Any Pratt Whitney lathe owners out there?

[gregoryd]

Is that the one on CL that was listed for $50?

Yes it was. I typically don't like to boast about prices. but $50 was a steal.

 

[Baileigh inc]

Good Machines Back in the Day

When I firsat became a machinist I learned on a PW and it was a nice machine for sure. When we lost our shop as they started to farm everything out I tried to buy the machine and the company I worked for would not sell it so I am not sure what happened to it. But they were always great machines. Great topic.

Cory

 

[tinrat]

16x54 Model C

I have a 16x54 C and copies of the manuals. I believe these machines didn't hit production until the 50's.

 

[johnoder]

until the 50's

Replaced Model B in late thirties. Actually, first Model C serials on the 16" are from 1935.

John Oder

 

[Ironman]

1975 P&W Lathe

It's a Star Turn 8-15 NC universal turning center. 8 tool postions, 15hp. !0" hyd. chuck, 54" c-c, 10.5" over crosslide, 20" over (replacable hard) ways. Cost new (in '75)~ $74,000, with the options. 2 spd. motor,and 4 automatic gear changes. I am currently retrofitting the AB7100 controller to an EMC2 PC based system.I got this from George Washington Machinery 3 yrs. ago & it has turned out to be a great deal. It came with enough new chuck jaws to pay for the machine! I had another P&W lathe 30 yrs. ago,it was a Potter & Johnston
(built by P&W) automatic chucker. That was what sold me on the brand, an excellent machine. Eric in AZ

 

[Hephaestus72]

Alittle long in the tooth

You didn't specify age....does this P&W qualify??

 

[Ray Wangler]

Hep, that baby won the war....................of 1812!! Nice photo!!

I've got a 12X30 Model C (no pics sorry). It's the best small shop lathe I've seen.

What's with the 12" model number and a lathe that swings 14-15"? You'd think they would have over stated the rating, not under. Oh well, I really like mine and wouldn't sell it for a lot of the tea in China!

Ray

 

[johnoder]

over stated the rating, not under

Lodge & Shipley was on this bandwagon of catalog sizing less swing than actual starting in the teens.

The others had to follow suit or look wimpy.

John Oder

 

[Jeff164]

Pratt & Whitney lathe

Hi and I'm new to this forum and find it very informative. My question stems from the recent purchase of a Pratt & Whitney Model B (13" M-1395) engine lathe with production date of July 1925. It came with some extra chucks (plain back), steady/follower rests, spindle turret, and taper attachment - the head stock spindle dimensions are vexing me. The spindle has and O.D. of 2.90 and about 3.5 threads per inch. It is also tapered at the leading end.

Does it have a standard designation (LOO or the like)?

Are mounting plates still available for it?

Any insight would be of great help - Thanks, Jeff

 

[gregg-k]

My Father-in-Law had a lathe that did not have a name on it, but he thought was an old P&W or Rockwell.

Distinguishing features were as follows:

- lead screw went up the center of the lathe, under the bed
- drive to the headstock spindle was by means of a worm gear, on a shaft that went out the back of the head stock
- change gears on front of headstock
- did not have a compound rest: its lantern tool holder was on a second slide on top of the main slide ... there was no provision for a feed screw
- the Tailstock traveled on a slide on the *back face* of the bead
- Tail stock spindle taper was about the size of an MT2, but longer
- alignment of headstock to tail stock by means of locking screws on headstock

Thoughts on its origin suggested the odd saddle arrangement was that the tool post slide would be controlled by another mechanism, say for copying to a pattern.

A very unusual lathe indeed. Does anyone have any ideas on what it really is?

If its not a P&W, I will move this to a thread of its own.

.. Gregg

 

[Ray Wangler]

I don't want to side track this thread, but my model C 12x30 is missing the slide block for the taper attachment. Being a mechanical engineer (no need for the nerd or idiot comments, thank you) you'd think I could read the drawing in the manual and figure out what the piece looks like...........unfortunately, I cannot!

I made a brass slide block that works for a small range of tapers, but the bolts had to be undersized to allow me to vary the taper in what appears to me to be two fixed points, (that won't make sense unless you're looking at one, and maybe not even then!).

First questions: What does the factory block look like?

Second: Does anyone have one they'd like to get rid of?

Third: Can one be made in a home shop with relative ease?

Thanks for any help!
Ray

 

[oohello]

I have a Pratt and Whitney model C 16x30 lathe, 1943 according to the war tags on it, and am missing the "slide block" for the taper attachment too. I agree, the drawings I have do not do a very good job of showing this. Or perhaps I do not do a very good job of interpreting the drawings. Maybe someone has a picture of a complete taper attachment?

Thanks for any help...

-Justin

 

[radial1951]

I picked this up today from a friend. It was re-scraped 30 years ago and moved into his basement, but never used. Since I'm a sucker for old heavy things - it's now in my garage. It has a tag on it that says it was bought in 1918 for $1466 (equal to $22,500 today).

I'm also interested in any literature people have - or rebuild pictures that they have of a similar lathe.

Hi Greg, Yes I'm a noob, this is Post No1 !. I have a P&W 10" Toolmakers Lathe, just like yours, which my father bought in the '60s. John Oder kindly sent me the scan of the 1923 brochure. When you say it had a "tag" on it, was it some sort of official asset tag? What Serial No. is yours and can we find the actual manufacturing date? Here's a pic of mine, ready to leave my late father's workshop and set off to it's new home.
Regards, RossG
radial1951

 

[johnoder]

can we find the actual manufacturing date?

Seems doubtful but you never know. The only reference I have seen for machines other than South Bend and Lodge & Shipley has been the Serial Number Reference Book For Metalworking Machinery. I suppose earlier versions may exist, but my 1975 copy only goes back to 1920 and makes zero mention of the 10" tool maker. I.E., P&W had been making machine tools for 60 years before this book even starts.

J.O.

 

[radial1951]

Seems doubtful but you never know.

J.O.

John

Yes I agree, it's a long shot. Most interesting would be to know how authentic the "Bought in 1918 for $1466" tag is, and the Serial Number of Greg's lathe. That could at least give us a reference point.

The other long shot I have is that I believe my lathe was originally owned by The Lithgow Small Arms Factory, New South Wales, Australia. It still makes weapons etc and there is a museum nearby. P&W supplied all the machines and tooling for Lee-Enfield .303 rifle production when the factory was set up, with a P&W engineer assisting, in 1912. Amongst other products, WWI production was 80,000 rifles per year. I am hoping the factory or the museum might have some details of Capital Equipment. Being a major gov't defence project at the time, surely there are records... (a long shot)

My 10" Toolmaker has "1565" stamped on the horizontal machined surface, nearest the operator, of the bed, about in line with the front spindle bearing. It is not a slideway surface, but just in front of the front Vee for the saddle. This is opposite to most lathes, where the S/N is usually stamped down at the tailstock end.

Anyone else got any Pratt and Whitney 10" Lathe Serial Numbers?

Regards, RossG
radial1951

 

[gefanuc5t]

I also have a Starturn 8 15 lathe. I looks like the same machine you have. Is yours still in operation?

 

[foxmxrcer]

John

Yes I agree, it's a long shot. Most interesting would be to know how authentic the "Bought in 1918 for $1466" tag is, and the Serial Number of Greg's lathe. That could at least give us a reference point.

The other long shot I have is that I believe my lathe was originally owned by The Lithgow Small Arms Factory, New South Wales, Australia. It still makes weapons etc and there is a museum nearby. P&W supplied all the machines and tooling for Lee-Enfield .303 rifle production when the factory was set up, with a P&W engineer assisting, in 1912. Amongst other products, WWI production was 80,000 rifles per year. I am hoping the factory or the museum might have some details of Capital Equipment. Being a major gov't defence project at the time, surely there are records... (a long shot)

My 10" Toolmaker has "1565" stamped on the horizontal machined surface, nearest the operator, of the bed, about in line with the front spindle bearing. It is not a slideway surface, but just in front of the front Vee for the saddle. This is opposite to most lathes, where the S/N is usually stamped down at the tailstock end.

Anyone else got any Pratt and Whitney 10" Lathe Serial Numbers?

Regards, RossG
radial1951

Old post, and looks like he hasn't been on in a while. But I own a p&w 10" engine lathe, serial number 577. I have no idea what year it is, can't find hardly any information about it, and haven't been able to find a "serial number decoder" anywhere. I can find some information about the "toolmakers" lathe, which is very similar and may be we'll be the "newer" model.

 

[johnoder]

Thumbnails from early twenties on the 10" Tool Maker, but it was also in the 1911 catalog - and probably had a longer run than that

Old post, and looks like he hasn't been on in a while. But I own a p&w 10" engine lathe, serial number 577. I have no idea what year it is, can't find hardly any information about it, and haven't been able to find a "serial number decoder" anywhere. I can find some information about the "toolmakers" lathe, which is very similar and may be we'll be the "newer" model.

 

[morsetaper2]

Anyone else got any Pratt and Whitney 10" Lathe Serial Numbers?
Regards, RossG
radial1951

It only took me 7 years to reply to his original inquiry...

.....But I own a p&w 10" engine lathe, serial number 577. I have no idea what year it is, can't find hardly any information about it...

I have the S/N reference book for 1959 & 1968 printings which has these entries for 10" lathes.

10" Lathe (M-1080)
Yr:1919 S/N:1913
Yr: 1935 S/N 2090

10x20 Bench Lathe (M-1689)
Yr: 1919 S/N:385
Yr: 1927 S/N:410
Yr: 1940 S/N:489
Yr: 1945 S/N:682

 

[foxmxrcer]

Thumbnails from early twenties on the 10" Tool Maker, but it was also in the 1911 catalog - and probably had a longer run than that

Thanks again Mr. Oder

It only took me 7 years to reply to his original inquiry...




I have the S/N reference book for 1959 & 1968 printings which has these entries for 10" lathes.

10" Lathe (M-1080)
Yr:1919 S/N:1913
Yr: 1935 S/N 2090

10x20 Bench Lathe (M-1689)
Yr: 1919 S/N:385
Yr: 1927 S/N:410
Yr: 1940 S/N:489
Yr: 1945 S/N:682

The m1689 is a baby compared to mine, I believe the m1080 is the toolmakers lathe? The only other number on my lathe is in the apron, "f7704". Not sure if that could be the model number, based on the ones you posted. Google comes up blank when I search for it though.

Here's a link to a picture of mine.
2419_18125.jpg - Google Drive