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  1. #21
    I've been very happy with my Myford - but I bought it as-new around 35 years ago when the market was very different and the current Chinese machines weren't around. My current frustration with it is that the spindle bore isn't anywhere near big enough to turn the ends of useful size ballscrews. I envy you the DRO on a lathe, though - I didn't realise just how useful they were until I bought a vertical mill with 3-axis DRO. Don't suppose that I've looked at a leadscrew dial more than a couple of times on that machine!

  2. Quote Originally Posted by Neale View Post
    I've been very happy with my Myford - but I bought it as-new around 35 years ago when the market was very different and the current Chinese machines weren't around. My current frustration with it is that the spindle bore isn't anywhere near big enough to turn the ends of useful size ballscrews. I envy you the DRO on a lathe, though - I didn't realise just how useful they were until I bought a vertical mill with 3-axis DRO. Don't suppose that I've looked at a leadscrew dial more than a couple of times on that machine!
    Its not hard to fit a couple of cheap digital calipers to a lathe for a poor mans DRO, and even get the readout on a big display with some jiggery-pokery... of course its easier but not cheaper to buy it pre-fitted...


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  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Neale View Post
    I've been very happy with my Myford - but I bought it as-new around 35 years ago when the market was very different and the current Chinese machines weren't around. My current frustration with it is that the spindle bore isn't anywhere near big enough to turn the ends of useful size ballscrews. I envy you the DRO on a lathe, though - I didn't realise just how useful they were until I bought a vertical mill with 3-axis DRO. Don't suppose that I've looked at a leadscrew dial more than a couple of times on that machine!
    No DRO on my current lathe but I will be ordering them fitted on the new one. Can't find much information on the ones they fit though, maybe Hugh can supply more information when I see him tomorrow. I fitted cheap DRO scales on the mill and they work fine.

  4. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Stuart Winsor View Post
    Sounds nice. I'm going down on Saturday and Hugh has offered to special order in the belt drive version.
    Well, the deed is done but like Cropwell I've ordered the three phase FF with DRO instead. That means I've got to get a move on in organising my workshop! I was originally feeling quite laid back about it, thinking I was going to have to wait till about April. now it's 4-6 weeks! I suppose there are other people's bench designs somewhere in the archives?

  5. #25
    Within three days of placing the order, Hugh contacted me to advise he had sold the same lathe to two people so I was going to have to wait after all. I therefore reverted to my original plan. 27th of Feb I enquired if he was able to give a firmer date so that I could schedule the neccessary work into my future action plan and Edward replied "10th March"! Eeek! Hugh was going to double check as my lathe might be in "the second container". In the mean time, manufacture of the bench has commenced. All joints are cut but they still have to be "fitted", then there is assmbly and painting and I still have to clear the corner of the workshop where it will reside.

  6. #26
    Strange, I thought I had added a photo

  7. #27
    According to Edward at Amadeal, delivery is arranged for Tuesday 11th March. The only problems are a) that I have 40+ metres of steel sections in half lengths along my workshop floor, b) that I have two cupboards which I am making for the bedroom needing a clean space for spray painting and c) I have a stinking cold and feel like crap.

    I have bought a whole list of accessories for the lathe, including a collet chuck set on an MT4 taper holder. So I need a sleeve MT5 to 4. Aim Tools show one on eBay, so I bought it. what arrived was MT5 to MT2 (box labelled 5 - 4). One week has gone by and they are still pissing about checking their stock and have not yet told me whether they can replace it with the correct one. I wish I had checked their feedback as they seem to have a habit of messing customers about when they cock up. Next week I will get my money back from PayPal, order from RDG and Aim can come and collect their sleeve.

    So there's something to bear in mind if you plan to buy from Aim.

    BTW Stuart, how do you plan to get the machine from crate to bench ? It weighs near 1/4 ton.

  8. #28
    Sounds like you have a few problems. Where are you in the UK, maybe some of us could lend a hand in some way?

    I too ordered a load of accessories from Hugh but I ordered the ER32 "holder". This is the flange fitting version which means the spindle bore stays clear and available. I have the same on my minilathe.

    Not come across AIM tools, I use RDG, Chronos, ArcEurotrade and now, of course, Amadeal. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

    Lifting heavy items onto benches was an issue I faced when upgrading my mill a couple of years ago. Engine hoists seem to be popular - beg, borrow or, erm, hire - but I wasn't convinced of their suitability under my circumstances. While pondering the issue, along with which mill to choose, I spotted an electric hoist on Chester's stand at the Midlands ME show. It looked, at first glance, like it would hang on a piece of 50x50 box section (it's actually designed to fit something like a scaffold pole) so I consulted a civil engineering friend of mine. I could use a maximum length of 1.7m of 50x50 to safely produce an overhead "crane". If I wanted to span the whole width of the garage I would need something like 75x75x5 box. It would also be quite involved as I would have to take down a large 12" wide shelf, which ran more or less the full length of the garage along the opposite wall, which held my wood stock. There was no way I felt the 4x2s supporting the roof would carry that weight so a prop was devoised to support the inner end. The final result can be seen here:

    Hoist Photos by stuartwinsor | Photobucket

    (Can't work out how to upload photo's here and, in any case, this album already exists)

    Also see:

    Workshop Photos by stuartwinsor | Photobucket

    which shows the mill on its stand and the area where the new lathe will be.

    Initially I thought of relocationg the hoist to the end where the lathe will be but, again, the big shelf is in the way and because of the window there is no brickwork to support that end of the beam. Instead I have bought some heavy duty castors from "Bazroll" on ebay and will move the bench to the lathe instead.

    I will put up some pictures of the bench (still under construction) in due course.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to Stuart Winsor For This Useful Post:


  10. #29
    Over the years I have had several ex-school benchtop machines - Denford Micromill, a Starmill and Novamill, a Boxford Vmc 160(I think that's what it was) and an Emco Pc 50 mill, also a couple of lathes, but I never managed to get a lathe running. I bought a wheeled motorcycle lift/jack from Macro for about £40 and frigged up platform on it such that at maximum lift it is just higher than the bench. When fully lowered the platform height is just right for transferring a machine to/from my van. Moving benchtop machines is no longer a problem, even if the method seems unusual. G.

  11. #30
    P.S.

    I should have mentioned.

    I purchased a "Load leveller", CRA-LL450 from Chester,

    two 8mm bow shackles:
    2 x Tested 8mm Bow Shackles SWL 0.75 ton (Lifting Gear) | eBay

    the bolt is the right size to slip through the links on the chain provided by Chester.

    two 12mm bow shackles:
    2 x Tested 12mm Bow Shackles SWL 2.00 ton (Lifting Gear) | eBay

    The bolt will pass through the eye of the above shackles and has a large enough eye to accomodate the two ends of a 1m sling:

    2 x Duplex 1 meter x 1 ton Webbing Lifting Sling Straps | eBay

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