A lathe for the shed

[Rackned]

Hi all

i’ve been toying with getting a small lathe for the shed for while now and as I’m spending more time at home rebuilding and repairing I think it’s time. I’ve done some research and it needs to be 240v or 3 phase with converter, or Ideally a 1.5 HP 240 conversion or similar power..

I don’t want a tool room type as they are far to big


What do you suggest based on usage and experience.

Mark

[POL356Mred]

i miss having access to a lathe to be honest. Many of the Stag jobs have been completed in works tool room...
that aside it depends what you envisage turning.
If its just Spacers and shims, or modelling bits and bobs the bench top mini lathes are probably ok but to me they seem a bit inadequate for serious turning. I would be reluctant to fork out much money for one of them.
If youve decided to give up the floor space required anyway then your 1.5HP can become quite a "large" floor mounted lathe but costs go up considerably too. Then so does your turning capacity. But thats where I would spend my money if I was going to. Then justify the loss of space after that.
A quick check on the auction web site shows plenty of mini lathes 600Watt at less than a grand and quite a number of larger lathes but with a similar large lathe price tag..
If youre going to buy, buy the most powerful you can afford the space for that youre prepared to pay for. Remember decent tooling for these things can be seriously expensive too.

[JOHNS]

I have owned a few lathes in my time and have found the Myford ML7 a great all rounder. I have also owned a Unimat which I found very good. It all depends on what space you have and what maximum diameter and length you wish to turn. You also should think about screw cutting as you need correct gearing for imperial and metric threads. There is loads of info on the web and many for sale. I would be very wary of cheap Chinese imports. In addition lathes like Myford, Boxford, Unimat etc come with loads of optional accessories like milling machines.

[marshman]

The first thing to do is decide how big a piece you want to fit in. I have a Myford 7 lathe (look them up on eBay) - had it for years and rarely need anything bigger. The centre height above the bed is 3.5" so max diameter you can turn is 7". BUT there is a cutout in the lathe bed close to the chuck and you can get large diameter pieces in there, upto around 10" I think, but you are limited in the thickness. You would struggle to skim a brake drum or disc on it, but it does cope with turning pulleys, bushes, pins etc. I even line bored Kingpin bushes for my old Vanguard on it.

The "power" is less relevant as the motor is geared down. The Myford motor is rated at 1/2HP I think, and it never struggles - belts start to slip before the motor shows any strain. When you get into the relms of 3 phase and large HP motors you end up with a huge lathe that then has logistical problems moving around your garage/workshop/shed.

Beware of the "cheap" lathes from the likes of Machine Mart. They are rubbish. Loads of back lash, big and clunky and although they look good they won't turn stuff any bigger than a Myford. I would look for a good used Myford 7 on eBay. Loads of add ons and accessories available.

If you want something bigger then look at some of the secondhand/used machine tool firms.

In short depends on what you want it to do, how much space you have and what your budget is.

Roger

[mole42]

If you want something better built than a Myford, look for a Drummond - the "M" type was built at Myfords during WW2 and was probably the machine that Myford based their '7' series on. The Drummond 'Roundbed' is popular amongst engineers because the bed is pretty much rock solid, mine has done everything I need on the Stag so far.

Drummonds are also cheaper than the Myfords.

[StagJonno]

Worth keeping an eye on local auctions that sell machinery from workshops closing down - certainly get them in Newcastle. Hopefully, you might get chance to inspect before bidding, though current CV19 restrictions might be an obstacle.

[Phil S]

the ml7 myford is good but old and hold silly prices. have a look at the warco site.
most of their range offer good value for cost againt what you get in the total deal.
I am the secretary of romford model engineering club, I have a lathe an mill from them as do many other members.
Phil

[new to this]

I have a cheap lathe,but its limited on size you can machine

[jbuckl]

I’d like a Harrison 140. That’s what I was taught on at school.
But have a no name 1980’s Chinese 1.5h.p 3 phase. It was given to me broken with the inverter missing. Inverter was £115 from eBay.
its has been fine for little jobs & will skim a brake drum. 1/2” too small for a stag wheel. (Just checked that & it will just take a wheel!) Will just take a stag crank between centres for polishing....
A Harrison 140 might be too big in the shed.
the smaller lathes seem to hold value well.
take a look on Facebook for ‘simply lathes’

[stag8manod]

Hi, I have a Maximat Super 11 lathe and a Maximat FB2 mill. Both use the same accessories. Had them over 30 years, good quality, had a lot of use and both going well. recently had to replace the multi-vee drive belt on the lathe for the second time.
Cheers Ian A

[Neil in Deal]

Evening all,
yet another vote for the Myford ML7.
My late Dad had one, and produced many items over many years. This was for BMW motor cycles, Morris Minors, his 51 Daimler DB18 Barker and lots of other "wee bits" for local enthusiasts.
Can't remember exactly when he bought it, but it had just had the bed checked/trued by Myford - there is a website which tells you this has been done, Myford punched an appropriate number on the bed.
After his passing, it was a sad day indeed when it was unbolted from the wooden bench he'd built himself, taking 4 strong guys to load it into the van of the chap who'd bought it.
Depending on the bed being "true" and motor etc being good, I have seen an ML7 priced anywhere between £400 and well over £1,000.

[alan_thomas]

My opinion for what it’s worth (not much!) is avoid a large floor standing machine unless you really have a large workshop with a very solid concrete base because, once the crew and it will take a crew has managed with rollers to get the thing into position it will stay there forever. Forget moving house!
I have had a ML7 for years and it has done every job I wanted including turning up ZF4 adaptor plates. If you have the odd larger job let a machine shop do it.
From recent experience it is worth getting or fitting a DRO , they make swopping inch to metric so easy and avoid any confusion over backlash. Years ago they cost the earth now as cheap as chips.
Alan

[Stagdad]

Alan Thomas helped me find my ML7 , a clutch is a nice extra that came with mine along with the gearbox. I then added the DRO and had to fabricate the stand. Screenshot_20201013-215542_Photos.jpg