WARCO WM180 Lathe

[@edm9527]

G'day Ade, I'm in Oz and just bought my first Lathe, an Optimum TU 2004V that appears to be the same lathe with a different name. I'm new to this game but now I have watched a few of your videos, I have learned SO much, thank you very much for the effort you have put into these fun, easy to watch, well explained videos, please please keep them coming. Now trying to find some 21mm steel stock to make a handle to manually wind the chuck for thread cutting !

[@andrewthick185]

Dear Ade,Have watched lots of your videos,I'm an ex time served Miller/machinist and have just bought the WM180 with DRO,dandy little thing, so will see if the compound slide issue with travel can be overcome and the access to the gibs.Keep up the good work.It's nice to see so many enjoying your delivery and skills.

[@ActiveAtom]

I often like to visit a persons first video then start watching their latest ones and your channel seems really nice so I am happy to be here. Like a quick change tool post they are a saver. To bad to hear about the tool post and for us no tools are made of aluminium that go in around our shop. To us aluminum is for cutting not measuring.

[@ade63dug]

Oh dear my first video , i did have a lot to learn about filming , if i remember i was stood in the shadows . getting much better and got better camera's now , Cheers Ade.

[@racediagnostics]

Hi Ade, just got a Warco WM240 and am a total novice, I'm looking forward to working my way through all your videos, thanks for posting.

[@terryuren9170]

HI Ades how do you stop machine lathe and MILLING MACHINE going rusty in your shed thank you terry

[@ade63dug]

Hi Terry. I have an old type oil filled radiator in the shed . I leave it on 24/7 in the cold months on minimum and the problem went away . It is probably £5 a week in electric but worth it . Cheers Ade.

[@davidmcinnes317]

Hi Ade,been going through your back library of videos and I noticed your lathe milling attachment on your first videos.As I plan to do a bit of milling in the future,did you make or buy the plate for the cross slide that the vertical slide sits on?If you made it do you have dimensions for it,or is there a ready made out there to buy.Been sitting in lockdown for 2 weeks now and I need some machine time to wake me up.I too have the 180 purchased at the same time as you,probably the same lot as it was out of stock for a while. Keep safe and keep the videos coming as we all have plenty of spare time.

[@ade63dug]

Yes i made the plate . i do show it and its dimensions . keep searching my old vids and i am sure you will find it . i cant remember, lol. the slide was from rdg tools and i fitted my own vise to it and the plate to fasten to the cross slide. Cheers Ade.

[@davidmcinnes317]

@@ade63dug I think I just found it,thanks.Just need to find a suitable plate now as my local scrapyard is closed and I have a small slide I can use.Only milling ali bar so it should be plenty rigid enough for me.I'm trying this as the cost of a new machine seems a bit too much right now,keeping an eye out for a good second hand one. Thanks again,David

[@stephentayler1414]

Hi Ade . I Just subscribed you your channel. I have had a couple of mini lathe One with a 3" spindle and one with a 4" Spindle Neither was Warco though and basically the 3" spindle lathe was better built than my 4" spindle lathe. But my mini lathes, etc. do not stay standard for long and soon have the necessary improvement made to them. I have to say I bought one of the Aluminum alloy tool-posts you mention. And it was OK, but was, perhaps easily abused is probably the best way to describe them. But it did serve as a template to build my own steel tool-post to a very similar design. Much as you built yours. Though I have the advantage that I had a mini Mill. The resulting Steel tool-holder though is a whole new ball game and everything seems much more sturdy and substantial and inspires much more confidence, Re the DRO I am with you on that and the gibs are inaccessible as they are. I don't have the carriage lock where you do though. What I did was replace the screws with Allen screws with a spring behind the bolt head. This just makes them easier to adjust and to be fair since I have done this they haven't required much attention. I like your Chanel and look forward so seeing more of your videos as you post them

[@terryuren9170]

Hi Ades the WARCO WM180 Lathe how did you get the lathe in the shed ???

[@ade63dug]

I carried it . it was a struggle . Cheers Ade.

[@russellsprout2223]

Hi Ade, as a time-served engineer of repute, why didn't you plump for a proper lathe, like a Myford? Keep up the great work. Atb.

[@ade63dug]

I do agree that a Myford would have been great but I simply did not have the room for one . Cheers Ade.

[@tombeattie7382]

Hi Ade, does the compound slide have a protracter scale for setting angles ? Cant see from the close up's. Many thanks.

[@ade63dug]

yes, engraved into an insert in the cross slide , not that good though , Cheers Ade.

[@rc166honda]

Thoroughly enjoyed the video very informative, I have been thinking of buying one of their lathes for a while. I think you need a bit of extra lighting, looking forward to your future projects. Thanks for your efforts, regards Jim

[@tinkermouse-scottrussell3738]

Thanks Ade, this one truly helped me out thank you for taking the time to put this one together. Play Safe From Elliot Lake Ontario Canada.

[@ade63dug]

Lived in BC as a youngster , Cheers Scott .

[@ianlainchbury]

Hi Ade. I just got my 180. The carriage lock bolt, I know you said 12mm spanner, and in the book, it says that allen head bolt is M8x25. Do you know what length hex head you used... maybe M8x35? I'm assuming you made a sleeve to drop in? Really looking forward to using this lathe now, and will be referencing your videos even more now. :)

[@ade63dug]

it is just an m8 x30mm bolt with a washer , it does not need much force to lock it , i have just finished making a proper one with a handle and i will now make it the next video i put up , probably tomorrow now that you have asked , glad to help and good luck with the new lathe , Cheers Ade.

[@ianlainchbury]

@@ade63dug Yer a star! Many thanks!

[@adamj91]

Hi Ade. I got back to this video, because recently I got a new lathe with similar DRO, and was wondering if you can confirm, that yours behave in the same way. Looks like it is, but you didn't mentioned anything about this here. On the last digit in metric mode (0.01 on mm) I'm seeing only: 0, 2, 5, 7. On imperial, all digits are there. Looks like scale might be imperial, and it approximates metric dimensions. Digital counters generally truncate the digits that are not visible, so if it actually counts in 0.001", the possible metric values will be: 0.0254, 0.0508. 0.0762 and that corresponds to my readings. Does yours work the same? It's rather strange, that metric Chinese industry would produce something like this, so I will be checking the signal from those scales with oscilloscope to understand it better and confirm the resolution. I hope the issue is only with the readout, and maybe it could be replaced with better unit. I will let you know if that will work out, because it could be a big win. Those scales are much smaller than glass, and I would like to keep them. On the other hand, that resolution is worse than lines on the dial, so I need to do something about this :) Thanks for all your videos - they are fun to watch Adam

[@adamj91]

It's probably a 0.025mm resolution, and it produces standard quadrature signal with TTL levels. I will be going with connecting it to proper DRO readout then and I will see what happens. Need to order one first.

[@kerrythetruth5091]

My 180 will be here next week. Yes

[@ripmax333]

Hi, i apologise in advance as i need to ask you some questions and I’m a total beginner at lathes, so i think probably they are stupid queations . I’m considering to a Warco lathe possibly a 240 or maybe a 250, first question is , what exactly the DRO does ? And between a Warco with a variable speed and one with a belt driven one, apart that the belt one is cheaper , are there maybe some other advantages to consider a belt driven one? The power feed system, once engaged does it stops by it self once reached the desired measerment? Thanks

[@malcolmturton9779]

Hi Ade, Very useful video, just subscribed and I don't even have a lathe yet, just trying to decide what to buy, the 180 is beyond budget so need to go for either a new chinese one or preferably a used Warco/Chester/Unimat/Hobbymat etc. there have been a couple of Hobbymats complete with milling head on ebay just lately but with this virus thing i'm loath to travel to collect. I'll just keep watching your's and others vid's for now. Anyway i'm rambling, thanks very much for your useful info. Mal

[@regishassal3073]

Hi, I like the DRO unit you have it seems simple and handy, doing the job I have a Holzmann ED400FD and Holzmann tells me that not possible to install a DRO on my model ?? Weird since all those machines are pretty much coming from the same factory and are all very similar in design. Not possible not being in my vocabulary I would like to try to source an identical unit to yours if you don’t mind to give a model, manufacturer or type? Any data plate on the unit maybe? Thanks in advance, Cheers !

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

I so agree with you with regard to the QCTP. The design is very poor. I also was disappointed in the lack of repeatability and decided to ditch it in favour of another design. Looking forward to trying it out once the weather warms up.

[@denniswilliams8747]

I am in the US. I bought the indian made quick change TP. Very unsatisfactory I agree. After using it a bit I discarded it to the scrap bin. I bought a wedge type from Little Machine Shop. I am still using it. It works much better. Knowing now what I did not know then I would have bought a Multifix QCTP. I found Multifix on EBAY. Maybe when I get a better lathe. The chinese minis are poor.

[@ScrapYardDog64]

You could always fut some foam in the QC post to stop chips getting in, I buy your old QC post from you, am about to buy a 180 😊

[@624Dudley]

Yes Ade, you’re right. It’s definitely bacon sandwich time. 🥓

[@midgoog2]

Just stumbld across your channel and you now have 407 subs. The DRO interference probs look like they could be fixed by taking the corner off the angle iron. Cheers Eric

[@ade63dug]

I looked at doing that but the pickup strip is right to the end , still not sure if it will effect the scale . Thanks for subscribing Eric . Cheers Ade.

[@TingBiker]

Hi Ade. Just bought the same lathe. Will be unpacking this weekend and just wondered, does the lathe just sit on the drip tray? Are the two holes in the tray for fastening down to the bench? No engineering background but thought I'd buy one and give it a go ready for my retirement. Been watching for the last year and enjoy vids. Once the lathe is up on the bench I'll be starting from vid 1 again. Regards Glyn

[@ade63dug]

Hi Glyn . yes there is a hole at both ends to bolt the lathe to a bench through the tray . M10 fits nicely . Cheers Ade.

[@TherealLumpendoodle]

Sadly, I have found that Warco customer services are a bit of a waste of space.

[@johndoe9536]

You need to be fixing your shed and not playing about making videos on you tube :)

[@ade63dug]

That old shed is long gone now , yes it was beyond economical repair ,