1880's Machine Shop

enginebill · Sep 5, 2014

I have had the pleasure of helping clean out a circa 1880's machine shop in Bristol PA. The main part of the building was a church that was built in the 1840's and the machine shop was started in the 1880's. The place was packed full of junk. So far we have cleaned out about 15 tons of scrap and still have more to go. The owner of the building want's to clean out the building and sell it but want's to see as many of the machines preserved as possible. The amazing thing is that the shop was full of early tools and machines, nothing was thrown away and everything is still ready to work. Several machines and tools are going to the Rough and Tumble machine shop in Kinzers PA. Today we took out a circa 1840's chain feed lathe which is on its way to R&T. Another machine going to R&T is a screw feed planer circa 1850's. Neither the lathe or the planer have names on them. Here are a couple of pictures of the R&T machines.

enginebill · Sep 5, 2014

Here are a couple of pictures of another early lathe that they used for the legs of a welding table. Everything was taken off the lathe but we have found most of the parts except for the tail stock and parts for the carriage, hopefully they will turn up. This lathe has flat ways which are very unusual, again no name on it but there is some pin striping visible. We found the rise and fall rest but I don't think it goes with the lathe.

alskdjfhg · Sep 5, 2014

Just curious, but what's the condition of the planer after being converted to a grinder like that?

Nice to see it get saved. :cheers:

enginebill · Sep 5, 2014

There are some machines that are available for purchase. Most machines will come with the mating counter shafts so they will be in complete working condition. There is a nice little Prentice Brothers lathe, 10" swing and a 5' bed, plain rest, might have been a treadle machine. There is a 14" Monarch lathe with a 6' bed and a taper attachment. The Monarch does not have a counter shaft but has a motor and drive-all mounted on top. Next is an 18" Smith & Silk shaper, it is not hooked up and does not have a counter shaft. There is a HB Smith tagged drill press and a Mechanics Machine Co drill. Prices will be very reasonable.

Tom A · Sep 5, 2014

If that's a bull nose center (on the left) in the first photo, someone was turning some large dia. tubing ....... :~)

enginebill · Sep 5, 2014

We haven't gotten to the planer yet to see what it looks like.

Some more machine for sale are a no name sensitive drill, a Marvel No.5 high speed hack saw, a nice Prentice Tool & Supply Co. shaper with about a 14" stroke, it's countershaft has Putnam hangers. There is a horizontal drill made by the Lincoln Iron Works in Rutland VT, it is about 7' long and 4 1/2' wide and has an early lathe headstock mounted on the base. Last is the most modern machine, a Hendey Norton universal horizontal milling machine with a 12" X 50" table. If your are interested in a machine you can PM me and I will get back to you with a price. Also the machines will be available for viewing on Wednesday September 10th. Also see my previous thread, my Van Norman duplex mill is still available.

M.B. Naegle · Sep 5, 2014

Best news I've read all day!

Much better than "I'm helping my neighbor get this old drilling thing (aka mill) outta his garage. If no one gets it It goes to the scrapper."

enginebill · Sep 5, 2014

Here is a video of the line shaft running.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qw7DG_30Hc

peter · Sep 5, 2014

Bill,

I have a lathe that is the same (I think)as that chain drive you posted in #1. Or very close.Different size, but seems to share many features.

Do you know more about that, such as by whom or where it might have been made?

Also; I sure like to see better pictures of the feed underneath and on the left side. I mean the stuff down below the headstock and left side and front. If possible.

It would be interesting to see the lathe countershaft if it is of 1840's time period.

That is a nice early screw feed planer, Kinser is lucky to have you for a friend

Maltesehunter · Sep 5, 2014

That screw feed planer is sweet! The early lathe is nice as well. It is nice to see the stuff preserved.

I don't think there are to many USA made screw feed planers left. I have really never heard of another survivor.

Thanks for the pictures Bill. Jake

sandiapaul · Sep 6, 2014

Enginebill,

I teach an into machining class in Bristol Mon -Thurs, I'd love to look at this place, what hours could one stop by on the 10th?
What a neat place...what did they do there, just a job shop?

Paul

Trboatworks · Sep 6, 2014

Tried a pm but box is full.

I am interested in the Marvel saw, the 14" shaper and the Mechanics Machine Co. drill.

I can be reached via pm's

Thanks much,

rivett608 · Sep 6, 2014

This sounds pretty neat.... One thing I'm curious about is the small tools, layout stuff etc. since this shop appears to be pretty intact I would love to see some pictures of the small stuff. I want to how it "aged", was stored, was junked up like the rest of the shop, etc....... I find it fascinating how a once useable machine becomes a catch all for junk and after a few years you can't get within 10 feet of it....... Was the layout bench the last part of the shop that useable?.... Is there where the owner had his last cup of coffee?

Wouldn't it be neat to have a 20 year time laps set of pictures of a place like this..... Working coming and going, walls growing toward the center of the room as junk builds up.....

Thanks

4GSR · Sep 6, 2014

rivett608 said:
.... Is there where the owner had his last cup of coffee?....

I remember very much where dad last placed his coffee cup when he passed, too....

In his shop...

enginebill · Sep 6, 2014

I will try to answer everyone's questions the best I can.

Peter,
Your lathe looks very similar to the one we have, the head stock is very similar. I have one picture of the feed mechanism. We think it might be an S C Coombs & Co lathe, predecessor to the Shepard, Lathe & Co.

Anyone can stop by on the 10th after 9AM. The address is 426 Pond St in Bristol PA.

My phone doesn't take very good pictures so I couldn't get pictures of the wall of tools because of the poor lighting and back light of the windows. Most of the small tools are already at R&T waiting to be hung back up on the wall.

Before we started cleaning the place out there wasn't a square foot of level surface in the entire building except for a path along the floor. The owners brother ran the shop as a small local job shop up until his death a couple of years ago. He took the business over from his father when he died in the mid 1960's. Ben, the guy in the photo of the lathe when outside, can give more history of the business than I can.

Here are a few more pictures. The picture of the counter shaft is the one for the chain feed lathe, note the fluted columns of the hangers.
Yes, that is a pile of chips behind the long lathe. That lathe is going in my shop, it was made by L Robbins of Worcester MA around 1895.

enginebill · Sep 6, 2014

Here are some more pictures.

enginebill · Sep 6, 2014

The hack saw has been spoken for.

peter · Sep 6, 2014

Thanks Bill,

Those fluted hangars 100% defiantly came out of Worcester. I have scrounged up a few sets. I have the name of the maker someplace here, but; I feel they were made under several or a couple company names. Those names changed over time. Pond, I believe was one. Or atleast they were a user. Also at least one other Worcester company put these hangars in thier catalog (around 1900, so they continued to be made for quite a while). Similar thing happened in Fitchburg. Other makers used Putnam hangars.

Coombs being from Worcester and the hangars are from Worcester, I believe you are on the right track. As you can image I am very interested in any documentation you have that connect Coombs to either of these lathes. You cannot see well in the photo, but tail stock design matches very close, not just the base but the top part as well. Some of the handles may mis-match as stuff happens over time. My lathe came from just just a few miles south of Worcester in Ct, FWIW.

4GSR · Sep 6, 2014

What you want for the tricycle?? Matt may need it to pull that Large Hendy home with it... :eek:

enginebill · Sep 6, 2014

Here are more pictures of the lathe. A cool little detail is the head of the tool post screw is slightly tapered and the wrench has a tapered socket which fits the screw perfectly, the head of the screw is perfectly flush with the top of the wrench.

1880's Machine Shop

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