Probably this guy,

Henry Maudslay.

JA

Lest this descend further into jest, I am giving consideration to repeating the 1940's ME competition to design the 'perfect' hobby engineers' lathe.

I need to identify a suitable prize, and then decide on some rules. I will limit centre hight and set requirements for supplying a GA and a fixed maximum number of words.

Neil

They made the best hobby lathe ever back in the 1940s IMO

A cantilever bed so you could bolt it to a fairy cake, a leadscrew clutch to make screwcutting a doddle and solid headstock bearings which last forever, …oh and I nearly forgot, no electronics

Drummond/Myford M series

Just redid my 70 year old headstock bearings yesterday

My definition of a hobby lathe is one you can carry up a flight of stairs to the first floor on your own without being Arnold Schwarzenegger

Hi Ady1,

I would agree that the lack of electronics is a good thing IMO with less to go (expensively) wrong. Similar to modern cars which become uneconomical to repair (electronically) long before the full embedded value can be realised.

Regards

Phi H

.

Clapped out Sooper Adapt ??

If a lack of electronics is so necessary I dare say it would need to be treadle operated to ensure complete freedom from the nasty electronics and computers etc. Replies on a post card please headed "An Ideal Lathe circa 1940".

Alan

Muzzer, It was a small french car (still in production) where a electronic dashboard repair (the odometer was faulty) required to get it through the MOT was more than the value of the car. Otherwise, it was sill good for its shopping trolley job.

So in effect, the electronic failure fits into your category of MOT failure.

Regards

Phil H

The dream of my sleepless nights:

Hommel UWG with a complete set of accessories.

**LINK**

Regards,

HnasR.

It's pretty well documented that Leonardo da Vinci designed a screwcutting lathe with changewheels and a leadscrew.

Neil

I'm not convinced I'd be looking at the likes of the Metalmaster or any of these all-in-ones. Apart from not wishing to spend half my life endlessly reconfiguring the thing between operations, there are many compromises that make them jack of all trades and master of none, starting with rigidity.

If we I posed the "Desert Island Disks" question ie "you are only allowed one machine tool, so what will it be", then perhaps I might be persuaded. Until then, I'd have a lathe for turning, a mill for milling etc etc. And if cost were truly ruled out as a factor, I'd be ringing an industrial architect to plan the new factory!

For "old metal", perhaps it would be a Hardinge, although I've never given the question any serious thought. There are some absolutely superlative modern machine tools around nowadays that cost the same as a small house – CNC controlled, mostly.

Murray

The Boxford ME10 – good solid structure, big enough for most modelling before people got into 4 in TEs and half ton NG locos on 7 1/4 . Just too expensive for me back when launched, However it was aimed at the ME market and hence a second hand one should be in good condition not misused in school or factory.
Nowadays I think people are moving up in size – The Myfords heyday was when people built 3 1/2 , Boxford for 5in, now one probably is looking for a bigger machine for 7 1/4.