Old lathe identification

[paul rushmerParticipant @paulrushmer83015]

I rescued this from a scrap heap approximatly 18 inches long with a centre height of 2 1/2 inches, looks commercially made. I dont know wether it is a wood or instrument lathe. Spindle looks 1/2" BSW and solid Thanks Paul

[paul rushmerParticipant @paulrushmer83015]

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

It appears to be a wood turning lathe – probably of anonymous maker.  Likely home-made.

Edited By not done it yet on 29/05/2022 15:02:04

[David-Clark 1Participant @david-clark1]

I would have said very old clock makers turns.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A couple of points, but no identification

1. The base is very distinctive, which may aid identification as either a specific commercial lathe, or a ‘made from’
2. The nuts on the headstock mount have, perhaps, the right proportions for early Whitworth.

MichaelG.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

The base does not look as if originally made for the lathe even if on this lathe from new. It might have come from a small milling-machine. That raising block – is it a casting? It looks like a piece of angle or Z-section found for the purpose.

What do the isolated nuts and bolts in the base hold?

Oh, probably commercially-made parts but the headstock doesn't seem quite to match in style to the saddle and tailstock. I wonder if it came from a different source; or perhaps the same manufacturer but a different model.

Intriguing and rather pretty little machine anyway, and it would be good to see it all bright and serviceable again, even if just for small items of wood-turning or brass-work by hand.

It was probably driven by treadle originally, possibly the type advertised as a "foot-motor" when sold as a stock item for driving any small machine.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

I would guess homemade from the way the heastock has been carved out of a piece of plate. Commercial offerings were usually cast as a matter of cost saving and simplicity of manufacture. Other components on it look fabricated from bar stock too.

Will make a nice piece all cleaned up.

[paul rushmerParticipant @paulrushmer83015]

Thanks for the thoughts so far, the head stock is a bronze casting, base is cast iron with plywood infill with mountings for motor so not origional and yes the mounting bracket is a lump of angle.

Thanks Paul

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

Unusual to see a flat belt pulley on such a small lathe, V belts first appeared around1917 but much earlier pulleys for round leather belts are often thought to be for V belts as they fit very well.

Here someone has tried a V belt upside down? so the flat side is on the pulley but not sure how well that would work if at all

[David-Clark 1Participant @david-clark1]

A timing belt would probably work well.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The best flat-belt replacement I have found on my Drummond M-Type is running a Poly-V belt straight on the old flat belt pulleys. I run it with the V grooved side contacting the flat pulley. Works really well. Seems to grip well enough even without the V-grooves, including for taking 100 thou deep cuts in steel.

[Author]

Posts