Member postings for Lambton

If anyone must keep their thread dial indicator permanently engaged then ensure it's spindle is lubricated from time to time using the small oiler in the centre of the dial. Better to disengage it when not in use as it serves no purpose to keep it engaged when not screw cutting.

Kevin,

Please get yourself an official Myford handbook for your lathe as they are very informative and tell you almost all you need to know. You can download a pdf from the net or buy one from new Myford.

Also useful is "Myford series 7 manual" by Ian Bradley which is currently in publication.

Its a sharpener for laboratory cork borers.

Steve,

I have sent you a PM. Please check your inbox ( second from the left in the green bar at the top of the page.

Steve,

Have look at the Hobbymat entry on Lathes.co.uk web site **LINK**

This is an extract about chuck fitting that may help.

"Held in place by a rather inconvenient 3-stud bolt-on arrangement, chucks are found with three different recess diameters: 55 mm and 56 mm each with M6 bolts, and 63 mm with M5 bolts. The most common is the 56 mm, originally fitted with a Polish-made 3-jaw chuck identifiable by a single key hole. The 63 mm recess units had a chuck of TOS manufacture while the rarest version, the 55 mm, was fitted only to very late-model examples."

Try Pro Machine Tools who are now the importers of more modern versions of the MD65. They advertise on this site.

Neil,

An excellent thing to do.

I also agree with Michael about a Health and Safety topic.

In this day and age it is not wise to publish any more personal information than is really necessary on any web site. The current TalkTalk problems illustrates just how easy it is for villains to obtain sufficient information to steal another's identity or take money from them using clever scams.

I know that the vast majority of people using this forum are perfectly decent and honest however as they used to say in the last war " the enemy is always watching and listening"

Jim,

You would be better off buying replacement neodymium magnets for you Hornby- Dublo motors. There are several suppliers on eBay. I fitted one in an old Duchess of Montrose 3 rail loco and it was transformed.

Have look at the Ceriani range of lathes sold by PRO Machine Tools who advertise on tis site. Ceriani lathes are made in Italy a country with a proud reputation for sound engineering.

I doubt if it actually is 13 tpi - more likely to be a metric lead screw with 2mm pitch

Years ago most towns had a supplier of high quality engineer’s tools and equipment made by reliable British companies such as Moore & Wright, Eclipse, Ambrose Shardlow, Chesterman, Marlco, Fobco, and other too numerous to mention. Items could be purchased with total confidence in their quality, accuracy and soundness of manufacture. Most of these old shops have long since gone to be replaced, in part, by modern retailers such as Machine Mart, Screwfix and similar who sell a limited range of quite good quality imported engineering tools that sometimes bear the names of old British companies despite their Far Eastern origin.

Most model engineers now tend to use specialist importers of tools and equipment usually made in either China or India most of which is unbranded with a few exceptions such as Vertex, Zyther etc. So we have to rely on the reputation of the particular UK Company that sources the items on our behalf. We are all familiar with these companies as they regularly advertise in the magazines and some still attend exhibitions.

I use most of these companies from time to time however my regular supplier of choice is always Arc Eurotrade for the following reasons:

• Ketan Swali is always helpful and engages with the model engineering fraternity via this forum where other suppliers most certainly do not.

• They have a very good range of really useful items that have obviously been selected with great care.

• They are upfront about the identity of their suppliers of their more expensive goods e.g. Seig, Zyther, Sumitomo and obviously select trusted suppliers for their own-branded items.

• I place orders quite frequently over the phone using their unambiguous part code numbers. The person receiving the order reads back to number, description and price before confirming the order.

• I trust the quality of the items offered for sale as sometimes purchasing unbranded Far Eastern tools can be a bit of a gamble.

• Very fast delivery times – invariably the next day.

• I am sure the machines that are sold have more than adequate power for the intended purpose and are as electrically efficient as any others on the market.

I have nothing but praise for this company with whom I have no connection other than being a very satisfied customer.

problem i am having is cutting an 8tpi thread as can't get gearing right.

This is exactly why I suggest that you gain a basic understanding of setting up a lathe for screw cutting - it is not rocket science

Naughtyboy,

The ability to screw cut on your type of lathe is a very useful feature indeed. I strongly recommend that you take the time and trouble to fully understand the principles of screw cutting. It is not hard to understand really once you have a go.

I recommend that you get a copy of Using the Small Lathe by L C Mason and refer to chapter 10 which gives as clear an explanation of the principles of screw cutting as you can get.

As I understand it the power rating that a manufacturer states ( e.g. 750 watts or 1 hp) relates to the maximum power the motor can produce in response to an applied load. Such a motor will draw only a small current when idling so will not be consuming anything like 750watts however at approaching stall conditions it will produce its maximum power and will draw its maximum current and will therefor be producing the full 750 watts output. The power consumed (input) under these conditions will be higher than 750 watts as motors cannot be 100% efficient. Many motors are no better than 80% efficient.

Some manufactures quote a maximum time at full power as all motors heat up when delivering power and it is important to limit then temperature rise to the designed maximum.

John W1. I am glade that you are providing some protection to your radial arm saw by using a 5 amp fuse. However you should be using a proper motor starter with a correctly set overload. Fuses are intended to protect wiring rather than motors. Starters with overloads are designed to protect motors rather than wiring. A starter will also give the benefit of no volt release.

**LINK**

The HSE has just issued some up dated advice on the use of emery cloth on lathes - see the link above.

I find that almost all safety glasses tend to steam up eventually as the closer they fit the poorer the ventilation.

I have bought a super safety shield from ARC that can be adjusted to any position , offers very wide area of protection and is mounted on a strong magnetic foot. The only fault I found was that some genius had fitted it with a clip for attaching a drawing. Now if a drawing is attached it totally obscures the view through the screen. It only take a minute or so to remove it. I also changed the adjusting knob for a Kipp type handle. I clean it with some foamy stuff sold for cleaning computer screens just spray a little on and them wipe off with a tissue.

I have no connection with ARC other than as a very satisfied customer.

KWIL,

A quick on-line search confirms that RDG and Myford both have the same Directors and the same address as their registered office. Nothing at all wrong with this of course. True they are two separate legal entities again absolutely nothing wrong with this but obviously which ever entity is being dealt with the people running it are the same.

I have dealt with both and have no cause for complaint.

"No, Myford still make lathes in the UK"

Neil, this is news to me as I did not think that New Myford (AKA RDG) actually made anything. They maybe assembling some items from parts obtained when they took over Myford. Perhaps they could let us know.

The conventional way would be to make a chuck back plate with a 1/2" thread and register to suit the existing lathe spindle, then machine the front face to suit a standard chuck of suitable diameter. Arc sell a range of suitable small diameter back-plate fitting chucks at very reasonable prices.

When I first acquired a Drummond lathe many years ago this is how I fitted both 3 jaw and 4 jaw chucks.

I think this will give a more satisfactory result than some of the more ingenious methods suggested.

Roger,

I have sent you a PM please look for it in your inbox.