An unusual type of compound slide

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

Has anyone seen this type of compound cross-slide that utilises 3 handles, the usual 2 and a 3rd for rotating the top slide. It replaces the standard Pittler swiveling slide and is currently fitted on my vintage Pittler C3 lathe and it’s very heavy at 45 Kilo.

It has a graduation scale around the rim and works via a worm and circular gear underneath so you can accurately make sideways movements of the top-slide.  What might have been it’s particular purpose? I made a very short video showing it in action.

https://youtu.be/nWvjSBJkA2o

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

Something like that worm operated top slide wouldn’t have been unusual on what were known as ornamental turning lathes at one time. It’s quite unusual, but not unknown. I did double check the Lathes UK website, but that accessory doesn’t seem to be mentioned. Only a wild guess, but your lathe might have been ordered that way if it was going to be used for light production of parts. Internal and external sphere shapes would be one obvious use, although the worm drive would make that fairly slow. Parts with different tapers might be another. But who knows, it could have even been ordered by a very well off amateur who might have thought it would be very useful? Impossible to say now. If you can find any old catalogs outside of what the Lathes UK website has you might find out more? I haven’t checked, but this French website “might” have more information about your lathe? https://www.usinages.com/resources/categories/documentations-manuels.49/

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

Thank you Pete, l already run a big database for Pittler lathes myself so more or less know what information is available

https://sites.google.com/view/pittler-lathes/

[vic newey]

On 23 March 2025 at 12:22 vic newey Said

[…] What might have been it’s particular purpose? I made a very short video showing it in action.

https://youtu.be/nWvjSBJkA2o

 

 

Ball/Socket l-turning would seem very appropriate

… or am I being dim ?

MichaelG.

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

On 23 March 2025 at 12:22 vic newey Said

[…] What might have been it’s particular purpose? I made a very short video showing it in action.

https://youtu.be/nWvjSBJkA2o

 

 

Ball/Socket l-turning would seem very appropriate

… or am I being dim ?

MichaelG.

Not being dim at all, lol You just have to be aware that the standard Pittler swiveling cross-slide is for ball turning, I have made videos of ball turning https://youtu.be/namrtzI6AVU?si=piVsfdT8XkR9NiS4

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

An interesting lathe design with a re-settable power feed kick out like that Vic.

Depending on the distance the cutting tool is behind or ahead of the center of rotation on a worm driven top slide, convex or concave radii can also be cut anywhere along the length or outside diameter of the work piece as well. Unlike something rotated by hand to turn those concave or convex radii, the worm would also allow a fairly precise way to stop the rotation where required. Is the worm itself sub divided with markings, or is there only degree marks below the top slide itself? A lathe set up like that could also be used for the initial machining of tapered, ball or convex cutting tools as well. And I believe one of the accessories Pittler offered was a backing off tool assembly which would have also been used in the production of cutting tools prior to heat treatment. Form tools used on horizontal mills were in a lot more common use at one time than it seems they are today, although there still available.

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

I just noticed I put the wrong link for ball turning, it’s this one https://youtu.be/wYp4y4ggfaQ

There are no markings on the worm,  the auto release is not used by me when turning a ball, In reality it’s for factory use when one man would tend  a whole row of machines, walking back and forth resetting as he goes.  You can make just about any shape on this lathe using the standard equipment, I still have lots to learn, currently using it’s copying device to make a fusee.

It’s annoying on this forum that the editing option on a post lasts no  time at all, many forums allow editing of mistakes or inserting a bit more info permanently.   Maybe this is an option that can be looked at Moderators?

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Always interesting to see your stuff on the Pittler. I think it might be possible to add the rotation feature to a Boxford topslide as it rotates about a large bush.

I think the edit option lasts until someone does a following post.

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

Do you have any idea about how common or rare that rotary driven top slide was on these Pittler C3 lathes Vic?

[Pete]

On Pete Said:

Do you have any idea about how common or rare that rotary driven top slide was on these Pittler C3 lathes Vic?

Probably very rare Pete, I have several Pittler catalogues and they only show the standard compound slide, that said I also have other Pittler accessories not shown in the catalogues for both my B2 & C3 Pittler lathes.

von Pittler was an incredible inventor with over 200 things patented so presumably made experimental items for his lathes and this might be one of them.

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

Yep I read a bit of that Lathes UK write up about Pittler Vic. Without question the power feed with universal joints were lifted from the much earlier ornamental turning lathes. A lot of the various worm drives as well. But that doesn’t take anything away from how inventive or innovative he was. Even today’s high tech cnc lathes with live tooling stole the original idea from those ornamental turning lathes. 😀 I’ve read Holtzapffel, Plant and a few other manufacturers of those ornamental turning lathes would also custom build whatever the customer wanted for a price. It’s not out of the question Pittler might or could have been doing the same.

But given the quoted prices in that Lathes UK write up even for a bare lathe with no accessories, I suspect that your C3 model would have been mostly intended for the tool or instrument making industries and much less so as something producing parts at volume production levels. And for it’s age, your lathe seems to be still in very good condition.

[Pete]

On Pete Said:

 

But given the quoted prices in that Lathes UK write up even for a bare lathe with no accessories, I suspect that your C3 model would have been mostly intended for the tool or instrument making industries and much less so as something producing parts at volume production levels. And for it’s age, your lathe seems to be still in very good condition.

One C3 I viewed for sale had an original document showing it had been used to make railway carriage handles.

There are a few pages showing the ball turner mechanism doinf various shapes with the added comments,: with automatic throw out for wholesale manufacture,  Also pages showing examples of work that can be produced

[Author]

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