Early Fitchburg or Worcester Lathe, id ideas?

Mike U. · Dec 18, 2012

Yesterday, I drove 8 hours round trip to retrieve this lathe. When I saw the picture in an ad I was amazed to find out it was a table top lathe and not 8 feet long. I've never seen a small lathe with such details and features of a large lathe. It looks like an operating scale model of a full size mid-19th century lathe. I'll need to fabricate a new tailstock ram since that's missing and the knob for feed direction on the apron is missing. Other than that I think the lathe is amazing. Lots of original paint and pin striping. Ornate turnings everywhere including the little brass caps for the spindle oil ports. It has characteristics of a Putnam (apron) but other parts like the headstock and tailstock casting are slightly different than I would expect from them. I'd like to hear any thoughts on the manufacturer.

Some of the unusual interesting details are a 45 degree adjustable tool slide to set tool height. A roller under the back way to keep the cross slide down. A lockout (small brass knob on headstock) for the pivoting gears to the front feed rod. Other features are typical of an early full size lathe. More pictures to come.

Mike

Mike U. · Dec 18, 2012

More pictures.

Mike U. · Dec 18, 2012

a couple more details pics.

Maybe S.C. Wright & Co. ?????

kitno455 · Dec 18, 2012

Wow. This thing made the rounds on a couple different mailing lists a couple days ago, and its been calling me. I'm glad someone here got it instead

allan

maynah · Dec 18, 2012

I can't help with the ID, but what a great little lathe. I love the detail on almost every part. Nice find.

Maltesehunter · Dec 18, 2012

Mike that is a magnificent lathe. It is the nicest and most detailed worcester patterned bench top lathe I have ever seen. It was worth every bit of the 8 hour round trip drive to get this. I am unsure who would be the maker??? Is there anything stamped anywhere on the lathe? Take care, Jake

Joe in NH · Dec 18, 2012

I'm thinking Putnam since it's in the putnam high style. Also it has the carriage traverse in the right hand, which is a little unusual for a lathe of this size - but a practice done by a couple of makers of the Fitchburg, MA area, and most notably by Putnam and for a long period of time.

Peter will know more though. He dreams of putnam styling in his sleep and can see putnam on a scrap pile at 100 paces.

Joe in NH

Tommy · Dec 18, 2012

Congratulations.

~TW~

Andy FitzGibbon · Dec 19, 2012

Definitely has a Fitchburg look to it. The adjustable tool rest was patented. I can't remember by whom, unfortunately. It may be in Cope's book.

Andy

rivett608 · Dec 19, 2012

Great score.... that is one of the prettiest little lathes I have ever seen..... love the details and original paint!

Maltesehunter · Dec 19, 2012

Andy FitzGibbon said:
Definitely has a Fitchburg look to it. The adjustable tool rest was patented. I can't remember by whom, unfortunately. It may be in Cope's book.

Andy

I believe it is the van horns patent adjustable tool rest. Take care, Jake

Patent US12747 - SLIDE-REST EOR LATHES - Google Patents

Mike U. · Dec 19, 2012

Thank you for all the comments. No markings anywhere that I can see other than some "2"s stamped in the tool rest. Maltese, I think you are correct on the tool rest id. Thanks.

Mike

peter · Dec 19, 2012

I guess, It could be Putnam? Some differences, and some similarities. Similar being the right hand location of feed on the apron and the turning of the handles. Others turn handles like that too (Worcester MA). Different is color and pattern of striping,cross feed, no name (usually Putnam has a name). I really dont know. Much smaller than anything Ive seen in the Putnam catalogs. I cannot to jump to any conclusion on this, sorry.

Indeed, a very nice machine, that is certain.

Mike U. · Dec 19, 2012

I think it may be a S. C. Wright lathe, Fitchburg, MA.

I did a search of Fitchburg lathes on Google and found Nathan Lang's website that had photos of his S.C. Wright badged lathe. Many similarities to my little lathe. Here's some pictures of Nathan's lathe from his website (I hope he doesn't mind) to compare the features on this small lathe. I've emailed Nathan to see if he can provide any more pictures or information about his lathe. Cope's book comments that Wright partnered with Putnam and then made large lathes for a short while under his own name before starting Fitchburg Machine Co. All this makes sense with the design features and similarity but differences to Putnam. What is still a question to me is why the small lathe with no badging? Was this a commercial item or something made for a specific purpose in house? Interesting.

Mike

Joe in NH · Dec 19, 2012

Mike U. said:
I did a search of Fitchburg lathes on Google and found Nathan Lang's website that had photos of his S.C. Wright badged lathe. Many similarities to my little lathe. Here's some pictures of Nathan's lathe from his website (I hope he doesn't mind) to compare the features on this small lathe. I've emailed Nathan to see if he can provide any more pictures or information about his lathe. Cope's book comments that Wright partnered with Putnam and then made large lathes for a short while under his own name before starting Fitchburg Machine Co. All this makes sense with the design features and similarity but differences to Putnam. What is still a question to me is why the small lathe with no badging? Was this a commercial item or something made for a specific purpose in house? Interesting.
Mike

I had forgotten about Nathan Lang's lathe. And you may be correct.

As to badging, you will probably find a couple of brass screws broken off - and a nameplate missing? Look at the same spot on your lathe as on Nathan's headstock pix one above? Also look at the front facing surface of the box tailstock. Also the bed below the headstock and tailstock.

Or maybe it's an orphan baby? Gosh. My orphan children should be so good looking! Considering the father, that is not likely!

Good luck with this. Quite a find.

Joe in NH

peter · Dec 19, 2012

That strikes me as a strong possibility. Sylvester Wright started out working for Putnam. The influence is pretty clear on hie early products. Very nice, well worth an 8 hour read trip.

IrbyJones · Dec 19, 2012

I've seen Mike's little lathe in person and gosh is it ever cute and oh so neat. An exact miniature of a full size lathe but fully functional, almost like maybe it was a personal lathe of Mr. Wright's making.

Irby

Tom Stockton · Dec 20, 2012

Very interesting little lathe.
Looks like nice original paint. Is it?
And only 8 hours round trip to get it?
That's better than most of my excursions.
(I have a 2000+ mile iron retrieval trip coming up in June.)

Mike U. · Dec 20, 2012

Tom,

Yes, I'm sure it must be original paint based on the overall condition and hidden parts like the hold down for the tailstock. There are complex red and yellow pin striping designs over the maroon/brownish base color on the bed. Not all of the detail shows in the photos. The headstock, tailstock and inside the bed match the red pin striping. The details are amazing to me. I'd be surprised if this was something made routinely for sale for profit as it would have been expensive to make but things were different then. The machine work and detail painting would be equivalent to a larger lathe that would bring better money. Another interesting detail I noticed was the leadscrew is a V thread profile (I believe this is original) while the cross thread and tailstock screws are square thread. I guess they maybe wanted the square thread for the higher force constant use applications and maybe felt the V thread was a more accurate way to cut the leadscrew?

Your exploits to retrieve old iron are an inspiration! I'm not so dedicated (except for vintage race car retrievals...). BTW, I'd like to see more pictures of that Shepard, Lathe and Co. lathe sometime. Hint hint...

Mike

peter · Dec 20, 2012

You probably already found this:

1863-1864 Sylvester C. Wright leaves Putnam's, establishes-Fitchburg Machine Works James L. Chapman joins 1864. S. C. Wright & Co. (1863-1867); (1863-1924) Fitchburg Machine Co. (1867-1877); Fitchburg Machine Works (1877-1924).

A bit confusing, I think trying to say SC Wright 1863-1867, then rename Fitchburg Machine Company 1867-1877 and then Fitchburg Machine Works 1877-1924. That timeline sound right, but not my work just gleaned from the website. Never been a names & dates minded person.

All that fancy striping is typical of the most early Putnam Machines and apparently Wright did some of that as well.

Early Fitchburg or Worcester Lathe, id ideas?

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