-wife,  the mind flashes back to turmoil and heart ache.

Metric, imperial its just a number, dro's or indicators take care of that..... and gears for threading  to make an imperial to metric are well with in your capabilities to make.

my 2 quids woth.

Anthony.

[RotarySMP]

When I look with jealousy at the low prices for used toolroom lathes in the UK, I  would recommend you ignore the chinese one's and buy used.

I started with a chinese 7x lathe here as it was the only thing I could fit on my balcony. I did a zillion mods to it, till it looks like this.


... but as soon as I got a basement, picked up this 1970's Boley 4L for €950. Havent even looked at the 7x since.


Sorry about the crappy photo. That was the sellers picture. It looks better in my basement.

If I had space, I would love a DS&G 13"
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dean-Smith-and-Grace-Type-13-x-42-Centre-Lathe-/121355674857?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item1c415ca4e9



Although the bed has some significant dings, and the slides are worn, it is a amazingly accurate for most jobs. It is a deam to work with a tool which weighs about 4x as much as the equivelent Chinese 9x. Look at the length of the slide ways on that saddle.



The standard spindle speeds of 71 - 1800 cover almost all needs. The back gear engages with a single lever, which feels silky smooth. Remember that the Boley, Colchesters, Leinen, DS&G, Brown & Smart, Monarch, Hardinge etc were engineered to a certain performance. They were sold to the tool rooms of the finest tool and die makers with a guarantee to turn accurately, with excellent surface finish. The cost a small fortune new. Today, you can pick one up for about the same price as a chinese 9x through 12x lathe, but even after year of use, they will in most cases still outperform the chinese stuff out of the box.

The other advantage is that you can normally get the accessories as part of the package. I got both the fixed and travelling steadies, plus the lever and normal tailstocks, a drill chuck, plus a bunch of band new metric machine taps and a huge trepaning tool which I'll flog on Ebay.






I think if you moved from the Boxford to a chinese you might well regret the step back.

Mark

[BillTodd]

Remember that the Boley, Colchesters, Leinen, DS&G, Brown & Smart, Monarch, Hardinge etc were engineered to a certain performance. They were sold to the tool rooms of the finest tool and die makers with a guarantee to turn accurately, with excellent surface finish. The cost a small fortune new. Today, you can pick one up for about the same price as a chinese 9x through 12x lathe, but even after year of use, they will in most cases still outperform the chinese stuff out of the box.

Hear, hear !

get the biggest, most expensive when new , second hand toolroom lathe you can find/afford (just make sure it's not completely knackered ;-) )

personally I would not worry about english/metric.just get one with a good dro .

i would heartily recommend a n hlv-h  (threading english/metric is effortless) and it handles small stuff as well as the bigger stuff

bill
,

[Manxmodder]

Hi Mark, I agree with your view that a better lathe can be had for the same or less money by purchasing a used tool room lathe or at least something of a reputed pedigree.

I love the Dean,Smith& Grace machines,really sturdy bed but they do require a good sized workshop to set one up in.

raynerd,If a decent metric lathe is your goal then why not look at a used Harrison M300,a lot of bang for your bucks with one of those.....OZ.

[raynerd]

Do you think I'd have enough with £1000 or would my budget need to go up a bit to get something totally kitted out and ready to run? I do appreciate it's not a huge sum of money but spending that would use all my budget so that would have to include a lot of add-ons. Do you think I'm a bit short for a quality machine with a full set of extras?

[AdeV]

Do you think I'd have enough with £1000 or would my budget need to go up a bit to get something totally kitted out and ready to run? I do appreciate it's not a huge sum of money but spending that would use all my budget so that would have to include a lot of add-ons. Do you think I'm a bit short for a quality machine with a full set of extras?

Well, I only paid £300 for my lathe, admittedly not a particularly well known one (Edgwick) & it's imperial rather than metric - although it'll cheerfully turn metric screws - or imperial ones - all from the gearbox, no change gears required. It's quite a lot larger than your Boxford though.... how much space have you got, a that's probably going to have more of a bearing on what you buy than the money tbh.

[Pete.]

i passed on bidding on a Smart & Brown 1024 a couple of weeks ago because my company were sending me up country to work for a month and it didn't leave me time to organise the moving of it. Blowed if it didn't go for a song (£500) AND my job got put back 3 weeks by the client. I've been sulking about it all month - that would have been a terrific metric compliment to my imperial Monarch

Someone got a REALLY nice lathe for a bargain price.

[Arbalist]

In spite of what's been said I'd sooner get a nice late Metric machine without a DRO than an old Imperial lathe with one. 

[Jonny]

For starters not all old machines are imperial, the only thing that sells these new Asian machines is looks and price. Theyre ok if unused.

Sorry but a grand wont get you the power source for an M300, Student or larger without implications.
Smart and Brown, DSG robust machines but don't appeal to the diyer.

What these do offer is unbeatable value for money and will go up in price but main advantage is a true metric and imperial screwcutting gearbox, just dial it in whether 60tpi or 6mm pitch no faffing with change wheels.
In all what these Chinese knock offs haven't been able to do is replicate what the 600 Group did more than 4 decades ago.

Might be able to still find a bargain Harrison 11" or newer 140 but make sure has all the change wheels, C spanners etc. Had a 240V 1.5HP one for 11 years and could take far bigger cuts than a 3hp M300 with 10KW inverter.

Bit smaller keep eyes peeled for a newer Bantam 1800.

[BillTodd]

There are bargains to be had on ebay if you keep your eyes peeled

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Holbrook-Model-B-No8-lathe-/121346772614?nma=true&si=U7VTzsK1MaXeIpTUpxjH0b1fxBI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[BillTodd]

there's a holbrook model c on  tony's site for £1500 (bargain price in my view)

has english/metric gearbox, 3000rpm spindle etc. looks in good order and will out last you.

www.lathes.co.uk/advertphoto/140501holbrook/

[vtsteam]

Stop it. You guys are making me want to get a another lathe.