hobby lathe

[bmw2101]

I'm thinkign about making some bushing for my car, i have seen the ones i want but they are really expencive online. So i was thinking maybe buy a home laythe and make some of the bushes for myself and a few friends.

The bushes are only small, 300x10mm or smaller. I need to put a grove into this too for a circlip..


Anyway, i think one would be quite useful anyway for making maybe ptfe suspension bushes..


The lathe i have looked online is this one here



I don't supose anyone uses such a laythe on here or can give me some direction on the subject please?!

tahnks

[beefertoo]

If you have the space a lathe is a good idea, you will be surprised at what you end up making with one. While I can't advise on the particular model linked to I would look out for an old Boxford or myford. Ive had a Boxford for years never given any trouble.

Craig

[Kieran]

Ptfe will be too soft. Nylon would suffice at a push.

[bmw2101]

thanks, the one in my link isnt that big really, looks like you can put ti on the bench and use it then move it away somewhere.

I have a kart, and I'm thinking there will be bits i can make for that too...


thanks

[bmw2101]

Dec 22, 2014 21:00:09 GMT Kieran said:

Ptfe will be too soft. Nylon would suffice at a push.

maybe its nylon i am thinking of the white bush they use on these bits.

[Bozwell]

iv'e got this one



it is small but a great little lathe. will need fine tuning of the carrage adjustments every so often but you can get great results with it.





i made these track rod adapters with the correct taper for the rose joints to connect to the arm

i also made bronze bushes and the washers.



the chuck is not very big so you will need to cut off smaller parts and machine. i had to make a tool to hold the bronze before i could machine it to the size i wanted.


there is a graphite nylon that is better to use for bushes. also you will need a sleeve to run inside the bush. don't just machine it to the bolt size. a sleeve will mean a larger surface area for the bush to run on and will last longer.


the lathe doesn't seem comfortable with anything larger than the bushes i made. i do have a larger lathe that needs recomissioning before i can make anything larger.

iv'e read a lot about how rubbish these small lathes are but for a hobby lathe it works fine. also it is portable where as anything bigger weighs a ton and is impossible to move withouth lots of help and lifting equipment.

[bmw2101]

thanks! the bit s i was going to make i have now been told that they arnt that dear, but i do like the idea of a lathe, so ill get one later on in the year!

thanks!

[Midas]

I used to have the Clarke version of the Amadeal lathe, for what they are they are fine but as mentioned above you will be continually adjusting it to keep it running true. For something you can keep in a cupboard and pull out when you need it you can't beat them.

I've made polyurethane suspension bushes on my current lathe (Myford ML7) and wouldn't bother doing it again, the stuff is a pain to machine accurately (stick it in the freezer first) and it is all round less hassle to take the hit and buy ready made bushes if they are available.

[v8ian]

One thing that I have always bought my lathes in mind with is,------
"You can put a small job in a big lathe, but you cant put a big job in a small lathe,"
with that in mind, my own lathe is now a Colchester Bantam, prior to that Colchester Student, and for a short while a Colchester Triumph, so I have gone from a large lathe to a small mid size lathe, only because I have access to BIG lathes at work,

[CR500Dom]

I Have the lathe linked to above, but I brought mine S/H from someone that had already sorted out the issues, upgraded the gearset etc, shimmed it and set it up properly.
It came with 2 tailstocks as well, one set up dead true and the other set up for taper turning as they are not that accurate if you use just one tailstock and adjust it.

I need to get a quickchange tool post and some replaceable tip tooling for it really as that will make it much more useable for me.

Nice little proper lathe, has its limitations but has its uses too

[composimmonite]

Forget a Myford (I had one and nothing special) as you will pay a "scene tax" just the same as MKI Escort, VW camper etc in car world. If you have the space an ex school / college Boxford and such small quality machine will never loose money but the small portable Chinese made also have their place for occasional use. In fact I quite fancy one of those small lathes to supplement my large unit when all I want to do is turn small items.

[Clamity]

Feb 5, 2015 20:07:52 GMT composimmonite said:

Forget a Myford (I had one and nothing special) as you will pay a "scene tax" just the same as MKI Escort, VW camper etc in car world. If you have the space an ex school / college Boxford and such small quality machine will never loose money but the small portable Chinese made also have their place for occasional use. In fact I quite fancy one of those small lathes to supplement my large unit when all I want to do is turn small items.

Clean ML7s are worth about 600 quid and for that money should come with two centres a faceplate, a chuck or two and maybe some collets. An equivalent British machine of the same age (Zyto, Randa, Portass, etc) will be loads cheaper but will be deficient in one or more ways, e.g. no rack or no quick release on the leadscrew, no compound cross slide, more difficult to set up the thread cutting gears, smaller spindle bore, no adjustment in the tailstock, etc. Myfords are the best all rounders and worth the extra money IMHO. Whatever you get that age it's worth checking the bed is not twisted, as merely bolting them down to something that's not flat can put them out.

[v8ian]

A big advantage of the Myford is the spares availability.. At work we have 3 lathes, a HUGE Wilson, A Colchester Chipmaster, and a Myford Super 7, The myford is a surprisingly nice lathe to use,

[smurf]

I've got a myford coming my way

Big box of tooling, 3 chucks, 2 faceplates, and a box of spares for 175 quid, but i was lucky


Some of the smaller lathes ( as said previously ) will need adjustment to keep them true

Keep your eyes open and you might get lucky, but the smaller ones can be a usefull thing to have

[composimmonite]

Feb 9, 2015 1:03:15 GMT smurf said:

I've got a myford coming my way

Big box of tooling, 3 chucks, 2 faceplates, and a box of spares for 175 quid, but i was lucky

Is that a 7 ?

[smurf]

I'm sure its a ml7

Its coming to me from a mate of a mate

[dodgerover]

Feb 9, 2015 1:03:15 GMT smurf said:

I've got a myford coming my way

Big box of tooling, 3 chucks, 2 faceplates, and a box of spares for 175 quid, but i was lucky


Some of the smaller lathes ( as said previously ) will need adjustment to keep them true

Keep your eyes open and you might get lucky, but the smaller ones can be a usefull thing to have

Is there anymore? - I'd make sure you both got a large drink out of it, unless of course you drink in London in which case it'd probably get you half a larger shandy........

[smurf]

I'll keep my ears open mate

Luckily for you....1 i do t live in london and 2( most importantly) I'm sober

[smurf]

I was wrong

Its not a myford, but it is........
An atlas 10 ( 1950's vintage)

All complete

3 chucks, 2 tailstocks, some tooling, motor, v belts the lot

Picked it up yesterday for the princely sum of...£129

[CR500Dom]

Result !!