Hi Michael G ,

Slight change of parameters needed for real blue sky thinking .

Tha Adept as such is dead in the water – after a little discussion a blue sky group would conclude that there was no worthwhile development path fot the Adept and end the session .

For real blue sky thinking you need seeds – these are primal thoughts either put in as a reason for the session or chosen randomly using a special game or just by reading the news paper (ie).

Theoretically you need at least three primal seeds but in real session anything goes and the more the better .

So primal thoughtS :

(1) Adept lathe CONCEPT – not the actual lathe as is .

(2) Computer games .

(3) B&Q

(4)—– (oo) ????

Regards ,

Michael Williams .

Hi
Although I was aware of the Adept previously I was sufficiently inspired by this thread to look at Lathes.co.uk entry for the Adept which leads me to say don't scrap it as John S suggests.
The old adage "The sum of the parts is greater than the whole must surely apply" as I gladly parted with a fair sum of money to acquire a small X-Y table courtesy of H.Wshop that I now recognise as being the saddle and cross-slide from an Adept.
I'm looking to use it to provide the traverse movement in my quest to make a 4 facet point grinder for mini drills. The dilemma is "Do I now search for the remainder of an Adept or stick with my Proxxon?"

Bob D

Hmm Bob

| "The old adage "The sum of the parts is greater than the whole must surely apply" "

I always thought it was " The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" – and, using MichaelG's searching investigative techniques, it does seems that this quote was originally made by Aristotle and is the correct one. However that is of little consequence other than to pass the remainder of a dull, wet, miserable Sunday. In your case, Bob, if you shelled out quite a bit for your X-Y table, your quote is probably more apt!

In my book the best use for a Super Adept lathe would be to carry out a careful restoration during which some knowledge of lathes might be learned, some skills developed and a "wish list" of facilities required for a future lathe compiled. It would also be useable for making small parts. At the end it might be worth a few bob too so it can be flogged to help finance the next lathe or, If not, then it could put on a shelf as a memory of past fun – who knows it maybe a future antique!

RANT

Will everyone PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT BLUE SKY ! I can't remember blue sky, I doubt that blue ever existed, and I can't imagine the sky ever will be blue. Just face up to it SKY IS GREY – at least I think it is when it's possible to see it through the rain. Lets stop chasing these wild fantasies, get out in the workshop and cut some GREY metal.

Norman

Norman,

What I was implying in my cack hand way was that the lathe is worth more sold as parts rather than as a complete machine as is seen so often with respect to bare bones machines offered through trade outlets leaving Lots of Lolly to be made from the accessories.
Perhaps if I'd known it was off an Adept I would have bid down a bit more but I was happy anyway!
So far as the Adept is concerned IMHO restoration might be an interesting challenge for an impecunious but well skilled engineer but will be forever limited in it's capacity to remove metal and handle anything of substantial size.
My personal starting point for hobby work was a 3 1/2" Zyto which I still have and treasure but it was soon supplanted by a 5" Atlas as a more appropriate workhorse. Needless to say it came at the right price and with as many extras that I could get thrown in. Holbrooks and Acme Gridleys figured in my commercial engineering.

Bob D

What I did with my adept lathe was to tell the internet that I’d aquired one…

Hi all Had one once ,made a clutch for it with an old autocycle front wheel drum brake .

Worked a treat . Maurice

Well Steven, you have a sense of humour and I would suggest that is a requirement for this game, so you are halfway there.

graham.

What about-

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Dave

Edited By Hi Speed Scrap on 03/03/2014 13:12:15

Dave, I would refer you to Mr. John Stevenson's comment 02/03/2014 16:48:26 ? (Before you edited it)

Edited By ChrisH on 03/03/2014 13:34:43

I have to say, you lot don't have a great deal of imagination. Why not turn it into a lathe?

ME 2408 17 July 1947 pp. 57-60.

Neil