LATHE CUSTOM & HOMEMADE

[RICH]

POST#1 of 3
Here is a homemade lathe I acquired 10 years ago. I was going to convert it to CNC but just can't destroy
the efforts of the local machinist who made it after retiring. He never got to use it much as he went off  to
machinist heaven rather quickly post retirement. Complete base size is 27" x 17".
Other than the purchased Boston gears, all was entirely made on a Logan lathe. Flat material is precision ground
stock and and came complete with a lot of homemade attachments. Although small in size it is built very well,
accurate, and can do some heavy cutting ( 1/8" cuts in 12L ) along with 4 to 80 thread cutting capability.
What is unique is that there is an auto carriage dis-engagement which is easily set and works nicely.
Most of all it is very,very quite when operating.

HEAD: 1/2" BORE, 3/4"x16 TPI nose, 1/2 hp motor, 4" max OD turning   Overall Length: 21"
TAIL: #1MT  also has an attachment for a lever operated drilling or boring
SPINDLE SPEEDS: 1300, 650, 490, 325 with additional  2:1 reduction to each using backgears.

Don't know if it was made from some plans or just the guys ideas but I haven't seen equivilant at any of the shows.
Post #2 & #3 are pictures of the head and tail along with some of the attachments like carriage stop, stady rest, milling attachment,
turret / indexible tool post.
 
Hope You Enjoy  ( wife won't let me put it in the dining room hutch ) 
RICH

[RICH]

POST #2 OF 3

[RICH]

POST #3 OF 3

[Sam]

wife won't let me put it in the dining room hutch

I find that hard to believe.
Nice piece of work there. I don't think I would convert it either.

[Hood]

Very nice wee lathe, just goes to show what can be achieved when you put your mind to it and have a good pair of hands. What I particularily like is its all bolted together, no castings at all, maybe not an ideal way to do things but shows that a perfectly good machine can be made up without having to access to casting.
 Is the chuck home made as well? looks like its not a scroll chuck, or atleast not as we know a scroll chuck nowadays.

Hood

[Chaoticone]

Thats great Rich. Very nice and no way I would convert it. Its just too cute the way it is. Very impressive.

Brett

[RICH]

Hood,
It's a scroll chuck and no markings on it. May be off a jewlers lathe. As you noticed each piece is bolted together
and then a taper or pin dowel was driven in.
You jogged my memory back to one of our design courses where you had re-design given castings making them into weldments and bolting and calculate the differences in stresses between designs. Now the only stress i calc is how many more years required to work before i can play around all day doing only what i want to do.
  RICH

[budman68]

What a great piece, Rich, thanks for sharing - 

Dave

[edvaness]

Rich,
 I'd keep it in glass case in the living room.
  Built by a real craftsman , which are few and far nowadays.
Super nice.
 Ed

[NYTRUS]

convince her to put it in the hutch, when you have people over for dinner they will love it!
(beats china dishes)