Smart and brown model 'L' lathe- opinions, please?

Old Mart,

i think that our discussion is becoming ridiculous.

You said that the Saddle (YOUR word) would be clamped and the longitudinal cut applied by the Top Slide.

Lets agree to disagree.

Howard

I have a T&LM, no where near as heavily built as the S&B and a lot older.

The only advantage that it has over an ML7 is the length of angled cut that it can take, but it's not often you need 4" of 45deg angle unless you need to make a big pipe centre.

I should add the down side of the S&B is you can only turn items of 4.5" length before you have to unclamp the saddle / carriage and move it.

Edited By Dave Halford on 31/10/2021 10:05:11

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Please don’t fall-out, chaps

As Bazyle has already indicated, this would generally be classed as an ‘Instrument Lathe’ or a ‘ToolRoom Lathe’ not a ‘Training Lathe’

Its operation is abundantly clear from the photographs : **LINK**

http://www.lathes.co.uk/smart-and-brown-model-L/

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 31/10/2021 10:15:13

Third line of your link "precision plain-turning lathe" and way too expensive for a training lathe.

Also there is only mention of a cross slide and top slide. I suppose because as nothing rides or is carried on it it's not a saddle nor a carriage.

Hi, these maybe of interest.

In these pages, they are called slides, i.e. one would slide the appropriate one in position along the bed and then locking it down before using which slide one is using, personally I don't think they are training lathes at all, as they quote toolroom or production shop. You may well have needed training on them, but I would expect that one would already have a skill in using a lathe.

Regards Nick.

P.S. There was  also four other models For Capstan Operation

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 31/10/2021 12:22:29

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Just to clarify a little, for anyone who is still struggling:

Assuming that we understand the distinction between ‘Economy’ and ‘Minimalist’

Training lathes, such as the ‘Loughborough’ are Economy versions of general purpose lathes … i.e. they omit some of the more costly components.

Instrument lathes [or the same by any other name] are Minimalist because they omit some unnecessary features and then make the design and engineering of what remains as near perfect as possible.

… For modern examples of this approach, we should probably be looking at Schaublin, and Levin.

… I don’t think Hardinge makes a modern Cataract

MichaelG.

It might be worth mentioning that the late model 'L' lathes use the readily available 5C collets rather than the hard to come by 2804 collets that the models M & A use. I have a 1977 model 'L'; a really good machine for small diameter work having a top spindle speed of somewhere around 3000 RPM. When I need screwcutting etc. I use one of my other lathes.

I would very much like one, it has the same spindle fitting as the Model A, for the earlier versions, but as Stueeeee mentions, only as a second machine.

Edited By old mart on 02/11/2021 14:43:57