Member postings for Mervyn Price 1

In industry, I learnt that nothing is perfect. I learnt to turn on a Drummond 1912 treadle lathe aged 12, turning brass. Now lets get this correct, PLEASE. The beloved Myford ML7 series lathe was produced after WW2 as a cheap lathe for people interested in model engineering to get a lathe. This was why parts are made of zinc, to keep its cost down. No ML7 series lathe was perfect & that includes the Super 7. So it is no surprise that the better the man or woman using it is at turning, the better the work they turn out.

I have been reading about modern model making lathes. Certain things stand out. First young people have smaller houses & gardens than in the 1950s. With less space comes a need for small lathes. Second the emergence of the Mini Lathe. The first ones to grab a part of the market were the 7 x 10 lathes (actually 7" x 8". The advantage they gave over the Adept lathe was an inbuilt motor. Soon they got an American circuit board for a semblance of reliability. Time tells us that these lathes are better than any baby lathe of the 1930s or 1950s. There is a big group of Americans very keen on these lathes. All manner of add-ons are available. Lots of improvements can be made to stiffen them up. They are the modern buy to improve lathe. To me they are like a basic post-war Ford side valve car with 6 volt electrics & pneumatic wipers. Lots were sold & lots were improved.

Would I want one No. They are no Lorch. Can they do a good job YES if you improve yours. Its just that I prefer a bit more weight in a serious lathe. For me you need to start with a 180 x 300 lathe with around 70 Kg weight. You still need to clean it with vigour. Chinese lathes have a reputation for being full of grit & unfinished surfaces. They are cheap & corners are cut. The minimum possible gib screws possible is normal. The better bet is to move up to a 400 mm centres lathe like a WM240 or equivalent. Still, a short lathe but heavier.

People say to me why a Chinese lathe rather than an older British lathe. To me it is simple, the Chinese lathe is new with its future in front of it, that you can improve to make it stiffer. The old Brit is, OLD, worn out & its future is behind it. People then say. There are lots of good lathes out there, yes there are, but if they are good, get there first! Best forget about them, for every good one half a dozen people will want it & pay over the odds to get it. It will also be a bigger lathe than you want to use your limited space for.

Regards,

Mervyn Price