New lathe owner from south west wales

[Ben PhilpottParticipant @benphilpott74496]

[Ben PhilpottParticipant @benphilpott74496]

Hi, I come from pembrokeshire in Wales, I just bought a barker lathe last night, really struggling to find any info on it. I use a lathe in work daily so it’s not a learning curve to me, I use a warco 250, piece of Chinese poo. But got this barker for myself as I spent all of my free time building bikes and restoring old tractors, getting into cars slowly too. So this will find its place in doing some work for me no doubt

Regards Ben

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

Ben,

Have a look at this site. **LINK**

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Looks substantial. Able but cumbersome.

It looks to be conservatively powered and might benefit from a larger 3 ph motor with VFD speed control? The bottom power feed, to the lead screw, might be a source of oil loss?

But, if accurate, another great british machine that could last into the next century (unlike that chinese poo!). New bed bars could possibly be available from a hydraulic cylinder builder if needed.

I like it! Enjoy!

[Ben PhilpottParticipant @benphilpott74496]

Thankyou who ever you are ‘not done it yet’ is that a common place for them to lose oil on the lead screw? Also what is this 3hp motor with vfd speed control that you say? I need to convert from 3 phase to single phase so maybe this might be a option!
When I figure out how to post pictures I shall post one of a area where a lever is supposed to be, I don’t have it and I don know what it would have done so I’d like to find out

Regards Ben

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

The comment re possible oil loss was because the power-out shaft is vertically downwards. They may have some superb oil seal arrangement, but oil running downwards is so much more difficult to control. I, for one, would never buy an engine with vertical crankshaft, if avoidable (think here lawn mowers in particular).

I most certainly did not mention 3 HP!! It might be robust enough for a 1HP motor but a 0.75 HP would likely make it much more responsive without overloading the mechanicals. I would most certainly not fit a 3 HP motor to that machine – far, far too powerful.

Fitting a VFD for 415V is more expensive than fitting one for 230V three phase operation from a single phase supply. Changing the motor to a (slightly) larger motor which can be run from a VFD might kill two birds with one stone – better power, and speed control.

Many machines of that era were uprated in power, at a later date, by the manufacturers. Both my lathe and milling machine were originally fitted with lower power motors but the later iterants, using the same basic mechanicals, were fitted with higher power motors. One went from 1/2 HP to (eventiually) 1 HP and the other from 3/4 HP to 1 HP.

RAB

[Author]

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