07-02-2021, 05:14 PM
Hi, you've read the stuff I written about Raglan lathes: http://www.lathes.co.uk/raglan so you should have a good idea about what the machine can do and its specification. In their day they were an expensive item and, if still not too worn, made an ideal lathe for the amateur's workshop - not too large, not too small. The known weak points are covered in the text and the three models easy to recognise - most common being the Mk.2 Little John with its distinctive, flat-topped headstock cover with bevelled sides; the next version the "Five-inch" has a number of improvements and one of those is well worth seeking out.
Contrary to popular opinion, Myford did not buy them out to stop production - the lathe was in a different class to what they were making - but talking to the then Myford Works manager, Malcolm Townsend, he explained that when they went in to see if they could make a go it, it was clear that it would be an uphill struggle. However, they did persist for a while and the majority of those made under Myford's ownership can be recognised by the motor fastened to the back of the stand and driving up to a dummy shaft where it originally resided. This allowed, instead of the non-standard motor used before, to be replaced by almost anything in the way of an off-the-shelf unit. A number, Malcome recalls about twenty, were built up to the standard specification, but these nearly all had the same rather fine chemically-blacked fastenings used on the Myford. In the end, the whole venture was loss-making one and they were forced to give up.
Contrary to popular opinion, Myford did not buy them out to stop production - the lathe was in a different class to what they were making - but talking to the then Myford Works manager, Malcolm Townsend, he explained that when they went in to see if they could make a go it, it was clear that it would be an uphill struggle. However, they did persist for a while and the majority of those made under Myford's ownership can be recognised by the motor fastened to the back of the stand and driving up to a dummy shaft where it originally resided. This allowed, instead of the non-standard motor used before, to be replaced by almost anything in the way of an off-the-shelf unit. A number, Malcome recalls about twenty, were built up to the standard specification, but these nearly all had the same rather fine chemically-blacked fastenings used on the Myford. In the end, the whole venture was loss-making one and they were forced to give up.