Buying a lathe

The lathe spindle is driven by the motor via a belt.

The shaft is geared to the spindle using gears; this is for screwcutting and power feed.

So you can believe both!

Neil or Ketan should be able to confirm but I think the SC4 belt drives the lay shaft below the spindle and then via a single gear upto the spindle as can be seen here gear is inside the head

The SX2.7 mil definately goes straight from motor to spindle and is very quiet.

Edited By JasonB on 14/07/2018 19:14:05

The belt drives a layshaft via a hefty internal (metal) gear pair that can be used to disengage the spindle (intended for use with a milling accessory not currently available in the UK, this also allows power feed to be used independently of spindle rotation and a few esoteric things like helping balance faceplate work).

In the original version these gears were a bit noisy, I can attest that isn't the case with new machines.

Neil

Hello Neil and Jason

Thank You for answering.

Looks to complicated to me.

When I propose how British Steam locomotives should have been made 50 years ago I am not aprecciated on certain fora.

Proposing how SIEG shall make next 100 kg lathe for me to buy it, hopefully do not offend readers here.

Spindle nose to take ER 50 collets directly and spindle hole 36mm.Face- and back plates can be screwed on the ER thread M64 1.5.

Electric DC motor directly on spindle like model aircraft engines.Aussenlaufer in german.

Rotary encoder on spindle

Electric stepper motors with manual overide on leadscrew and crosslide.

Gifted chineese make and sell radio-controlled helikopters for 20£ so this future scheme is not at all impossible.

And cheaper than 900£ I payed for a Boxford AUD 10 .

Will the Boxford I linked on the first page meet your needs?

Here's a picture of mine, I defy anyone to find this much lathe secondhand, in this condition, for £2,200

Edited By David Standing 1 on 17/07/2018 21:57:09

A secondhand machine in good condition will save you money compared to the same machine new.

One in poor condition will be a major source of disappointment, frustration not to mention being a drain on your wallet and time.

I had a ML7 but one reason for getting rid was that the 2MT spindle, was too restrictive, since very little over 13mm would pass through the mandrel.

Later 7 Series have 4MT spindle, so will pass upto 29mm.. But may not have power cross feed, and will be costly compared some of the new machines from the Far east.

Was in Arc Euro Trade today, and whilst waiting, took a quick look at a Seig SC4. Looks to be a tiny bit shorter between centres than a Myford 7 (About 25mm if that is vital). Mandrel is 3 MT so will accept upto about 20mm at a guess. Will be about a quarter of the cost of an equivalent 7 Series. Take a look at the spec.

Am merely a satisfied customer of Arc Euro Trade. Ketan and his staff have always been very fair in their dealings, and not just with me. (He gave a lot of support to someone who had major problems, with a lathe that had not been bought from him). Hence I can recommend dealing with them, if they have what you want.

Similar, and larger, lathes are available from Warco, Chester and Axminster, in U K.

If in doubt, buy a machine a little larger than you think; your horizons will expand.

For the past 15 years, my lathe has been a Far Eastern product, with a hardened bed, 5MT mandrel, and came complete with a Norton gearbox, steadies and 3 and 4 jaw chucks. Like the Warco BH600, and Chester Craftsman, of which it is a clone, they will have been superceded by gear rather than belt driven siblings.

Choose carefully, and then enjoy yourself!

Howard

For the sake of accuracy (pardon pun), the big bore Super 7 and 254 Myfords are 26mm through the spindle, not 29mm.