Welcome, Keith, you will be amongst a huge number of steam experts. As for Vevor, you should put the name in the search box and read all the comments before committing yourself. I have just bought a Vevor 160mm lathe chuck for a very low price on ebay and initial examination suggests it is excellent value for money. You could start a thread asking advice on milling attachments for your model lathe, that will get the answers you want. If you have the room and funds, a mill would be a much better way to go.

The bench drill is likely to have a lot of rattle in the quill unless an old British made one in good condition and the table perhaps a bit flimsy unless you are only working on say up to gauge 3.

Unless you have a drawbar (unusual on a drilling machine) I think the chuck is likely to continually work loose if you try milling rather than coordinate driling

Welcome!

Find a local model engineering society and join..

There you will, meet like minded folk who can help with face to face advice, and demonstrations,

Also, what you see will inspire you, but don't think that you should start building an A4 as a first job.

Read up in books on lathe operation. (Sparey, Bray, Bradley, Clark, Fenner, Wyatt have all written books that will help. (Setting up, tool grinding etc You'll need a bench grinder if you have not already got one.)

Learn by making simple accessories, ( Centre Height Gauge, Tap wrench, Die Holder(s ) . Even better if you make Sliding Die and Tap holders, may save you some grief later on ).

A Mandrel Handle can also be a help for cutting a thread up to a shoulder.&nbsp

Currently, I am helping a newbie with his first lathe, to make accessories. He is gaining experience, and confidence, which he will put to use when he feels able to take on more complicated projects.

DON'T use a drilling machine for milling, even with a cross table. By all means use it to drill holes to co ordinates, but not for milling…

The drill chuck and the spindle are meant for axial loads, not the intermittent lateral loads imposed by milling.

In any case a drilling spindle is unlikely ,to be as accurately located as ma milling spindle.

If possible, only use a lathe to mill, for light work.Maybe I was heavy handed, but a Rodney milling attachment shook my Myford ML7. So I bought a Mill!

Milling, unlike turning, is an interrupted cut so involves a lot of impacts, and hobby machine are not heavily built like industrial ones. And as you know, industry uses heavily built Mills for such work.

HTH

Howard

Hi Keith, your name sounds familiar??….I used to live on the Wirral and was a member of the WRCFS (model flying club) for a number of years. We have since moved to Tarporley. Being self employed, 2 children and a house move has taken its toll on the model flying but my model engineering still lives on as its easier to escape to the bottom of the garden than the flying field!

My father is a member of the Wirral Model Engineering Society if you need any contacts then please let me know but they have a good website and Facebook page and active most weekends on the ground level track.

Mike

Hi Keith.

I agree on joining ME society. There's a lot on benefits that comes with it and the most important is the chance to meet people that share a same interests and are happy to share their knowledge.

If you wish to contact WMES, club doesn't have a website anymore but some info and contact details can be found on Facebook page Wmes facebook.

You're welcome to come round to a meeting at WI hall in Thornton Hough, these are on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7.30pm.

Tom