Is an old lathe worth bothering with ?

i have been offered a loverly old flat leather belt driven small metal lathe, the quality is superb, but could this be used as a basis for building a good machine that would beat a Chinese mini lathe ?

I'm thinking put a variable speed motor on it, a toothed belt drive,and new bearing, metric lead screw ect, has this been done before ?

Yes the Chinese have done it tens of thousands of times.

Hi Richard,

If the lathe is in good condition, go for it . The addition of a variable speed drive would be an advantage.

I have restored an old American 9" Southbend lathe which was also built in Australia under the name of Hercus. It still has a flat belt drive which will be replaced by vee belts one day. (refer to my photo folder).

I am still learning how to use it properly and the flat belts slip if I take too deep of a cut and act as a safety clutch. My only regret when restoring it is that I should have used a harder, tougher paint. Some of the paint is already showing some wear from constant use.

Paul.

HI Richard
In a word yes. I get satisfaction restoring old machines . I'm restoring a 1926 2&1/2" exe lathe and its's brilliant and accurate .
Nobby

"but could this be used as a basis for building a good machine that would beat a Chinese mini lathe ?" it may already be a good machine that would beat a mini lathe...

depends on its condition, and whether what is wrong can be easily fixed. My 1915 drummond B type is fine...

-russ

My lathe is a 7" centreheight Drummond bearing the date 1928 it has a flat belt and I am sure that I can make anything on it quickly.It has been heavily used through the 45 years that I've owned it and what wear it has is not a problem. It is skill that produces fine results in our hobby not a brand new machine as we are not usually concerned about repetitive accuracy set against a time limit. Patience is the secret to success. I also have an amazingly accurate flat belt Excel plain lathe of unknown age that I moslly use with collets .I have no wish whatsoever to replace them with new machines.    Colin

Edited By colin hawes on 12/02/2013 12:13:01

It's just the quality on those Chinese mini lathes make me feel all queesy, i was an apprentice at one of the most exclusive London gunmakers, that quality control has kind of stayed with me.

I had an idea those old lathes might be unable to acheive modern tolerances.

Still i guess you do get what you pay for.

My first lathe was a very old one (think Noah had it on the ark) it did it's job fairly well after some fetteling.

Mark P

We lived in a tenament flat in Glasgow fortunately the old lady downstairs was stone deaf so dad got away with it. Could we have a pic of the lathe please..

Hi Richard,

I started out with my Great Grandfather's 1914 B Type Drummond and, while rebuilding it, ended up with 8 working lathes, all Drummonds bar a M****d S7. I have a 1948 Drummond M Type on loan to the engineers at work (an animal feed mill) and they are over the moon with it. Accuracy is no problem as I have kept the best lathes that I bought for spares.

It all depends on what you want, how much you want to pay, and how long you want it to last you.

Personally, I like the pulley system because I have to remember just 6 or 12 speeds, not everything from nothing to infinity and beyond. I also like screwcutting with changewheels because it is fixed once set up and not liable to vary because I knock some dial and don't notice.

The other thing; the 1914 B and a 1927 M type longbed are both treadle driven so I can keep playing when armageddon strikes and the electric goes off,..

Up to you

Andy

Richard,

I imagine if you want a true 'precision lathe' that the work involved and the potential end result would be similar starting with either an old door or a chinese lathe.

Neil

This question has been asked and answered a million times. Old iron from the West or new iron from China. The answer, in this case, and as always, is the same - define your description "lovely" and "the quality is superb". Does this mean a nice paint job or that the ways are unworn and the spindle has no backlash. If the answer is the former then there is no difference. If the answer is the latter then (subject to a photo review) buy, buy, buy.

Phil

I just finished tidying up my father's 1939 Drummond M-type and it does a superb job. Cuts exacty to size and does a beautiful job - once the headstock bearings were correctly adjusted. And modern flat belt materials grip heaps better than the old leather jobs.

It spent most of its life as a hobby lathe with only occasional use to make motorbike parts etc when needed, after starting life in a UK aircraft factory during the war. So has given good service yet the ways etc are little worn. The brass halfnut is the only thing I shall have to replace eventually.

By comparison, my brother bought a $1200 Chinese lathe and curses it every time he uses it. Reckons it cuts right on size one cut, way undersize the next cut way oversize the next etc.

Of the two, I would take the Drummond any day.

The old stuff was "made to last a lifetime" which was one of the reasons some places went bust

There are still a load of ancient singer sewing machines on fleabay which can be had for thirty notes

"Of the two, I would take the Drummond any day"

I'm an M series owner too