Hi Joe,
Firstly Welcome to the forum. Ebay can be a minefield, descriptions such as was my Dad's but hardly ever used I could go on… If you take the ME have a look through that especially the inner back page, if you are in a local SMEE club ask around, If they have a newsletter get a litttle notice into it.

Bob

Welcome Joe.

You have started a ball rolling here. Your own interests will be the key I think. If your intentions are for small models and clocks you are not going to require a large diameter swing or longer bed. After this your man cave or workspace will physically limit your Boxford choices. I assume that your CL500 is to be replaced by your new Boxford? I had a smaller space and started with the CL250 and have graduated into a new workshop adding a Myford ML4 which is big enough for clocks and small models. I'm not building a railway here. I added a separate mill machine, as my CL250 had the add-on mill stand. You may have had one on the CL500? I recommend this action. Enjoy the search for your perfect machine anyway and good hunting.

John

As long as the headstock bearings and the leadscrew nuts aren't knackered most decent lathes will make the replacement parts you need

Boxfords are serious bits of kit

If I was getting one "for life" I would consider getting a spare pair of those roller headstock bearings they use since this is probably the only part you haven't a hope of making yourself if it fails

Although the AUD gives you the convenience of a screwcutting box you still have to faf around to move between metric and imperial and for the number of threads an amateur does it simply isn't essential. So a Bud or Cud is going to be ok Just forget the Tud. A Cud in good condition is better than an Aud in poor condition but peeple get mesmerised by 'features'.

There seem to be people who then complain that going from screwcutting to feed is just toooo much trouble with change gears. So have a look at Graham Howe's 'quiet power feed' mod on a different lathe halfway down here **LINK**

In fact nowadays without going into CNC you could still use a simple stepper driver to provide both power cross feed and longitudinal for a cheaper lathe that others had turned down.

Edited By Bazyle on 06/07/2013 12:02:08

Hi Joe,

I have a 1953 Model "A" imperial Boxford it's been a great machine over the years, if I wanted to replace it I might go for another Boxford but a later 5" MKIII AUD.

With belt drive machines like mine when running they can be almost silent something to consider if your workshop is perhaps inside a house or flat.

Parts are readily available and lots of South Bend bits like the steady rests, changegears can fit as well as the Boxford was designed from the SB 9" machine.

There are a lot of poor quality machines out there for silly money, if you are not entirely sure what to look out for you could do a lot worse than contact one of the dealers who regularly advertise in MEW to supply a machine.

Regards

Paul

Have a look at Tony's Lathe website **LINK**

I have had Myfords, a AUD Mk111 and currently a Boxford STS 10-20. The gearhead is nice and quiet.

mike