Hi,
I bought a Warco UK, Chinese WM 280 variable speed lathe and stand a few years ago which I was very impressed with, it was to replace an old Boxford CSB which was destroyed in a disastrous workshop fire some years ago. However I decided that it was a bit ott for my needs so I sold it and bought a used Boxford CUD to replace it (which I converted to a BUD by adding a Model B apron and cross slide screw which I had lying around). The guy I bought it from had aquired it from a school in order to get hold of a load of tool holders for the Dickson QC toolpost on an existing Boxford he owned.
The machine I bought, a MK II - 10" throw, is in excellent condition (top gear change lever had been doctored so that little fingers couldn't damage the thing) it came with a bare Dickson toolpost for which I already had several holders, faceplate, chucks, full Boxford gear set, original documentation including test report and "Know Your Lathe" book and a Boxford collet system etc. All for £350 just a couple of years ago. It was 3 phase with original wiring so I just added an inverter and I was set up.
I just say this to show that there are bargains out there if you are patient. In the UK I would always look for an ex school lathe, althoUgh there may be cosmetic damage there is likely to be little wear. In my experience in a few schools the machines weer only used for a few hours a week usually by older pupils and after the introduction of the National Curriculum and the 'Design Technology' courses the machine shops were hardly ever used as many new staff had little experience or confidence in using or teaching the use of machine tools.
In the late 1980s I saw a machine shop and craft department stripped of it's machine tools as the LEA (local Education Authority) 'Subject Inspector' told the Headmaster that the use of those machines was obsolete with these new courses. The main machine shop had Colchester and Boxford lathes, Tom Senior milling machines all with an incredible amount of tooling as well as a Bridgeport, plus precision drilling machines and surface plates etc there was also a complete blacksmiths forge with anvils, tools and at least one fly press and excellent foundry equiment as well as numerous hand tools and marking out and measuring tools. The rest of the department had several Boxford lathes and there was a total of 45 Record 4 or 5" Bench vices. The Headmaster sold the lot for £1000.00 yes one thousand pounds so that the school could buy an extra Amstrad computer which was obsolete in a couple of years.
I am still angry about it now but was powerless at the time.
TerryD
I bought a Warco UK, Chinese WM 280 variable speed lathe and stand a few years ago which I was very impressed with, it was to replace an old Boxford CSB which was destroyed in a disastrous workshop fire some years ago. However I decided that it was a bit ott for my needs so I sold it and bought a used Boxford CUD to replace it (which I converted to a BUD by adding a Model B apron and cross slide screw which I had lying around). The guy I bought it from had aquired it from a school in order to get hold of a load of tool holders for the Dickson QC toolpost on an existing Boxford he owned.
The machine I bought, a MK II - 10" throw, is in excellent condition (top gear change lever had been doctored so that little fingers couldn't damage the thing) it came with a bare Dickson toolpost for which I already had several holders, faceplate, chucks, full Boxford gear set, original documentation including test report and "Know Your Lathe" book and a Boxford collet system etc. All for £350 just a couple of years ago. It was 3 phase with original wiring so I just added an inverter and I was set up.
I just say this to show that there are bargains out there if you are patient. In the UK I would always look for an ex school lathe, althoUgh there may be cosmetic damage there is likely to be little wear. In my experience in a few schools the machines weer only used for a few hours a week usually by older pupils and after the introduction of the National Curriculum and the 'Design Technology' courses the machine shops were hardly ever used as many new staff had little experience or confidence in using or teaching the use of machine tools.
In the late 1980s I saw a machine shop and craft department stripped of it's machine tools as the LEA (local Education Authority) 'Subject Inspector' told the Headmaster that the use of those machines was obsolete with these new courses. The main machine shop had Colchester and Boxford lathes, Tom Senior milling machines all with an incredible amount of tooling as well as a Bridgeport, plus precision drilling machines and surface plates etc there was also a complete blacksmiths forge with anvils, tools and at least one fly press and excellent foundry equiment as well as numerous hand tools and marking out and measuring tools. The rest of the department had several Boxford lathes and there was a total of 45 Record 4 or 5" Bench vices. The Headmaster sold the lot for £1000.00 yes one thousand pounds so that the school could buy an extra Amstrad computer which was obsolete in a couple of years.
I am still angry about it now but was powerless at the time.
TerryD
feed with stand and no tooling apart from the odd faceplate etc is------------£5340
