lathe

[paulmowers]

Ok Scott, thanks, I was thinking grease would be a bad idea due to its grit collecting habit, machine oil it is when it goes back together.

Finally finished wading through the pics on lathes.co.uk, no match for mine anywhere on there, not even on any of the unknown make pages.

If its any kind of clue to anyone I would think the bed is quite distinctive being as its flat with a v slot the whole length into which the cross slide and drill chuck mount into, with an upward facing locating v (upside down v) if that makes sense. my thinking is german or swiss as it looks fairly heavy for its size and precision made, in fact I did find some german examples that were very similar except for the bed and the bearing blocks, which look modern (last 30 years anyway).

Paul

 

[shenion]

Real hard to see in the blurry picts.

looks like there is no main feed screw. Guess you slide the carriage then set it somehow with a set screw; then use the cross and compound slides?

Add no name on it. Could be very rare as noone has recognized it.

There is always arguments that flat or V ways are better. you can brag you have both

If you can't find the make, next would be to determine the tapers in the spindle and tailstock. My guess would be MT2 and MT1 given its size. Would be needed if you get live or dead centers.

 

[paulmowers]

Heres a better pic of the bed.

looks like there is no main feed screw. Guess you slide the carriage then set it somehow with a set screw; then use the cross and compound slides?

Yes Scott it does, if you look at the pic, on the left there are two levers, one on the tailstock and one on the compound slide, they clamp to a dovetail plate in the bed.
Even the headstock is attached the same way, but with bolts rather than a lever.
I never realised it was so unusual until now, apart from the price i paid for it (you don't want to know)
Ive had it for about 4 years but only now getting round to getting it into some kind of useable condition.

RE the tapers, not sure if the headstock has one (havent checked to see), and the tailstock I don't know what it is but I do have a live centre and a fixed one for it, which I have used a fair bit as the chuck jaws were so badly worn it was the only way to turn a bit of rod anywhere near true.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

Paul..

 

[shenion]

Yes, I had a Dunlap/Craftsman 6x18" lathe (3" in UK terms.). Had a worn out chuck. Add to that it has a 1/2" spindle. Way too weak to turn a 6" piece much less 3". So, you always needed to use a center, even on short pieces.

Picked up a better chuck and it was better, still had to be careful; bent spindles were common on those Dunlap lathes.

Centers are a must for accuracy. There are issues. I turned a long piece of tool steel. When I pulled out the center the end of the piece popped over 1/8". Then learned about tool steel "relaxing' when turned

There are ways to true-up worn chuck jaws. Basically make a spring clamp to hold them under tension and use a grinder. Here's a pic doing mine:

If the scroll is worn (mine is), it will not help it holding off center. It did help the problem of the jaws not being parallel. Works well enough for quick turns especially if you end up cutting off what is still in the chuck.

I have a collete chuck (ER40) if I need accuracy.

That is definitely one of the most unique lathes I have seen.

 

[eil]

Wonder if its a special made for making dies or a pattern of some sort as a master for using in copying lathes as in making spindles for stairways, or just used for turning hardwood, what does the absence of a leadscrew suggest to you ??

 

[paulmowers]

Hi

Wonder if its a special made for making dies or a pattern of some sort as a master for using in copying lathes as in making spindles for stairways, or just used for turning hardwood, what does the absence of a leadscrew suggest to you ??

Don't know what it means, except it didn't have one. what i do remember way back at school was never using the lead screw on the lathes there except to position the slide, then use the crossslide screws to do the cutting. those that took metalwork used the lead screw and power feed for knurling and screw cutting although i never did.
Apart from that I,m lost, although as far as i can see watchmakers lathes usually didn't have them so maybe its a beefed up version of one of them, although somewhat big, having 12" between centres.

Paul

 

[eil]

Paul, that leadscrew question was in an attempt to ask the more knowledgeable turners, toolmakers among us on the forum as to why they think there isn't one, the fact that you could set up a piece of work of 12" between the centres but not being able to turn down that length as you only have the travel of the topslide to effectively use so would be a stop start affair if you needed to do so. Its an interesting thread and an interesting lathe thats why I as well as yourself would like to know what it is and what it was made for, a bit of an antiques roadshow type of "now what we have here" type of thing. Hope you will be able to find out so you can enlighten us.

 

[scott0031]

I'm wondering if that machine was designed to be an effort at a second op lathe, normally used in a production enviroment. Having a locking saddle and no lead screw like that is common on second op machines. Its not the same configuration as a secod op machine as they often have capstan turrets and fast acting cross slides. That may be how they did them back in those days. So hard to say its nearly impossible unless you know that machine.


It might be worth looking inside and underneath the bed casting in detail, sometimes makers cast the name into those areas. Worth a throrough look.


Kind regards,

scott (ward eng)