A better lathe ....

It's often said that the lathe is the only tool that can reproduce itself and I suppose, with the help of a guiding human hand, it can.

So, it should be possible to buy a cheap lathe, use this to make a better one then that to make an even better one - ad infinitum.

Who’s done this?

Roger

Probably this guy,

Nicely done, Paul

... That sums it up perfectly.

MichaelG.

Henry Maudslay.

JA

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Strictly speaking ... no-one

ad infinitum can, by definintion, never be 'done'.

MichaelG.

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Please Sir: Can I have the 'Pedant of the Day' Award ?

Lest this descend further into jest, I am giving consideration to repeating the 1940's ME competition to design the 'perfect' hobby engineers' lathe.

I need to identify a suitable prize, and then decide on some rules. I will limit centre hight and set requirements for supplying a GA and a fixed maximum number of words.

Neil

Morning Neil...

Lest this descend further into jest, I am giving consideration to repeating the 1940's ME competition to design the 'perfect' hobby engineers' lathe.

That's were the ML7 came from then

Phil H

They made the best hobby lathe ever back in the 1940s IMO

A cantilever bed so you could bolt it to a fairy cake, a leadscrew clutch to make screwcutting a doddle and solid headstock bearings which last forever, ...oh and I nearly forgot, no electronics

Drummond/Myford M series

Just redid my 70 year old headstock bearings yesterday

My definition of a hobby lathe is one you can carry up a flight of stairs to the first floor on your own without being Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Excellent idea, Neil

... 'though I am slightly put-out by your opening phrase.

Do be meticulous with the drafting of the Rules.

MichaelG.

Hi Ady1,

I would agree that the lack of electronics is a good thing IMO with less to go (expensively) wrong. Similar to modern cars which become uneconomical to repair (electronically) long before the full embedded value can be realised.

Regards

Phi H

In America they manufactured the Southbend lathe which was also built in Australia as a Hercus. It was the lathe issued to the Army workshops in WW2 and was used in schools to teach metalwork.

Paul.

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Clapped out Sooper Adapt ??

Never had to get rid of a car due to the electronics needing repair. Mostly it's due to prangs, emissions and MOT failures these days. What make are you talking about?

If a lack of electronics is so necessary I dare say it would need to be treadle operated to ensure complete freedom from the nasty electronics and computers etc. Replies on a post card please headed "An Ideal Lathe circa 1940".

Alan

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... and presumably; no PaceMaker permitted for the Operator.

MichaelG.

Muzzer, It was a small french car (still in production) where a electronic dashboard repair (the odometer was faulty) required to get it through the MOT was more than the value of the car. Otherwise, it was sill good for its shopping trolley job.

So in effect, the electronic failure fits into your category of MOT failure.

Regards

Phil H

Here is my ideal lathe - Wish I could get my hands on one, a fascinating machine. **LINK**

* Danny M *

The dream of my sleepless nights:

Hommel UWG with a complete set of accessories.

**LINK**

Regards,

HnasR.

Hi all, Just to flip back to the begining, about building a lathe to make a better lathe, the answer to the "who's done this" question is Henry Maudsley, who built the first screw cutting lathe with a hand cut leadscrew thread, and immediatley used it to cut a better lead screw thread, which was then fitted to the lathe, and the process repeated.

Phil

It's pretty well documented that Leonardo da Vinci designed a screwcutting lathe with changewheels and a leadscrew.

Neil