Warner Swasey #1 - Small turret lathe - OK?

I've made contact with someone dealing on a small Warner Swasey turret lathe, No. 1. This is a pretty small machine, I would say 1500 lbs, fixed cross-slide and ram-type hex turret. Done a fair bit of research on the Web with zero luck. It is mentioned briefly with one photo in the 1940 W & S Turret Lathe Operator's Manual, noted is the fact that the motor is integral with the spindle. I guess the lathe spindle is actually wound as the motor armature?

Anyone have any experience or comments on these machines, especially concerning the motor arrangement? I will take some pics when I inspect it and post them ASAP.

Thanks for any information...
John

Lousy pics, but these are the best available for now....

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/338snyd/?action=view&current=Misc015.jpg

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/338snyd/?action=view&current=Misc016.jpg

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/338snyd/?action=view&current=Misc017.jpg

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/338snyd/?action=view&current=Misc018.jpg


So, again, does this help anyone with recalling if these little machines are a pretty decent unit, or something to steer away from?

thanks, John

I have seen Warner & Swaseys even over here in Scotland, One firm Kelvin Diesels, had a batch of ex war time W&S capstan lathes, and they are excellent, these had been supplied as "lease -lend" war time machines, and upon speaking to the production engineer, he thought very highly of them, Also one of the big local American earth moving firms, had bigW&S turret lathes, And seeing them working they were powerful machines, I thought they were on an equivelant for quality with our home grown Herberts & Wards, If i had have had more space, i could have had both a Ward & a Warner --Damn!

working for a bolt maker
i have had the unpleasant task of scraping several of these over the years

no real reason just don't do what we do now days

they are high production
second op type machines
no dials just hard stops to set up and reproduce thousands of parts
same after same

if your gonna make bushings,bolts or pins in quantity
and can support yourself
perfect

if your gonna make one off shafts and complex parts maybe not so perfect

if your lookin to save a classic piece of Americana

this would be one


this machine could have made the pin that held the turret hatch
on your grandfathers tank
that he closed just in time to make it home to kiss your mom's forehead
when he got back in '46 from the big war

or the bolt on the gurand that your great uncle sited down to shoot
which saved his old bud from ambush that rainy day in manila