In my case, it’s unfortunately a case of broad ignorance of what’s available in the UK. But I knew I saw those Myfords. They have been so popular for so long, with tons of projects for them to add capability being published as well, it seemed a reasonable suggestion for a dude getting ready to chop up a mortising machine. The OP is clearly ready to get started. And working from proven plans is such a blessing.
I think I owe you (and anybody reading this thread) an apology here. I've re-read my posts and they could easily be read as criticising your suggestion. That really wasn't my intention.
There's a reason that the benchtop Myfords
are so popular, and from everything I've read and from what a colleague of mine who used to work for a UK magazine that dealt with machine tooling tells me, it's because they are solid, really beautifully made machines. The small bore on the spindle might be a concern for some but other than that they're perfect for a hobbyist.
I suppose what I
was trying to express, was my general impression is that they tend to be overpriced, compared to other, less promoted machines.
However, impressions can be deceiving. I suspect a lot of people (like I previously did!) take a look on eBay, see the £3000 - £4000 for a Super 7 and think, "blimey!"
However, being more sensible, and looking at the
sold listings, there's quite a wide range of
sold prices for Super 7's from £700 up to £1800.
On the other,
other hand, going by what lathes.co.uk say, it seems that something like the Harrison M250 is about as perfect a lathe for a hobbyist one could want, and when
they come up on eBay, they seem to sell for around £1700. It's likely that, given their intended use, an M250 will have had no more of a hard life than any given Super 7.
One advantage with the Myford is that it's probably more likely to come with a fair haul of tooling and accessories, so that £1800 or so one might be paying, could well be better value. Oh, and they are lovely looking lathes.
Looks-wise, Myford lathes are the Spitfire to Harrison's...oh I don't know...Apache AH64? Both attractive in their own way I guess though (I've always loved the AH64 with it's sexy-ugly purposeful design and whilst this is a heretical view for an Englishman to express, I always preferred the Hurricane or the Mosquito over the Spitfire
).
Every time I see one on eBay or FBM, though, and think "Dear God that's a nice looking lathe", I just start to think about that spindle bore. Barely over 1/2". For small model engineering that's perfectly adequate but I have a feeling that small bore
could be a constraining factor. There was a Super 7 plus that was 1" bore but I don't think I've seen one for sale on eBay in the last year or so. Eh, maybe half an inch bore is adequate for what most hobbyists will be doing and I'm being daft!
Anyway, to sum up, I'd have to agree with you that a Myford is almost certainly a good choice (and probably a lot easier to get back to and into a UK sized garage than a Harrison M250).
