Mitchell of Keighley lathe

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Asquith,

I wonder if they are the same company who made the Taylor clutches?

This photo is from a Mitchell lathe:

View attachment 339732

“ Taylor “ clutches were a totally different company. They were based in the same town as me ( Rochdale ) and I had lots of dealings with them over the years. Many British machine tool makers used their clutches.

They were taken over by a US company and closed down a few years later. This would be about 25 years ago now. The factory still stands and you can see the building from the motorway as you approach junction 20 coming from Manchester towards Leeds.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Buldog]

View attachment 339762 6.

Last photo.

Wow that is mine thank you I now know what model it is

 

[Buldog]

I forgot to take a photo of todays progress I will do it tomorrow but now I am at filling the gearbox with oil what oil should I use in it? it has not got any bearings it has bronze bushes I looked in to it and some say hydraulic oil and some suggests gearbox oil ep90 what came out of it was a very dirty thin oil but it had such a small amount in it I can’t be sure what it was

 

[Buldog]

Yesterday‘s progress sadly I still do not know what gearbox oil to put in it

 

[john.k]

In the head/spindle etc,I use R&O 68,or thinner if freezing temps...for the feed box,I have always used a thick oil....even if there are wick oilers......same thick oil in the saddle......dont neglect the saddle....it may even have an oil pump,or at least a pullout oiler.............dont use a GL4/5/6 EP diff oil.......any moisture or condensation will result in heavy corrosion pitting of gear faces.

 

[Peter S]

I was going to start another thread about Mitchell of Keighley's different models and ask about company history - might as well post here?

Here is a brochure from the NZ agents (thanks Kiwi Pete). I would guess these are later models than any shown so far. Perhaps the brochure number "467-63" indicates 1963?

The GVM6 has a 6 1/2" centre height and the GVM7 has 7 1/2" centre height. The bed now has vee-ways (V-shears?) and the spindle uses Gamet bearings and runs up to 1000 rpm.

The apron still looks like almost every other Mitchell of Keighley. Scaled up or down in size, they all seem to have the same layout.

 

[Buldog]

Make no odds to me if you start it here or a new thread but I would think a new thread would weed out the non Mitchell content on this one I am happy to repost some of my photos and stuff on a new thread

I was going to start another thread about Mitchell of Keighley's different models and ask about company history - might as well post here?

Here is a brochure from the NZ agents (thanks Kiwi Pete). I would guess these are later models than any shown so far. Perhaps the brochure number "467-63" indicates 1963?

The GVM6 has a 6 1/2" centre height and the GVM7 has 7 1/2" centre height. The bed now has vee-ways (V-shears?) and the spindle uses Gamet bearings and runs up to 1000 rpm.

The apron still looks like almost every other Mitchell of Keighley. Scaled up or down in size, they all seem to have the same layout.

View attachment 339867 View attachment 339868 View attachment 339869 View attachment 339870 View attachment 339871

 

[Buldog]

Interesting that makes mine in the 50s which in all fairness it’s pretty much where I thought it would be

I was going to start another thread about Mitchell of Keighley's different models and ask about company history - might as well post here?

Here is a brochure from the NZ agents (thanks Kiwi Pete). I would guess these are later models than any shown so far. Perhaps the brochure number "467-63" indicates 1963?

The GVM6 has a 6 1/2" centre height and the GVM7 has 7 1/2" centre height. The bed now has vee-ways (V-shears?) and the spindle uses Gamet bearings and runs up to 1000 rpm.

The apron still looks like almost every other Mitchell of Keighley. Scaled up or down in size, they all seem to have the same layout.

View attachment 339867 View attachment 339868 View attachment 339869 View attachment 339870 View attachment 339871

 

[john.k]

I would have said the square edged style was a bit later,maybe towards 1970.....not that that matters now....also note the bed design has become conventional inverted V s .

 

[Peter S]

I would have said the square edged style was a bit later,maybe towards 1970.....not that that matters now....also note the bed design has become conventional inverted V s .

John,
Interesting about the styling. It is hard to believe Mitchell was ahead in anything...but maybe they "squared off" their castings earlier than others .

Perhaps it was cheaper....

 

[john.k]

I sort of recall reading somewhere that Mitchell was taken over by DSG in one of the arranged schemes the UK was well known for in that era.....The govt would underwrite the takeover with taxpayer money to avoid a mass unemployment event.

 

[Asquith]

D. Mitchell & Co were taken over by B. Elliott & Co, not DS&G.

Mitchell & Co, and Rushworth & Co of Sowerby Bridge, had together taken over the respected Keighley machine tool makers Darling & Sellers, in 1954.

I'll bet the new cubist one, with its V-ways, couldn't pile up big blue chips like this old 'un:-

1. 2.

Power feed from rear layshaft, but no screwcutting leadscrew.

Seen at Taranaki museum, NZ. It displays the name Jackson-Judson. Presumably they were the dealers before Mitchell's had their own agents around NZ.

 

[TedinNorfolk]

I used one of those later Mitchell,s some years back. And it had a 10"Taylor 3J fitted. Altogether a very nice lathe to use. The leadscrew was supported by a couple of cradles attached to the bed.so only had a half-nut to engage the screw.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

D. Mitchell & Co were taken over by B. Elliott & Co, not DS&G.

Mitchell & Co, and Rushworth & Co of Sowerby Bridge, had together taken over the respected Keighley machine tool makers Darling & Sellers, in 1954.

I'll bet the new cubist one, with its V-ways, couldn't pile up big blue chips like this old 'un:-

View attachment 340001 1. View attachment 340002 2.

Power feed from rear layshaft, but no screwcutting leadscrew.

Seen at Taranaki museum, NZ. It displays the name Jackson-Judson. Presumably they were the dealers before Mitchell's had their own agents around NZ.

Didn’t “ Rushworth “make guillotines and folding machines ?

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Asquith]

Tyrone,

Latterly, yes, but in the olden days they made all sorts of machine tools:-

Rushworth and Co - Graces Guide

 

[Peter S]

Here is something to chew on - a Mitchell of Keighley lathe for sale here came with a drawing by Graham & Normanton. The title includes a Mitchell-type description "N.M.I. 12 1/2" Cen. S.S and S.C. cutting lathe.

The lathe is badged Mitchell of Keighley, and it looks identical to the G&N drawing. The spindle speed plate on both drawing and lathe have identical speeds and the lathe plate says "12 1/2" N.M.I. (Photos of this lathe in next post).

The apron is typical Mitchell but the headstock is unusual, i.e. I have only seen one other Mitchell lathe out of about 40 that are similar.

Further more, there is a photo below showing the same lathes (but badged Granor i.e. Graham & Normanton) being assembled by Graham & Normanton.

I have read that Halifax included a hot bed of machine tool manufacturers who would make anything. Perhaps G&N were sub-contractors (but why does the Granor name also appear on the same lathes) or perhaps Mitchell of Keighley was just a name on the company register and an office door.

BTW, in another thread about Granor lathes, Tyrone posted a link which had several G&N photos and Ruston3w subsequently pointed out the Mitchell likeness of the lathes being assembled by G&N.

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...granor-halifax-lathe-291382/?highlight=Granor

 

[Peter S]

The drawing was included in the advert for this Mitchell of Keighley lathe. Both drawing and lathe are the same:

 

[Peter S]

The next curiosity:

These 2 x lathes are also in NZ and have "Mitchell Halifax" in distinctive style cast into their base.

They do not look like the other Mitchell of Keighley photos I have (need to check this further). The headstock is different and so is the apron. All Mitchell of Keighley lathes seem to have the same apron design with swinging lever to select "surface" or "slide", while these two lathes have (I think) a push-pull plunger arrangement.

Here is the first:

 

[Peter S]

And here is the second of the "Mitchell Halifax" lathes, pretty much the same as the one above:

These photos appear on the Vintage Machinery website along with several other Mitchell lathe photos taken at various steam loco museums around NZ. Perhaps this indicates that NZ Railways was a keen buyer of Mitchell lathes (of various name styles).

This lathe is at Paekakariki, photos by John Vannisselroy.

 

[Peter S]

Then there are lathes with "D. Mitchell & Co Ltd Keighley" cast into the base.

But I don't have any decent photos showing the rest of the machine to compare its features.

I do have a photo of the spindle speed plate which says 8 1/2" N.M.I. This sounds like the model numbering system used by Mitchell of Keighley.

These photos are from the Vintage machinery website and show a UK-owned machine:



And this one has just Mitchell & Co Ld, Keighley cast into the base. Similar design to the Graham & Normanton-made lathe, but less levers on the feed/thread-cutting box.

Photos by John Vannisselroy, Waiuku steam museum (Glenbrook?)