Newbie lathe dilema

[Oli WatsonParticipant @oliwatson]

I am an engineer with several larger industrial machine tools wanting to get into model engineering as a hobby in the evenings and weekends. I have been offered a little Myford ML3 (friend of a friend who has refurbed and now selling). My question is do i go ahead and invest in a little model makers lathe which i could possibly use at home rather than my workshop or try and use a large harrison alpha 550 which i already have.

I know this may seem like a bit of a stupid question to many as it is about what i want however i wouldn't mind making a brass clock ultimately which i hope to learn very different skills from compared with the machining work i do by day and my large lathe is a bit numb for something like this.

Any thoughts/ feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[Oli WatsonParticipant @oliwatson]

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Oliver Watson on 26/09/2016 19:39:35:

… my large lathe is a bit numb for something like this.

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What a splendid expression, Oliver

It is so common, on here, for people to recommend getting the largest lathe that one possibly can; but you have expressed the appeal of a smaller lathe.

For what it's worth: my advice would be to get the ML3 [assuming it's good, or could be made so], I think you will appreciate its nimbleness. Add a vertical slide and milling spindle, and you're away.

MichaelG.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Be nice to have both. I run a 14×40 lathe but keep getting tempted to add another slightly smaller machine for finishing the secondary op's without all the breakdown / setup time.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Since you already have the large lathe and have a source lined up for the small one it seems to me that the decision is mainly economic. Unless the cost of the small lathe is a serious issue, it seems a no-brainer to me. I'd go ahead anyway. It will certainly do some of what you want and give you a lot of enjoyment but at the same time you won't be burning any bridges.

[Oli WatsonParticipant @oliwatson]

Cheers for the reply guys,I think i will go for the ML3 as i do believe it will give me great enjoyment! I did also consider getting a vertical slide for it, any recommendations on the best place to find one for sale and what to look out for?

How useful would you say the milling attachment for the Myford is and how rigid are they for machining? Is it even possible to get on for an ML3, I've seen a few for the larger my ford whilst trawling the internet but never for any of the smaller my ford models?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Oliver,

Regarding the vertical slide & spindle … I'm not sure what's a direct fit on the ML3, but an ML7 slide with something like an Arrand spindle is a good size for most clock work. [Or maynbe even the legendary Potts milling device.]

For inspiration … Have a look at how Schaublin does the job.

MichaelG.

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http://anglo-swiss-tools.co.uk/schaublin-70-and-102-accessories/

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 26/09/2016 22:04:57

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Since the ML3 has a flat T-slotted cross slide and not a spigot type mounting you can probably find a new mini lathe vertical slide or even use the topslide on an angle plate.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The ML7 vertical slide should fit on the T slotted cross slide of your ML3. I have one on my M-type and it works OK.

Think carefully about what kind of work you want to do with teh vertical slide before buying one. I got the one with two pivot joints and have found the pivot joints tend to move under heavy milling if you are not careful. The non-swivelling slide is much more solid and I often wish I had bought one of those. I have yet to use the swivelling facility for the general work I do. Of course, clock work is not heavy so the swivel type could be OK for that and may well be necessary for some of the arcane operations those guys do. I wouldn't know about that.

And yes, get the ML3. I find it tremendously satisfying to produce precision work on a vintage machine. And you sound to have the background to be able to get the best from an old machine. It's lots of fun.

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