Hello from Dumfries

Hello
My name is William, i live in Dumfries South Scotland
My wife & I setup a small business making small and large custom scale models
We not only use 3D printers to make custom parts which we design ourselves in house, but also have a small workshop which we hope to invest in so we are able to machine parts in house.
I currently have a Myford ML1 which i use for small parts, but am looking to expand the workshop and get a Mill, maybe another larger lathe and some more metal working equipment.
Hopefully before the year is out i will also have a small sheet CNC machine for styrene and Aluminium to further expand our operations.
It has been a long time since i have done alot of machining, so am excited to get back into it.
This forum looks like the perfect place to become involved
Will

Hi Will,

Welcome to the forum, I haven't expanded to 3D printing or CNC yet.

Thor

Welcome!

Plenty of good company and advice on almost any subject available, should you need it..

Like Thor, I do not use 3D printing or CNC, but they have their uses, where handle twirlers like me cannot compete.

FWIW, when you buy a lathe,you have already found a need for something larger, so the advice still stands, but go for something a bit larger than you think you will need.

Your choice will depend on more than one factor, budget, space etc But you can do quite small work in quite a large lathe.

As a generalisation, alrger lathe will be more rigid and have more features. (Power feeds vare nice to have, especially Cross Feed ) to improve finish Changing to a different thread pitch is quicker with a gearbox, but absolutely vital, than altering bthe changewheel setb up. (And avoids much of the calculation needed that may be needed.. Although therv are usually tables available for many threadfs and lathe arrangements.

What works for a Myford ML7 with a 8 tpi leadscrew will work equally well on a different machine, with a 8 tpi leadscrew, if suitable gears are available..

VFD is nice and easier than changing belts, but a "nice to have" rather than an absolute necessity.

Belt drives tend to be quieter than gear head machine, but yo soon become accustomed to the various featires of the machine that you are operating..

No doubt you will soon become accustomed to handwheel operation on a newer machine to move the Saddle, compared to the less intuitive of the ML1. Just be careful when changing between machines!

Howard.

Welcome to the party, there is a vast font of knowledge here to tap into. Just ask ! Noel.