Toyo ML1: any use?

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Guy Rixon
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Toyo ML1: any use?

Postby Guy Rixon » Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:11 am

There is a Toyo ML1 lathe currently for sale on eBay. Some commentary on the internet suggests that this is original design produced by Toyo to support their manufacture of cameras; i.e. it was designed to work, not to extract money from fools like me.

I have never had a lathe and was considering buying this one because it's both extremely cheap and (allegedly) in working order. Does anybody know if it might be useful for 4mm-scale work?

nigelcliffe
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Re: Toyo ML1: any use?

Postby nigelcliffe » Tue Sep 22, 2020 1:05 pm

Cheap often means "needs work", and looking at the Ebay listing its hard to determine the actual condition. Certainly not pristine, but amount of corrosion/wear is key to things. Tailstock looks worrying (the black around it), and can't determine if the dings and corrosion on the bed is critical or not.

This website is a good source of basic stuff on just about any lathe: http://www.lathes.co.uk/toyo/index.html
Note the comment about hassle of changing chucks - I'd find that fairly infuriating.

The 3-jaw fitted is a medium-ish quality scroll chuck. I have two for my Cowell's lathe of the same type. They won't be perfect at centering material (as with most three-jaw chucks), so you'll either be making a lot of split chucks to fit in the three-jaw, or changing it to something else.
One could probably fix a decent ER16 collet chuck to the machine and thus have decent accuracy.

Usefulness for 4mm stuff ? Fine for turning wheels (carefully), decorative stuff like chimneys/domes/whistles. Small bits and pieces. Probably too small for making larger tools - could be done, but will take ages.


- Nigel

andrewnummelin
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Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:43 am

Re: Toyo ML1: any use?

Postby andrewnummelin » Tue Sep 22, 2020 1:17 pm

Guy,
I’ve no personal experience with this but found the following link to be rather interesting:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/toyo/page3.html
The odd Morse taper suggests that finding accessories may prove to be a challenge.
At the current bid price it might be worth a gamble.
Regards,

Andrew Nummelin

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John Bateson
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Re: Toyo ML1: any use?

Postby John Bateson » Tue Sep 22, 2020 1:45 pm

I am by no means any sort of expert on a lathe but the picture on eBay sent a shudder through me. Certainly cheap for a machine apparently designed in the '50 but I would suggest the amount of work needed to get it anywhere useful would suggest avoiding this one.
It is also 'collect only' from Welwyn and no refunds.
You could always bid a starter for £10 and see if anyone bites. Or enter it into the BBC "Repair Shop" for a refresh!

My own machine is a Chesteruk Conquest. This is available in the USA and Europe under many disguises, just different paint jobs and different labels. Even Amazon has it under "Z ZELUS Metal Lathe 550W ". Prices any where between £400 and £600. Avoid the Draper one, that is the same machine but is £840. Also Warco and Clarke are the samem machine but over the top for price.

Best of luck with your search. I suspect others will join in here later.

John
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...

davebradwell
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Re: Toyo ML1: any use?

Postby davebradwell » Tue Sep 22, 2020 1:55 pm

It's very battered but it was a precision lathe once - comparison with a Boley really lifts it to potential star quality even if it can't claim "one careful owner". I have a similar situation with my precision lathe but we get by. Trouble is you might need another lathe in order to fit a new chuck or collets. Great advantage of a "precision lathe" in our application is usually surface finish. It's all fixable and almost all the work I do is small collet stuff. Hmmm!

DaveB

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Tim V
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Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:40 pm

Re: Toyo ML1: any use?

Postby Tim V » Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:12 pm

nigelcliffe wrote:Usefulness for 4mm stuff ? Fine for turning wheels (carefully), decorative stuff like chimneys/domes/whistles. Small bits and pieces. Probably too small for making larger tools - could be done, but will take ages.
- Nigel

There are no end of things that can be done, add split axles, precision milling of frame spacers, you will never regret buying a lathe.

Toyo used to be a good make. Unfortunately some lathes can be so abused that they are useless. I remember the lathes in metalwork classes at school would jump when presenting the tool, years of abuse by school boys ...

I bought my Unimat in 1989, haven't looked back. I have a Myford as well, but that is in the garage workshop ...
Tim V
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)

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Guy Rixon
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Re: Toyo ML1: any use?

Postby Guy Rixon » Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:51 pm

Thanks for all the advice. The opening bid is £100, which is worth a punt, and collection from Welwyn is OK for me (if Covid restrictions allow). I shall probably bid minimum on if if nobody else shows interest.


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