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View Full Version : I'm thinking of bidding on a lathe , what do you think it is worth ?



Fivetide
19-09-2012, 09:32 PM
Hi , I will need a lathe for some parts I'm thinking of doing knobs mainly some very small gears perhaps and the odd 1/16 scale wheel .. i dont want a huge lathe or pay alot if I can help I have seen this one on ebay

Lathe (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Grayson-Metal-Lathe-/160884721673?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item25757a0809)

its close to where I live and so not a problem picking it up I've been looking a while and this seems like a good deal so far.. what would you guys pay for it ?

And I think bidding has two 'd's lol :highly_amused:

irving2008
19-09-2012, 10:19 PM
It's a 1930's Grayson, poss as late as 1940's. The tricky bit about buying an old lathe like that is you have no idea how worn it is. You can expect some backlash in the cross slide and feed screws, and some wear on the bed. If you're lucky the spindle bearings will still be usable. Dont go more than £75 - £100, maybe £150 in really good nick. If you can, go look at it before you buy. Remember you can pick up a good secndhand modern 'Chinese' lathe for £200-£300

Fivetide
19-09-2012, 10:34 PM
It's a 1930's Grayson, poss as late as 1940's. The tricky bit about buying an old lathe like that is you have no idea how worn it is. You can expect some backlash in the cross slide and feed screws, and some wear on the bed. If you're lucky the spindle bearings will still be usable. Dont go more than £75 - £100, maybe £150 in really good nick. If you can, go look at it before you buy. Remember you can pick up a good secndhand modern 'Chinese' lathe for £200-£300

As usual irving sound advice .. what I could really do with is a micro lathe , in all honesty looking at it now it looks a little to big for what I need, but looking at the price of micro lathes on ebay and it’s as expensive or not more expensive to buy say a Clarke hobby.. Don’t know what to do .. anyway if I get it “dirt” cheap say £60 then I can see if I can make room for it. Factor in £10 for fuel .. as well.

Web Goblin
20-09-2012, 06:43 AM
There is a micro lathe here : Advert - For Sale - Axminster/Sieg C1 Micro-lathe (http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&view=show_ad&adid=12702&catid=2)

Peter.
20-09-2012, 08:38 AM
There is a micro lathe here : Advert - For Sale - Axminster/Sieg C1 Micro-lathe (http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&view=show_ad&adid=12702&catid=2)

Yep, and right on his doorstep. The Grayson will have more power and capacity but £250 for that Sieg is a good price especially with the extra bits.

Fivetide
20-09-2012, 01:27 PM
thanks Peter I have emailed the seller fingers crossed :)

Fivetide
20-09-2012, 10:55 PM
Made contact going to see it tomorrow hopefully good shout :)

Peter.
21-09-2012, 09:20 PM
Someone's just posted a compound slide on there for £25 now too :)

Fivetide
22-09-2012, 03:31 PM
Well I saw and fell in love, Phil the guy who sold it has mad aload of improvements, its light enough to get on and off my bench when I dont use it , quiet and small.. sounds like my ideal women :) !
Paid £250 and didnt barter , he through in aload of tools, gears and like i said the improvments, he had stripped the chuck and lubed it, some ally and brass bars.. I think its a bargain.. but what do I know ?

Jonathan
22-09-2012, 06:36 PM
Well I saw and fell in love, Phil the guy who sold it has mad aload of improvements

What sort of improvements, like I did (http://www.mycncuk.com/forums/lathe-build-logs/4497-micro-lathe-zero-backlash%2A-conversion.html) :whistle:?


its light enough to get on and off my bench when I dont use it

Yeah, and light enough to try and tip over if you put a big motor on it and get the acceleration settings wrong!

irving2008
22-09-2012, 07:28 PM
What sort of improvements, like I did (http://www.mycncuk.com/forums/lathe-build-logs/4497-micro-lathe-zero-backlash%2A-conversion.html) :whistle:?
Lol, give him a chance, thats part 2 :)

It looks like the usual mods, tailstock lock, QC toolpost, larger handwheels for better control. No compound slide but thats an easy add-on.

Fivetide
22-09-2012, 09:13 PM
Lol, give him a chance, thats part 2 :)

It looks like the usual mods, tailstock lock, QC toolpost, larger handwheels for better control. No compound slide but thats an easy add-on.

LOL !! do you Know the seller irving ? coz thats exactly what he did oh and saw off part of the feed handle off so you can get the back .. thing off without removing the handle.. and a bigger gerbal-atomizing-gooseflapper.. which stops it falling of the bench if you put a bigger motor on it and get the speed wrong.. I think :P He did go into alot of detail and has a workshop full of old metal things hes attempting to fix.. but I didnt understand half of what he said, i took my dad because he was a tool maker at lucas arospace once many moons ago and he nodded and agreed with Phil the seller, and looked at me and said stuff like.. "he wont be using one of those for a long while", and "perhaps in the future" type of statments.. he also has a stand for sale and some other bits that I dont understand what they are..or where the hell they would fit.. so i didnt buy them..however.. a "Compound Slide" sounds like it would be useful ?

Oh and by the way Johnathan.. no because that looks like a bloody hard / insane mod.. if I could - can... I should - would!
and I rekon I've saved some money the clarke one is £450

irving2008
22-09-2012, 09:59 PM
LOL !! do you Know the seller irving ? coz thats exactly what he did ...

No lol, but that what just about everybody does when they get one that's stock... so much so that some companies actually sell modded ones as an 'upgrade'.

Compound slide is definitiely useful but not essential...

CNCing mine is on the projects to do list... about #8 or 9... I think!

Jonathan
22-09-2012, 10:07 PM
You certainly should get a compound slide since it severely limits what you can do with a manual lathe if you can only move the tool in two axes.


Oh and by the way Johnathan.. no because that looks like a bloody hard / insane mod.. if I could - can... I should - would!


How long until you start the build log then? It's not too hard really, if you've got a milling machine...


and I rekon I've saved some money the clarke one is £450

Extortionate isn't it...only reason I got them (yes there's another one lurking under the router...) is I acquired them for an exceptionally low price marked as faulty, so thought it would be a good project and useful to practice before converting my big lathe.

Peter.
22-09-2012, 10:07 PM
Compound slide:

Advert - For Sale - Sieg CO Compound Slide. (http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&view=show_ad&adid=12751&catid=2)

Fivetide
22-09-2012, 10:34 PM
How long until you start the build log then? It's not too hard really, if you've got a milling machine...

Well I have the milling machine running now, finally on NC studio .. I’ll post in my other thread .. I need a something to cut metal plate and bars so that’s next thing to research .. then yeah I’ll dam well mod it like yours , it looks really good, knobs and gears.. that’s my aim for it but I think nylon gears looks easier on the miller tbh.


Compound slide:

Advert - For Sale - Sieg CO Compound Slide. (http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&view=show_ad&adid=12751&catid=2)

My God Pete are you on commission lol J ? is £25 a good price ?

Jonathan
22-09-2012, 10:40 PM
My God Pete are you on commission lol J ? is £25 a good price ?

If you consider retail price an indicator of value, then compared to £90 (http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machines-Accessories/Lathes/Model-C1-Lathe/Model-C1-Lathe-Accessories) or £102 (http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/range/guid/88B7E6BD-32E0-4CFC-B1C7-02C9FA4E061E) new it is a good price. However if you did convert it to CNC you wouldn't need one.

Fivetide
22-09-2012, 10:50 PM
If you consider retail price an indicator of value, then compared to £90 (http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machines-Accessories/Lathes/Model-C1-Lathe/Model-C1-Lathe-Accessories) or £102 (http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/range/guid/88B7E6BD-32E0-4CFC-B1C7-02C9FA4E061E) new it is a good price. However if you did convert it to CNC you wouldn't need one.

What was the toal build cost for the converstion Jonathan ?