Lathe recommendations in Canada?

[user 284]

Andrew,
If that Myford is in as good shape as the pictures and you say it is then BUY it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll find the extra money somewhere. If it's in top shape then it's a huge step up from any hobby type Chinese built lathe. Do not wait, Phone the seller now and tell him it's sold. Check Myfords web site for what a new super 7 costs, You will mentally kick your own butt later if you don't buy it. If I found something like that in B.C. I'd buy it today.

Pete

 

[Jasonb]

Pete I think thats an ML-7 not a super seven, going rate from a dealer here would be about £750GBP

http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/cat_leaf.php?id=7554

 

[lazylathe]

It is a Myford ML7, not the Super 7.
As i noted earlier it looks even better in person!
The picture is good but does not do it any justice.

I think the seller will wait for me because he keeps e mailing me to talk and send me more pictures of the lathe.
I told him i was waiting to see if i could sell my Sherline first before i bugged him anymore.
It looks like the Sherline is gone, should know in a day or two.
If it is then i have a trip ahead of me!!!

Andrew

 

[user 284]

Jason and Andrew,
Yeah I did know it was a ML-7 but used the example of a current Myford price for a Super 7 because I was too lazy to check Myfords price list for a new ML-7. (Do Myford even sell a ML-7 today?) Jasons ballpark price of 750 B,Ps. is fairly close to that $1500 except the U.K. has a lot of these for sale from various sellers. Myfords are pretty rare over here. That helps to jack up the price. If I was still driving a truck to Ontario every week and Andrew decided not to buy that lathe I'd be asking him for the sellers contact details. To me that lathes value is far more than the asking price.

Pete

 

[Dunc]

Down Ottawa way there is a used tool & equipment dealer

Cardon, No 7 Hwy, E of Perth, 613-326-0007 (closed Mon & Tue but open Sun)
[email protected]
The usual disclaimers; I have seen used Myford lathes but have no idea what is there now.

 

[lazylathe]

Just an update!
I have bought the lathe!!!
The Myford is now MINE!!!! ;D ;D ;D

Going to pick it up next weekend so i am very excited!
Building it a new bench this weekend as the owner was rather attached to his bench.
No worries though, it will be a metal bench with sand in the base for extra stability.

Andrew

 

[user 284]

Andrew,
LOL, Right on, There's nothing quite like getting a new machine tool. Except now I'm slightly jealous.

Pete

 

[Metal Butcher]

Just an update!
I have bought the lathe!!!
The Myford is now MINE!!!! ;D ;D ;D

Going to pick it up next weekend so i am very excited!
Building it a new bench this weekend as the owner was rather attached to his bench.
No worries though, it will be a metal bench with sand in the base for extra stability.

Andrew

Congratulations on your choice Andrew! Based on everything you said about the lathe I was almost certain you would end up being the new owner.
A proper metal bench is a good idea, although a sturdy wood bench bolted together with bracing would also work as the lathe is probably not all that heavy. You might consider lag bolting the bench to the floor rather than adding sand ballast for stability.

My lathe is about 250 lb, and sits on a sheet metal bench with a 1-1/4" thick top. The top is made of 5/8" high density particle board glued and screwed to 1/2" hardwood plywood. The bench has 4 drawers on one side, and a swing open door with shelves on the other side. Its filled up solid with chucks and assorted tooling. Its so heavy that only a bulldozer could push it over.

-MB

 

[mygrizzly1022]

Andrew

Happy to see things went well for you .

Good luck on the bench project. I wouldn’t go too crazy till you get the machine home and make a few chips.
Get to know the lathe a bit and YOUR bench requirements may be more apparent.
A big heavy bench can be a nice, but depending on your shop size a pain when it becomes necessary to move it.
In the case of most hobby machines the accuracy we require can be achieved without great heavy benches.
Perhaps a heavy office desk with a bit of tweaking can yield a nice working surface.
When a desk has some height added they become quite a nice bench, complete with drawers etc.
Sometimes they can be found next to free.
Some type of wheel arrangement that permits the bench to be moved to clean around is a big asset in a hobby shop.

Regards .. Bert

 

[user 284]

UH sorry,
But I completley disagree about having a lathe with wheels under it. There's not a home floor in the world that is flat. If your lathe has been properly aligned to turn true end to end then the last thing you'll want to do is move it. That Myford was built more than accurate enough at the factory to make it worth while to spend the time to properly align it.

Pete

 

[Mainer]

I agree, Pete. It's amazing how rubbery everything is when you're looking at thousandths of an inch. I know if I tried to move my lathe bench, the alignment of the lathe would go kaflooey.

I like Andrew's idea of sand ballast. It should deaden vibration very well.

 

[bambuko]

Unless, that is, you eliminate the source of all this distortion and support the bed in three points only, using spring loaded studs, allowing for any twisting and thermal expansion of the bed.
Majority of lathes are examples of very poor engineering when it comes to bed fixing to the base/bench - any more than three points and you are struggling to get it all adjusted without twisting the bed, and however carefully you adjust it, it remains vulnerable to external changes (as both Pete and Mainer are suggesting). Of course all this multitude of bolting down studs, never allow for any thermal expansion either.
And before you dismiss me as a total crank :big: : - the design I am talking about was adopted by the best lathe in the business (at least afaic) - Harding HLV :bow: :bow:
I am always amused by experts talking about levelling of lathe as a holy grail as if a lathe with bed 1 deg away from level wouldn't work :big:
So, you can have your lathe on wheels, but not if you restrain it down with all the bolts (I think four in a case of Myford and six in a case of Boxford for example), because than, whatever happens to your bench will also be transferred to your lathe bed

Chris

 

[user 284]

Chris,
I certainly hope the OP doesn't think were trying to hijack his thread.

I couldn't argue about anything Hardinge designed and built, They really know what their doing. A huge ammout of lathes that were built for watchmaking are only fixed in position at the headstock end. Most lathes designed for hobbiest use aren't. I read a artical by I think George H. Thomas who explained very well why just bolting a lathe down would not allow it to turn parallel end to end. His point was, That the bare lathe bed was precision ground and then the motor ect. was bolted to that bed. This results in that weight twisting the lathe bed and shims, or jacking bolts were required to twist the lathe bed at the tailstock end to match the twist at the headstock end.

I own a Emco compact 5 lathe, Certainly not the worlds best lathe by any means. By using a add on Emco set of what they describe as leveling elements, (Their description not mine) And a test bar machined on the lathe itself, Plus a very accurate micrometer I've been able to align my lathe to turn parallel within .0003 over almost 12". My lathe is bolted down to a 1"x12"x27" piece of steel. My lathe certainly won't maintain that kind of accuracy for more than a few hours due to the standard construction used for wooden floors. If I had concrete floors then that would obviously help.

I still maintain that if your going to go to the trouble of properly aligning a lathe, Then having wheels under it would create more problems than the convience of moving the lathe to clean up is worth. This is just my opinion and the information is worth about what you paid for it.

Oh yeah, One more point, Your 100% right about lathe leveling. That does help get your lathe to a close starting point for aligning, But final tweaking for true parallel turning must be done under cutting conditions. You could bolt a lathe down at 45 degrees out from level and as long as it's aligned, It will still turn parallel.

Pete

 

[bambuko]

Pete, yes, perhaps we should start another thread (sorry Andrew)
Just one final point and I will shut up ;D or start my own thread.
I totally agree with you that, with care you can adjust any lathe (as you describe) and within seconds it is out of adjustment, because the floor has moved, or because of change of temperature etc. etc.
The beauty of Hardinge design is that whatever happens to the bench, the lathe bed remains straight and un-distorted, but that's for another thread indeed :

Chris

 

[user 284]

Chris,
I'm all for starting another thread, I'm always willing to learn. And apologys again to you Andrew, Your the one that should be in the spotlight here. You now own a very nice lathe. We of course expect pictures of the new addition.

Pete

 

[lazylathe]

Thanks for the info!
Very interesting stuff!!
Does anyone have a link to how the Hardinge is bolted down?

I was looking at a Hardinge HLV for the same price as the Myford, but the weight was just too much for me unfortunately...
The next house we move into i am going to get a double garage and heat half of it for a workshop! That way size does not matter!!! ;D

I have been talking to the owner of the lathe and he says he only mounts it to the bench at the headstock.
It is mounted on two thick bars of steel.
That way the bed is just resting on the other bar and he shims it to get it level and straight.
Does that sound right??

Andrew

 

[bambuko]

Hi Andrew,
There is Hardinge group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hardinge-Lathe with lots of useful info etc.
I have never found a page I could link to with details of Hardinge (HLV-H) bed securing arrangements.
But here an extract from the manual:

Some info can be seen in the parts list. Here an extract showing single bolt used at tailstock end:

You can see the single stud screwed into lathe body is free to rotate in any direction on the domed part of the seat - this allows the bed freedom to twist along the length of bed as well as catering for the bow perpendicular to the length of bed. The whole arrangement is spring loaded and free to slide to account for thermal expansion. That single bolt/stud is the whole support at tail end.
At the headstock you have two points, like so:

These two, can only rotate in the axis perpendicular to the body length and do not slide.

Your chap, who only mounts his lathe at the headstock makes perfect sense to me.
I would put a bar under headstock and a ball under tailstock - that would replicate Hardinge arrangement perfectly. Of course both the bar and the ball would have to be restrained from taking a walk - but that's easy to do.

BTW - this is just me musing on my ideas! This is not a recommendation, neither does it constitute advice - you have to satisfy yourself that whatever you do is OK ;D and safe for you!

Chris

ps if you were being offered HLV-H for the price of Myford .... almost impossible to believe ???

 

[user 284]

Chris,
Really interesting. Thanks for posting this.

Pete

 

[bambuko]

You are welcome Pete,
Should have really been posted in our other thread on this subject, but since Andrew asked the questions here, I have tried to answer here.

Chris