Well this wasn’t in the plan… (Drummond M Long-Bed)

[James Jenkins 1Participant @jamesjenkins1]

[James Jenkins 1Participant @jamesjenkins1]

Hi all,

Well this wasn't in the plan, but having been kicking myself for a week for missing this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Myford-Drummond-M-type-long-bed-lathe-with-lots-of-accessories-/152247876415?hash=item2372ae3b3f%3Ag%3AlJQAAOSwCGVX4Bub&nma=true&si=Z%252BZRIaMoK%252FHq2huy%252B8vuUThJE3U%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557) long-bed Drummond M with lots of accessories near us on on ebay I was rather delighted to see it relisted last night. A quick phone call and a deal was struck and I went this morning to pay and collect before there was any changing of minds!

I intend to mount it on my treadle stand, so I can puff and pant my way 28/29" up the bed now, rather than 16". I will have my original 1938 Drummond M for sale at some point, which when I bought it earlier in the year I completely stripped it down to component parts (apart from the main bearing), cleaned and rebuilt it. It's very smooth (actually smoother than the longbed I have just bought). If you are interested let me know.

I'm as excited by all the accessories that the long-bed comes with, including several angle plates. So whilst thoughts of a vertical slide have had to go out the window, I now have a way of doing most things with the angle plates.

All very exciting, just need to take out the V-Pulley to install a flat belt one for the treadle.

Kind regards,

James

MABEL & CO

Establishing an organic tweed weaving studio on the Suffolk Coast.

Follow our progress: Facebook and Instagram

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Certainly a lot of accessories there! – **LINK** may be easier to find it.

Well scored James

 

Edited By Robbo on 17/10/2016 19:28:47

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Well done, James

That looks fantastically well-equipped

MichaelG.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

You've got a pal for life there

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

That's tops.

Nick

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Nice!

The motor is an industrial sewing machine motor. they come in 1425 as 2800 RPM types usually a half horsepower.

Regards
John

[James Jenkins 1Participant @jamesjenkins1]

Thanks everyone. Really chuffed with it and looking forward to getting it set up on the treadle base. Will certainly give me some more elbow room. I am planning on doing a bit of wood turning on her too – thinking of making a smock that fits over and velcros around chuck, tail stock and tool rest giving protection to the mechanics and the rest from wood dust.

My standard bed has been a God send with setting up the studio, I can only image this one will be even more useful.

James

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

That certainly is the motherlode of all accessories you got there. You will have many hours of amusement figuring out what all that lot do, and how to use them. Some very nice pieces there. The extra bed length is handy to get the tailstock out of the way when working on ordinary jobs, not just for holding longer jobs.

Well done!

I like the sounds of the industrial sewing machine motor with inbuilt brake and clutch. Very handy indeed. If you ever decide to "modernize" and go electric.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

James, just out of idle curiosity, what is the serial number of your older 1938 Drummond?

I have never been able to pin down exactly what year mine is, with serial number 3798 A. Nearest I can come is it is somewhere in the lathe 1930s, probably 1937-ish but not sure as the only listing I can find (lathes.co.uk, does not give specific year by year figures for that period.

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

FWIW second hand industrial clutch sewing machine motors are fairly reasonably priced. these days many workrooms are switching to servo motors. the clutch motors are discarded.

I found a few here:

**LINK**

They are usually very well balanced, including the flywheel attached, parts are easy to get from sewing trade suppliers. However apart form the occasional bearing or clutch pad they are indestructible.

Regards
John

[James Jenkins 1Participant @jamesjenkins1]

The serial number is 3205A and actually it's a 1932, not a 1938. I got my dates mixed up when I was writing the above. I just used lathe.co.uk and judged it was likely to be '32 as the number was in the middle of the three years. Apologies.

We have installed a small low voltage system into the studio (picture here), so if it was to go electric I would install a 36v motor. We have already converted one of our yarn winders using a 1/4hp one (short video here) and it works really well. I use a Pulse Wave Modulator (no I'd not heard of them either!) to vary the speed, as it allow the full power of the motor to be maintained irrespective of speed. I am just restoring a warping mill (pre-restoration pic here) and that will have the same, only 1/2hp (for restoration pics look at anything in dark grey at the top of this page). They produce them to just over 1hp at very reasonable cost – above that you can look to electric boat/scooter motors.

I might have to rig up some pulleys and shafts as there is a nice tool post mounted drill with the lathe, it would be great to be able to flick the belt over, connect this and treadle power it. One day…

James

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Looks like it's all coming-together very nicely, James

MichaelG.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

James

Having seen the amount of equipment that has come with the lathe I can only imagine that the original owner must have been a skilled, talented and ingenious engineer. Its certainly well equipped and I'm sure will serve you well.

Ian P

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by James Jenkins 1 on 18/10/2016 09:05:57:

The serial number is 3205A and actually it's a 1932, not a 1938. I got my dates mixed up when I was writing the above. I just used lathe.co.uk and judged it was likely to be '32 as the number was in the middle of the three years. Apologies.

No worries. Only 500 different in the numbers — they were not selling many lathes in the Depression obviously. Two a week or less by the looks.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by John McNamara on 18/10/2016 07:43:56:

FWIW second hand industrial clutch sewing machine motors are fairly reasonably priced. these days many workrooms are switching to servo motors. the clutch motors are discarded.

I found a few here:

**LINK**

They are usually very well balanced, including the flywheel attached, parts are easy to get from sewing trade suppliers. However apart form the occasional bearing or clutch pad they are indestructible.

Regards
John

Thanks for that. I have often daydreamed about building a combined clutch/brake unit for the old Drummond using a discarded BMW motorbike clutch I have kicking around. So handy to have the brake for screwcutting up to shoulders etc and just quick measurements and on again. I'll have to keep an eye out on Ebay Oz for a secondhand one. Another major car factory closing down this year so probably will be plenty of leftovers from the cut and sew dept come on the market before too long.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Looks like a good example of when ebay is a bit of a bargain. People usually wont bid a price that reflects what comes with the lathe. Seems to me the more with them the better. In that respect I got my Boxford for £750 and with the gear I'd have been happy to pay more. Got it for the sellers reserve. Every body else dropped out at about £500

Hope you have luck with it. Too big for me I have the Boxford. It's odd how many things get relisted. I sometimes wonder if it's some one trying to bid things up.

John

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