The editor’s challenge in MEW285 to design a lathe of the future certainly got me thinking. I am lucky enough to own a Myford Super 7B lathe, a design that is considered by many to be the ideal model engineering lathe and one that has stood the test of time. But it is not without its shortcomings and since it was introduced in the 1950s, technology has moved on. Electronics and computing are now being widely adopted in the maker community with the advent of affordable 3D printers, laser cutters and the like. Many people have fitted CNC upgrades to their lathes and mills and are exploiting the possibilities of programmable microcontrollers such as the Arduino, which have broad application in machine control. Digital read-outs (DROs) are a commonly used machine tool upgrade.
In this slightly tongue-in-cheek piece, I have set out to propose a concept for a thoroughly modern model engineers’ lathe that takes full advantage of this new technology but retains the convenience and versatility of the Myford. My main aim is to provoke thought. I don’t claim to have any particular skill in machine design and certainly don’t have the knowledge to design the electronics in detail. But as someone who has spent countless hours operating my workshop machine tools, I know all about their best and worst features and which accessories are useful, so I hope my ideas are grounded in some sort of reality.
Please hold on tight as I attempt to reinvent the hobby lathe.
Why is the Myford so good? And bad?
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Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av Model Engineers' Workshop.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Readers' Workshops - Patrick Cubbon
Patrick Cubbon describes his workshops – a portable one from 1963 and the current accommodation
Desktop Gear Hobbing
Toby Kinsey has designed this fascinating piece of gearmaking equipment
The John Stevenson Trophy 2020
Many readers and forum members will remember John Stevenson, a contributor to MEW but best known for his larger-than life presence on the Model Engineer forum.
From the Archives: Twist drill Sharpening by the Four Facet Method
Giles Parkes, MEW Issue 64, February/March 2000
Dividing on the Warco 220 Lathe
Peter Shaw describes a mandrel dividing attachment for this popular lathe that can be adapted to fit many other benchtop machines
Choosing Steels
Stub Mandrel offers some advice on choosing the right steel for the job
A Storage Story
Robin King shares the lessons learned from his experience of workshop moves
A Simple Drill Grinding Aid
A newcomer to our hobby was having trouble sharpening drills, so Howard Lewis made a simple aid for him
Yet Another Bodge-Up!
Peter Shaw finds a use for some aged homebrew slot drills.
Workshop Press Tooling Part 2
Will Doggett makes a set of tooling for his press tool described starting in issue 285