THE WARCO WM180 AND SIMILAR LATHES
HOME, AND INDEX TO SITE CONTENTS
Thanks for looking in. My lathe is a Warco WM180, offered under different names and paint jobs by other suppliers - see the Introduction.
These pages record modifications to my machine, some of which are visible on the photo above, like contraptions under the headstock and on the front of the apron, a complicated looking handwheel on the end of the leadscrew and a mysterious bulge on the gear cover to accommodate extras within. .
The navigation bars on the left have had to be abbreviated to fit, so here's a list to give an idea of what this website is all about. You can click on the links to get around.
Introduction to the Warco WM180 and similar lathes.
Latest Updates - here, I detail the last additions or major modifications to my website.
A more modern WM180 - mine dates from around 2006, and by 2012, there have been some changes.
Adding a leadscrew reverse for LH threadcutting and turning away from the headstock.
A handwheel with a geared dial, to overcome some measurement problems with an imperial leadscrew.
Improved way to swap the drive belt over when changing speed range.
Extra banjo, permanently fitted with gears for fine feed.
Semi-automatic saddle stop - takes all the drama out of stopping the saddle.
Alterations to the gear cover to accommodate some of the above modifications.
A more convenient way to alter the topslide angle.
Max's simpler modification for altering the topslide angle, and Marcello's very similar idea.
Home-made thread dial indicator.
Miscellaneous odds and ends:
Pull-out swarf tray Lever operated saddle lock
DTI holder for the toolpost Spindle handcrank
Fixing the wrongly graduated dial on the topslide
Steve's Improvements: Steve uses a WM180, and has some useful comments on not working the motor too hard. He has also added a salvaged Myford topslide with T-slots, which in turn enabled him to fit a nice swivel for his topslide.
Motor cooling fan: using a computer fan to provide better cooling for the motor, particularly when it is running slowly so its internal fan is not moving much air.
Cutting more accurate metric threads on an imperial lathe.
Variable speed controls: some guidance on repairing/replacing blown circuit boards, with reference to the KBIC-240 motor controller used on my Dore Westbury milling machine and the Taiwanese copy of it used on the WM180 lathe, and a wiring diagram for the WM180. Also, the circuit diagrams etc for the very similar KBLC-240D as used on a Real Bull mini-lathe .
The Vertical Milling Slide sold for these lathes, and why I don't like it.
Extending the cross slide travel further inwards as a partial cure for the Vertical Milling Slide's shortcomings, with a note on extending the travel further outwards for machining large diameters.
Reducing the excessive amount of dishing/concavity on facing cuts by remachining the saddle dovetail, and fixing a problem with the cross slide gib.
Other machines:
My old Perris baby lathe, including repairs to its broken headstock and fitting wick
lubricators for its spindle
Fitting a half nut in place of the Perris's solid leadscrew nut.
Modifying a chuck to fit the Perris spindle nose thread.
My Dore Westbury Mk 1 milling machine - fitting a variable speed motor, and a note on
the drive belt.
On buying and using a lathe: lighthearted guidance for the beginner
I did have a "Comment" section, but it started to fill up with spam from some Chinese shoe emporium, and I have got tired of deleting the junk. You are welcome to get in touch; email me at a n d y f . 1 1 0 8*hotmail.co.uk. Just omit the spaces and substitute the usual "at" symbol for the asterisk.
Thanks for looking in. My lathe is a Warco WM180, offered under different names and paint jobs by other suppliers - see the Introduction.
These pages record modifications to my machine, some of which are visible on the photo above, like contraptions under the headstock and on the front of the apron, a complicated looking handwheel on the end of the leadscrew and a mysterious bulge on the gear cover to accommodate extras within. .
The navigation bars on the left have had to be abbreviated to fit, so here's a list to give an idea of what this website is all about. You can click on the links to get around.
Introduction to the Warco WM180 and similar lathes.
Latest Updates - here, I detail the last additions or major modifications to my website.
A more modern WM180 - mine dates from around 2006, and by 2012, there have been some changes.
Adding a leadscrew reverse for LH threadcutting and turning away from the headstock.
A handwheel with a geared dial, to overcome some measurement problems with an imperial leadscrew.
Improved way to swap the drive belt over when changing speed range.
Extra banjo, permanently fitted with gears for fine feed.
Semi-automatic saddle stop - takes all the drama out of stopping the saddle.
Alterations to the gear cover to accommodate some of the above modifications.
A more convenient way to alter the topslide angle.
Max's simpler modification for altering the topslide angle, and Marcello's very similar idea.
Home-made thread dial indicator.
Miscellaneous odds and ends:
Pull-out swarf tray Lever operated saddle lock
DTI holder for the toolpost Spindle handcrank
Fixing the wrongly graduated dial on the topslide
Steve's Improvements: Steve uses a WM180, and has some useful comments on not working the motor too hard. He has also added a salvaged Myford topslide with T-slots, which in turn enabled him to fit a nice swivel for his topslide.
Motor cooling fan: using a computer fan to provide better cooling for the motor, particularly when it is running slowly so its internal fan is not moving much air.
Cutting more accurate metric threads on an imperial lathe.
Variable speed controls: some guidance on repairing/replacing blown circuit boards, with reference to the KBIC-240 motor controller used on my Dore Westbury milling machine and the Taiwanese copy of it used on the WM180 lathe, and a wiring diagram for the WM180. Also, the circuit diagrams etc for the very similar KBLC-240D as used on a Real Bull mini-lathe .
The Vertical Milling Slide sold for these lathes, and why I don't like it.
Extending the cross slide travel further inwards as a partial cure for the Vertical Milling Slide's shortcomings, with a note on extending the travel further outwards for machining large diameters.
Reducing the excessive amount of dishing/concavity on facing cuts by remachining the saddle dovetail, and fixing a problem with the cross slide gib.
Other machines:
My old Perris baby lathe, including repairs to its broken headstock and fitting wick
lubricators for its spindle
Fitting a half nut in place of the Perris's solid leadscrew nut.
Modifying a chuck to fit the Perris spindle nose thread.
My Dore Westbury Mk 1 milling machine - fitting a variable speed motor, and a note on
the drive belt.
On buying and using a lathe: lighthearted guidance for the beginner
I did have a "Comment" section, but it started to fill up with spam from some Chinese shoe emporium, and I have got tired of deleting the junk. You are welcome to get in touch; email me at a n d y f . 1 1 0 8*hotmail.co.uk. Just omit the spaces and substitute the usual "at" symbol for the asterisk.
