Buying a lathe advice

[Cam]

I have finally decided that I want a small lathe to make bit and pieces for the car, trailer and probably anything else I can think of.

So a second hand Myford ML7, ML10 or similar would, I guess, be the way to go. Looking on fleabay they seem to sell from £500 upwards and there is any odd one or two on Gumtree and the such like.

So the question is, apart from obvious things, what sort of faults or problems should I be looking for when buying these?

Cheers

[BLiNK Motorsport]

Cam,

 

go for the best condition you can afford - Richard has a Myford Super 7 and it is lovely to use!

 

Replacement parts are easy to obtain for the Myford as well.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

Try and get something with as many tools/accessories "thrown in" as possible. It will cost more to buy than a basic lathe on it's own, but won't make your eyes water anything like buying them later will.

 

Be realistic about what you want to use if for. The Myford small lathe's are great for lots of stuff, but the size can be a restriction.

 

I can't say i know the Myford's foibles, but generally speaking, first check the operating Voltage. Many ex-industrial lathes, even mini ones, started life as three phase. Make sure any single phase conversion's are done properly. I, ahem, acquired a semi non-working compressor last year. Turned out the main problem was a botched 3 phase conversion.

 

On a lathe itself, you need to check the bed and cross slides etc - a wise soul once told me the best way to check was to make a test piece on any lathe I was trying. Make a parallel pass on a decent sized piece of metal, then make a cross pass to face it off, check that the piece has properly parallel sides and that the faced off end is square to the sides.

 

On Most lathes adjustment is possible, but if you don't know what your doing, that doesn't help!

 

Incidentally, Myford is such a well known name now, that it does attract a premium. There are other, equally good old British brands about for a bit less, with names less well known outside the engineering/hobby world. (Colchester springs to mind).

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Harrison is another good name to go for. I have got one and it's great. Even converted to CNC   

[FILFAN]

If space isn't sutch a limiting factor you may want to conciser a Colchester student / bantam or a Harrison L5 lathe. I started off with a small machine mart lathe. They are fine for small bushes etc but you will soon realise it's limitations.

As above you need to get as many attachments / accessories as possible and if you plan to do threading you will need a full set of change gears. Ideally it's nice to have a powered cross feed which is mega money on a myford.

Essentials.

3 jaw self cenering chuck

4 jaw indeoendant chuck

Face plate

Handy things.

Milling attachment

Collet chuck with collets

Quick change tool post.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

Harrison, that was the name I was wracking my mind to try and remember!

[XTR2Turbo]

Mark Anson had one for sale recently

[Mark (smokey mow)]

When I was looking to buy a couple of years back I was tempted by Myford but the price premium they carry compared to others pushed them too far outside my budget. That said spares and accessories for them are so much more easily available and I'm now beginning to wish that I'd bought one.

In the end and to help save some space I settled on a small table top Atlas lathe, it came with a good selection of tooling and accessories so would do everything I needed it for but I also have access to a much larger Colchester lathe if needed so the small size isn't a limitation for me.

[windy]

Amadeal CJ18 does pretty much 90% of the things a Myford can do at a fraction of the cost. I've had mine for a while now and it has been spot on for making small bits and bobs.

I looked at buying a secondhand Myford for the same money but they all seemed to be knackered and in need of some expensive parts to get them refurbished. The Myford is a good lathe but you need a big area to store it. 

For the range of mini lathes - there are lots about - the CJ18 has the best features for the money and is very compact.

There are a vast range of accessories for mini lathes such as milling attachments etc which come in very handy - worth reading up on before you buy.

[jeff oakley]

I have a Myford and it is great for small jobs and in the right hands can do marvellous work. I have had mine for years, it is not the tidiest as the bed has got some nicks but is straight and true. That is the key is making sure it is aligned and there is adjustment left.

The plus with the Myford is you can get every spare you want for any model. They will even refurbish them for you if needed.

But you have to be sure you need one. The cost of buying one tooling and the materials for the job sometimes far outweigh the handiness of owning one. If you have need then Myford Harrison and Colchester are good secondhand, but don't overlook some of the new Chinese out there which is not bad.