Machine Tools

[RichardL]

Hi all,

I have wanted to own a lathe ever since my dad had one in his shop when I was a teenager. I am regretting and kicking myself that I did not know that my mom would clear out his shop in the garage (2000 miles away) when he passed. I would still love to own one, along with a vertical mill, but I'm not likely to do it because of my limited need, space and money. However, I have recently become addicted to looking at lathes for sale on eBay, just because I like seeing all the different makes and models in different conditions. Getting to my point, I bet there are other folks here who would like to see pictures of the machine tools owned by our members.

Regards,

Richard L.

[morris]

Since you are asking it so nicely Richard, here's the lathe without which I wouldn't know how I would have managed a decent rebuild.
It's Chinese made, 300mm long, cost about €1000 including the cabinet but in spite of the abuse I regularly throw at it, it keeps on going...
Next thing on my wish list is a mill and a small hydraulic press.
Can't wait 'till Christmas 

[Joolstacho]

Going from the sublime(-ish) to the ridiculous, here's my ancient Seneca Falls. Coupla 'undred bucks worth and I wouldn't live without it!

[RichardL]

Great stuff. Keep 'em coming.

Richard L.

[terryg]

Hello Richard - thanks for asking...

Many years ago I benefited from the sort of clear out your mother had.  A few doors down the road from us the wife of a neighbour was clearing out her late husband's shed.  For £200 I became the owner of a Myford ML7, 3 1/2 inch engineers lathe.  There was not much tooling but I've added one or two items over the years, either bought, gifted or scrounged.  Pictures below...

The ML7 I have has 3 really good features - a gap bed, a lead screw and a screw-cutting gearbox.

For Morris - also many years ago the factory in which I worked threw a laboratory 10-ton press into the rubbish skip.  I made sure it didn't stay there long!  Over the years it has been a great help with wheel bearing replacements.  And, of course, I've had the lathe that makes it possible to turn up necessary spacers and pressure plates.

The only other machine in my armoury is a Chinese copy pillar drill.  Not too high-tolerance but frequently used, all the same.

A vertical mill remains on my wish list.

[duTch]

 

Morris' lathe, right side up.

 Maybe something to do with different hemispheres, but Morris' pic worked ok for me but sorry Richard, I fell on my head looking at your rendition of his.
 Having said that, when I saw both on the phone at work, I could make neither head nor tail of either

 Morris; 300mm ? is that overall, or the bed size ?

 I have a couple of tools that I've used but don't have access to pics just now, but one is my youngstas drill-press (I guess that's the same as a 'pillar drill' ? ) I had to machine a flat face on a weld on my Guttzi tranny, and used a busted 1/2" drill bit ground square end as a milling bit; worked a treat once I got the cutting edge right

[morris]

Morris' lathe, right side up.

Edited first post image. Should be ok now.

Morris; 300mm ? is that overall, or the bed size ?

Bed size (between centers)

[RichardL]

Many years ago I benefited from the sort of clear out your mother had.  A few doors down the road from us the wife of a neighbour was clearing out her late husband's shed.  For £200 I became the owner of a Myford ML7, 3 1/2 inch engineers lathe.  There was not much tooling but I've added one or two items over the years, either bought, gifted or scrounged. 

Terryg,

Very nice. My dad's lathe was about that size but a much lesser brand and in pretty bad shape (as far as I knew at the time), but yours looks great.

Richard L.

[duTch]

 I forgot to say that Jachos lathe is a more professional looking version of the home made one I garnered some years ago and still isn't powered, but I'm suitably impressed with it- envious in fact

[Greybeard]

...For £200 I became the owner of a Myford ML7, 3 1/2 inch engineers lathe. 

Jammy git!

[Brian]

I couldnt imagine not having a lathe or mill but owning them is not cheap. The trouble is the more experienced you get at using them the more accesories you need and then you need better quality tools to go with them, etc etc, its a endless spiral.

I bought my first one, a Myford ML7 about 30 years ago and at first it was great and taught me a lot but after awhile I found it wasnt big enough and didnt have enough features, mine didnt have a gearbox. So then I bought my current lathe, I've had this one about 25 years and its been a great lathe and I intend to keep it as its capable of doing 99% of the work I want to do.

I was lucky in that I have a friend who is a toolmaker and he taught me the basics of screw cutting and dealing with difficult materials. Learning about the different metals and their properties is a lot harder than learning to use a lathe.

I bought the mill about 5 years ago and then set about teaching myself how to use it, another learning curve. Once again I dont know how I survived so long without one.

[RichardL]

Thanks for posting the pics, Brian. I hope others are enjoying seeing the machine tools as much as I am. For example, for all.my browsing eBay, I'd never seen an Herless lathe and it looks like a good one.

I'm looking forward to seeing more. John?

Richard L.

I'

[terryg]

"I was lucky in that I have a friend who is a toolmaker and he taught me the basics of screw cutting and dealing with difficult materials." (Brian)

I worked in a very specific part of the electronics industry, making vacuum tubes, or high power microwave amplifier components. These devices rely on many special metals, alloys and other materials for their construction and function, including working to very high tolerances. In the toolroom you would find tungsten, molybdenum, kovar, inconel, boron nitride, alumina etc and guys with many years experience of machining them. Working alongside them was a good education.
My training as a chemist helped too.

Apologies for a bit of thread drift but Brian is right, in that buying a machine is just the start.

[KiwiGF]

My 1940's maybe older little Southbend lathe, I could not have built my bike up without it. It can cut imperial threads 

A little Southbend like this Ive been told is a close copy of a myford 7.

Edit: Actually it was the 9" southbend that was copied, but not by myford......

Also my ancient pillar drill (sorry bout the rubbish surroundIng it) and also my old style TIG welder which one day hopefully will actually do TIG as at the moment it does not have a foot pedal so that remains a goal (its a great stick welder in the meantime).

[Joolstacho]

Huh! my old pillar drill is virtually identical to yours Kiwi, what a coincidence.
Next: Here's one for you lads to I.D. What is it? but what do I use it for?



(Richard you really started something good here eh?
Goodonya, -Jools)