Author Topic: Small vintage lathes  (Read 12677 times)

Online Rex

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #195 on: 03.03. 2022 19:01 »
When you get some spare cash maybe invest in a  quick-change tool  fixture?
Just set the tools up at the right height in the holders and you can fit the tool you need with a quarter turn of the wrench.  Makes life a lot easier.

Offline Greybeard

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #196 on: 03.03. 2022 19:37 »
Yes Rex, I may do that. There are so many other things I need for the lathe, it may end up costing me the price of a well equipped ML7.
First off I need a decent three-jaw chuck. The one I have is not great. It has a knurled ring to tighten the jaws rather than a chuck key. I'm seeing work moving back into the chuck when I apply a tool to the end face. I have a keyed independant four-jaw chuck that I haven't played with yet.
I thought I would just be able to buy a new chuck and screw it onto the lathe shaft but I've been told that I will have to carefully match a new chuck to a backplate with correct thread for the Myford Lathe No. 4.
I will need a knurling tool. I may buy one of the Hemingway kits, but it's not cheap, especially as the knurling wheels are extra.
http://www.hemingwaykits.com/cgi-bin/sh000029.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ehemingwaykits%2ecom%2f&WD=knurling&PN=Knurling_Tool%2ehtml%23aHK_201110#aHK_201110

I reckon a face-plate is an essential plus dogs and clamps for it.

I bought a dead centre but I will need a running centre as well.
Greybeard (Neil)
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Offline Greybeard

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #197 on: 03.03. 2022 19:48 »
G'day GD.
Great work mate.
Now all you need is https://tinyurl.com/y9fzqfmd  *smile*
Cheers
I'm OK for books thanks. They are old so the language is antiquated. Mind you they are writing about lathes from the same era as mine.
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Online RichardL

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #198 on: 03.03. 2022 21:11 »
it's not cheap, especially as the knurling wheels are extra.

Here's one I saw home-made with a scissor clamp, which I suppose is relatively cheap.

Richard L.

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #199 on: 03.03. 2022 21:14 »
G'day GD.
Great work mate.
Now all you need is https://tinyurl.com/y9fzqfmd  *smile*
Cheers
I'm OK for books thanks. They are old so the language is antiquated. Mind you they are writing about lathes from the same era as mine.

Someone throw GB a life preserver. He's gone in with both feet, adjacent to me in the water.


Richard L.

Online chaterlea25

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #200 on: 03.03. 2022 22:09 »
Hi All
GB,/ Rex
There is very little room on an M4 to fit a quick change toolpost due to the height of the compound slide

I did not know that the M4 had a different chuck thread to the later M7's etc ?
It would be worthwhile putting an ad in   https://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/   for a replacement keyed chuck

That said, I use a 4 jaw independent almost all of the time , It is the only way to true up an existing part to modify
plus the Colchester chuck weighs a ton  *eek*

John
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1963 RGS (ongoing)

Offline Greybeard

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #201 on: 03.03. 2022 22:40 »
I did not know that the M4 had a different chuck thread to the later M7's etc ?
It would be worthwhile putting an ad in   https://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/   for a replacement keyed chuck
No, I was meaning that I don't know if the spindle thread is the same as the 7. I hope it is.
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Online groily

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #202 on: 04.03. 2022 06:56 »
From https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=171047
Myford used three different spindle nose threads for the ML4, all Whitworth profile:

Earlier ones were 7/8" x 9tpi or 7/8" x 12 tpi.

Later ones were 1 1/8" x 12 tpi, the same as the ML7 but with a smaller register diameter ( 1 1/8" instead of 1 1/4" ).


This might help on thread on ML4 headstocks GB - but doesn't look as straightforward as we'd have hoped! This will affect availability of faceplates as well as chuck - fingers crossed you have the ML7 version even if there's a small register issue to deal with.

Richard L's knurler is similar in principle to the one I use - a bought one that wasn't too silly a price, but can't remember who from. A clampy one is, I think, a whole lot easier to use than a wheel or wheels shoved in by the topslide, which will necessitate the use of a fixed or travelling steady to maintain pressure on anything that isn't chunky.

A running centre shouldn't set you back that much, for a reasonable quality one. Lots to choose from, at least. And better than using a fixed  'half-centre' and loads of lube, certainly.

The topslide does seem close to centre height on them, as chaterlea  remarked. Which poses a problem for a non-Myford toolpost perhaps. Nonetheless, it would probably be possible to make a four-way one to take certain sized tooling. For my 7 I used a cube of mild steel to make a 4-way (no register underneath on the slide, so it sits anywhere you want) and a different much chunkier single tool holder - but it does need a miller or access to one to do a half-decent job.
Bill

Offline Greybeard

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #203 on: 04.03. 2022 09:41 »
From https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=171047
Myford used three different spindle nose threads for the ML4, all Whitworth profile:

Earlier ones were 7/8" x 9tpi or 7/8" x 12 tpi.

Later ones were 1 1/8" x 12 tpi, the same as the ML7 but with a smaller register diameter ( 1 1/8" instead of 1 1/4" ).


Thank you. I'll check later.
Greybeard (Neil)
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Online RichardL

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #204 on: 04.03. 2022 14:12 »

Thank you. I'll check later.

Right after he orders this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334346975427?hash=item4dd8a1f8c3:g:0iMAAOSwuzVho9ud

(Kidding GB, don't do it, you might need something bigger. OK, that's kidding too.)

Richard L.

Offline Greybeard

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #205 on: 04.03. 2022 15:51 »

Thank you. I'll check later.

Right after he orders this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334346975427?hash=item4dd8a1f8c3:g:0iMAAOSwuzVho9ud

(Kidding GB, don't do it, you might need something bigger. OK, that's kidding too.)

Richard L.
If I chucked out the Beeza, I'd have room for a milling machine.
Greybeard (Neil)
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Offline Greybeard

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #206 on: 05.03. 2022 22:37 »
I made a plumbob from stainless steel.
The brass one, I made at school in 1964
Greybeard (Neil)
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Online RichardL

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #207 on: 06.03. 2022 16:09 »
You just made this on the ML4? Nice work. First part should be celebrated. *yeah* *beer* I just read that a plumb bob could be used to level a lathe, but not sure how that works, especially on a bench lathe.

Richard L.

Online Rex

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #208 on: 06.03. 2022 16:20 »
I made a plumbob from stainless steel.
The brass one, I made at school in 1964

Plumbob? You sure that's not a homemade weapon for the Ukranians?
Nice finish for a first go, too.

Offline Greybeard

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Re: Small vintage lathes
« Reply #209 on: 06.03. 2022 17:37 »
You just made this on the ML4? Nice work. First part should be celebrated. *yeah* *beer*
*beer*
Quote
I just read that a plumb bob could be used to level a lathe, but not sure how that works, especially on a bench lathe.
Richard L.
Maybe if the lathe is going to be mounted up the wall  ;)
Greybeard (Neil)
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