Small modeling lathe

Hi everyone just joined the site as I have a a small adept modelling lathe and was wondering what people would think about my chances of renevating it I would post a couple of picture but need help doing it sorry not very technical thanking in advance

Welcome Rob.

You've opened a can of worms asking about the Adept lathe lol.

Some love em, some loathe em, some refer to them as boat anchors.

I have two waiting to be renovated, not to use as I have much better machines in my main shop. But they look good in the house.

Regards mick

To keep the doors open or closed? Sorree, couldn’t resist.

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Information on the Adept lathes can be found on the lathes UK site.

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I know that everyone has their own thoughts, but having owned a Peatol (Taig) and now a Flexispeed, I have to confess that I find the Flexiespeed much better, more usable and easier to control than the Peatol. Admittedly, the Peatol was an earlier version, bought in the early 80s.

James.

How do You rate the WM180?

I am asking as I am trying to improve one with a much bigger spindle and VFD.

Am I wasting my very precious last years on a painted tart?

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Sounds interesting as my goal is to make the best performing lathe within the space cube of a WM180.

The changes are:

Solid base of Dolerite

Much stiffer spindle with less overhang

Stiffen up the headstock ,bed connection .Either Epoxycrete the bed or put a hefty brace of steel steel between Dolerite and headstock.

Your gearchange annoying will be avoided by having an electronic leadscrew .

The cross slide lack of stud holes are more difficult to remedy.

If and when I have it running,it will be tested like this:

Cutting M16 Unbrako 12.9 bolt

Do You know if there is a forum for WM180 lathes and will You be interested to try finding the limits of Your present WM180?

I can send some screws?I have a quarter bucket.

I have been using a WM180 for about 18 months. It replaced a Chinese mini-lathe as my 'house lathe' and is a much better machine. I have discovered that at least two other members of Epping Forest Horology Club also have WM180's and it does indeed offer the basis for a very inexpensive and useful clock makers lathe at about one third the price of a clapped out Swiss Schaublin which has less facility. It's yet another case of "horses for courses". I have a Colchester Master but the WM180 is ideal for late night use in a corner of my conservatory and raises no objections from the management!

To Niels question of whether he is wasting his time trying to improve his 180 I woud say that he is because when he 'falls off the perch' it will go straight in the skip as a piece of ruined junk. The WM180 is what it is,...either get busy maing stuff or get another, better, bigger lathe.

For me the WM180 would take a lot of beating...in fact there is no equal in it's class for what I require,..it comes with a couple of nice chucks, is resonably well designed (much better than mini-lathe) and performs well inside it's capability. The only issue for me is that I require some specific clock making kit which has to be made up, but I have just cut a clock fusee by turning the chuck by hand with cross slide screw removed and I delighted with how it went as it could not have been simpler and would have been impossible on a Swiss lathe without VERY expensive accessories

I'd be interested if there was a WM180 forum... I have the Chester DB7 which is essentially the same lathe.

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This bloke who does 'Ade's Workshop' on yutube uses a WM180 and has made a few improvements including his current project od electronic feed motor;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG5fES1vGnY

The lack of cross slide slots was teh one thing that made me pause for thought before aquiring the 180 and I will admit that i considered an old myford,...however, I wanted to make clocks not refurbish clapped out lathes.

Adept lathes are very old fashioned and very basic, especially if it's the fixed-slide Adept rather than the Super Adept.

If you have one with little wear and well set up, it will happily work metal within its capacity but it will always be harder work than using a more modern machine.

Neil

My own adept, much modified and still waiting for me to finish the tumbler reverse, add a screwcutting clutch and put it on a base board...

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 08/07/2019 14:36:04