Hello from the Waveney Valley

[AndyB]

Good evening to you all.

I am Andy (obviously), someone with a lot of ideas and projects, a lot of book learning but not a lot of practice.
I collect small Drummond lathes...I have had to say "enough" at 10! It's a long story and I will say I never meant to get so many...but you know how it is...
I am self-taught with a lot of help from my friends and people on these fora (I was an English teacher for a while...though the word and its plural are Latin) many of whom are on this forum. I live not far from Ramon Wilson who encouraged me to ask to join.
I am into steam in all forms and have an interest in anything mechanical. I am just finishing a narrow gauge garden railway in 16mm scale; at least, I am finishing the groundworks for the model railway, I have to make the locos and rolling stock.
I am a volunteer at Forncett Steam Musuem near Long Stratton in Norfolk and I believe there is a photo of me on here demonstrating a Victorian lineshaft workshop that we have, run by a 15NHP Marshall engine...yes, that's me.
I have a weird sense of humour, typically East Anglian dry, so please remember that when reading anything I might say. I promise to use smileys to give you a clue (I have been misunderstood many times but I will say nothing rather than get involved in a written argument).

Any old road up as they say, thank you for accepting me and I hope to live up to expectations.

Andy

[b.lindsey]

Welcome Andy and thanks for posting the introduction. I feel sure you will enjoy the forum and hopefully find both ideas and inspiration here as well as help if and when needed. We are glad to have you join.

Bill

[Kim]

Hi Andy,
Welcome to MEM!
Kim

[ths]

Hi Andy, welcome to the forum. A limit of ten? Surely there are Drummonds queuing to join the club. Open the doors!

Cheers, Hugh.

[vcutajar]

Hi Andy and welcome to the group.

Vince

[Don1966]

Hi Andy and welcome to the group!

 
Don

[Dave Otto]

Hi Andy

Welcome aboard!

Dave

[fumopuc]

Hi Andy, welcome to MEM. A good  place with a lot of ideas and Inspiration.

[Ramon Wilson]

Good to see you here Andy - I know you will enjoy it  It's a great place to share and be inspired by so you might be back on the Rider Erikson sooner than you thought

 'Jest yu kep ona troshin' bor' (Suffolk speak for those not in the know )

 

Ramon

[Jo]

  Andy

Only 10 Lathes  Sounds like they could do with some friends.

Jo

[Edward]

Welcome.

As the owner of only two Drummond lathes I feel a bit inadequate:)

[AndyB]

Thank you all for your welcome.

I do apologise, I have 9 Drummonds not 10, I forgot, I sold one to another of the Forncett volunteers.
I hope that makes you feel a little better Edward.
I have so little space that I have lent one to the engineers at work...comes in handy for offcuts and bits and pieces...

I told you that it is a long story. Basically, my father gave me his grandfather's 1914 B Type that was in a VERY sorry condition about 30 years ago. I tried to get a couple of people to rebuild it for me but it didn't happen. Then along came the internet and eBay. I reasoned that it was cheaper to buy a whole lathe for the parts I needed, but each time I found that I had a machine in really good condition and could not bear to split it. So, I would get another...

I ended up with: my great grandfather's 1914 B, complete with treadle, a long bed B also of 1914 (according to the serial number on Tony Griffith's site Lathes.co.uk) which everybody tells me does not exist...well I can't let that one go can I! A 1921 Roundbed, a 1927 long bed M complete with treadle, a 1948 M, a 1947 M, and a 1948 long bed M, (yes I know they are Myfords), a Little Goliath (the same size as an Adept lathe) and a 1907 pre B type complete with treadle. I thought that I ought to have something for when the power goes...
The 1948 M has got the original owner's plates all over it...de Havilland...well I can't let that go either can I!
I also have a Super 7 and a Super Adept 

Just for your delectation...The Three Amigos. Incidentally, if you have never tried it, one legged jogging machines are HARD WORK!!!


Andy

[Edward]

Wow, Drummond porn!

Mine are a 1907 pre-B flatbed, currently stored but kept as used to be my Grandads and is what I learnt on, and a 1915-ish Mk2 B.S., the admiralty pattern one with power cross feed etc.

[Ian S C]

Some people got round the one leg stuff either by putting a rail at sitting height behind the operator, so he could sit, and use both feet.  Or like the Barns Vellocipede Lathe was fitted with an iron seat (like an old tractor), so you could sit and treadle in comfort.
                                                 Ian S C

[IanR]

I've read a claim that it's easier if you raise the floor in front of the lathe (pallet or similar) to the height of the treadle at it's lowest point, so your working leg straightens out each rev. My Drummonds, 2 early Roundbeds and a 1945 longbed M, have electric motors,  so I haven't tried it myself.

[AndyB]

A BS Edward? Now I feel inadequate!!!!

Actually, IanR, the way I heard it, you get the apprentice to treadle while you do the work. Isn't that what grandchildren are for? Everyone says that children don't get enough excercise nowadays. We can soon change that, and solve the energy crisis at the same time!

Andy

[Edward]

I didn't set out to find a B.S., I was lucky, my granddad bought it for me as a 16th birthday present (25 years ago now!)

The 1907 flatbed was his, he taught me on that and got me first a super-adept, then replaced with a Simat 101 which I wish I had kept, and then the B.S. as for some things the Simat just wasn't big enough!

No idea where he got it from. I wish I knew a bit more of its history to be honest.