Which one is the mk4?

Lathes co uk doesnt list it

Hi Kenneth I have an M Type lathe and it is a very capable little lathe. I have done quite a few mods and improvements and make many parts on it. I also have quite a coĺlection of information on them. If you wish I can send some by email just send a personal message with an address to send it to.

David

Edited By David George 1 on 27/08/2020 20:20:19

Yippee lots of info on my lathe! Thanks guys.

It desperately needs some extra-TLC on the spindle, a previous owner tried to convert it to V-belt and didn't re-assembly the spindle, which has since seized. It lacks a makers plate so I can't date it accurately but it does look like the older model Ms. I will post some better pictures before I ask any questions.

The "manuals" look to be more like sales brochures, they lack instruction for setting up the change gears. I guess such instruction was encouraged in person?

A myford chart found online…

https://oi249.photobucket.com/albums/gg220/ozhopper/screw20cutting20big.jpg~original

You may find that metric approximations are done differently with the M type gears but most of the imperial setups should be very similar.

Not sure if this clear from the chart but if you have 2 intermediate (idler) gears you will get a RH thread and with one intermediate gear you will get a LH thread.

There are some screw cutting charts on the groups.io forum too but these are for earlier Drummonds with a 10 TPI lead screw, so don't use those.

It looks like you might have the very rare 73 tooth gear in your very comprehensive set there, for doing metric threads as above. If not, get a copy of Martin Cleeves' book Screwcutting in the Lathe for a chart of using the other standard gears to cut metric threads. Also forum member Andrew Johnstone IIRC has a spreadsheet of same.

If the spindle is seized in that aluminium V-belt pulley it should come loose if you heat the aluminium with a propane torch, heat gun or even a hair dryer (wait until she's out at the shops!). You tap the left hand end of the spindle with a hammer and block of wood to push it out through the headstock toward the tailstock.

Make sure too that if there is a grub screw in that pulley it is backed off. It is not actually a grub screw but an oiling plug and should never be screwed all the way in until it hits the spindle or it can do serious damage.

Nice pile of accessories there. I've never seen a vertical slide or the milling spindle attachment like that before. Very nice indeed.

To learn the basics of setting up and using these old lathes, including the gears, see LH Sparey's book The Amateur's Lathe. It even has pics of M-Types in it and is the bible for old Brit hobby lathes.

Edited By Hopper on 28/08/2020 05:08:23

Got a 100t but they get a bit big at the top end for my liking, 65t is the max I prefer to use

The biggies are good for an auto fine feed though

Thank you all for such helpful advice and information. I have a copy of Sparey, from 1998, which may be about when I got this lathe. It has followed me around ever since awaiting some free time and space.

As shown in Sparey's excellent book a modelling lathe is a supremely flexible machine and far more adaptable (or easily adaptable) than an industrial lathe. I would encourage anyone who can get one at reasonable cost to have a go with it to enable some of the more interesting jobs.

The tables under 'changewheels' in the groups.io forum all seem to be for 10 TPI lead screws. Did you find some 8 TPI ones somewhere?