# Metric Standard Modern lathes do exist!



## PaulC (Jan 17, 2022)

Dear All

Very happy to be joining the group!

Always interested in any discussions of older Standard Modern lathes as I own one.  I was interested reading some threads about cutting metric threads on an imperial SM lathe.  I noted one member saying SM never made metric lathes.  Well, believe it or not, I own one!  

I have a 1962 built, 12" Utilathe (Ser. number 9433-30), and it is a metric machine!  There is a small brass plate on the front of the headstock that says "Metric",  a large chunky threading dial with 3 separate gears to select depending on the pitch being cut, and of course the values on the threading chart on the front of the QC gearbox are all in metric units.  The leadscrew is also metric.

The machine also has a threaded spindle with the bizarre (as far as I am concerned) thread of 2 1/2" X 6 TPI!

I purchased it a few years ago, and as I was able to find out that it originally came out of the "apprentice's workshop" at the DE Havilland Aircraft plant in Malton (Toronto), Ont.

While I am happily fully metric at work (medical), I find it very hard to switch from imperial to metric in the workshop.   I did not even know the lathe was metric, as when I examined it the first time and agreed to buy it, it was in a dark warehouse and given I knew this was a Canadian-built lathe from the '60's -well before Canada ever thought about going metric, it never entered my head I could end up with a metric machine.   I use imperial dial indicators for setting cutting depth so there is no particular problem with regular turning.  I do however miss the ability to turn imperial threads on this machine, although so far that has not been a huge worry as my other lathe (an old Myford ML7R) can do all the imperial threading.

I hope this may be of interest to some of the members.


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## Brent H (Jan 17, 2022)

@PaulC : Welcome!

You can check out my threads on rebuilding a 10" Standard Modern Utilathe and ......Miss Metric!  my 10" Metric Standard Modern Utilathe!.

There are some really odd ball things that happened in the metric blitz  - see if yours has the funky 1/2" x 2.5mm trapezoidal Left hand cross feed screw (I have the tap to remake the nut if you need one) !

Woo Hoo!


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## Six O Two (Jan 17, 2022)

I've seen a few metric-only Standard Modern lathes come up for auction that have come out of Canadian colleges, and I think at some point HH Roberts has had some in their used inventory... So they definitely exist in some form.


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## deleted_user (Jan 17, 2022)

Welcome Paul


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## Dabbler (Jan 17, 2022)

@RobinHood sold his 13" SM Metric lathe, nice machine.  I think one of our members bought it and can attest...


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## RobinHood (Jan 17, 2022)

Yes, it was an all metric SM1340: lead screw, cross slide and compound had metric screws and dials. It did have the complex threading dial you mention. I made change gears so that it could also thread in Imperial. Later serial number 1340s could be had with both metric and SAE from factory. It had a nice DRO on it so dials were not that important. According to SM, that machine was made in late ’70s or early ’80s.

It went to a member up in Edmonton when I sold it. I was the 3rd owner since new.


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