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Need Help identifying a G. Boley lathe

odedluria

Plastic
Joined
May 1, 2023
Hello my name is oded and I recently got my hands on this lathe with from some research I have managed to guess the bed is a ww 8mm type. I would really love to hear any information or directions towards identifying the model. I am currently trying to learn how to disassemble, clean and reassemble the machine with the proper lubricants. For that i want to gather as much information about the machine as possibly can in order to not damage the machine. I would also like to know what tooling and accessories fit this machine as Ive already gathered that theres alot and currently don’t really know wich ones are compatible with the lathe bed, headstock and tailstock.D83A6577-FD8F-45D8-B62F-2BEE94155214.jpeg1DF7DB48-E8BD-4B04-BDA5-6C0B2FB8ACFF.jpegEA541FC0-2FF4-4749-9187-B5859CDF599E.jpeg71400880-5421-4E22-9A65-A0200486494B.jpeg4B552508-35C6-4B6E-823C-BEBB4E7FE48F.jpegB79A9C9D-3D56-4C6A-A824-E0679BE8C258.jpegA9C279CD-E0BE-49F6-9DC9-4EE59411F00E.jpegC8930FA5-E55B-438F-BA95-E8D14B643214.jpeg0A4CE8F7-959E-44B3-A513-C7E488B160A5.jpeg
 

JST

Diamond
Joined
Jun 16, 2001
Location
St Louis
Mr Vanice is the guy for this question. He will likely see this soon.

You may also want to try over at https://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/

That site is more oriented toward those starting out, as you may be.

Your Boley looks like it was used in manufacturing, which makes it less general purpose. The lever tailstock and what appears to be a lever collet setup suggests that, as does the heavy-duty mounting arrangement.

I have a similar Boley, but with the standard single support used on most watch lathes. It came with only a "graver" support as tooling (used for hand-guided turning similar to a wood lathe), but I have added more.

You can look here for more information on the brand, and the accessories available http://www.lathes.co.uk/boley/index.html

Here are a couple pics of the one I have, for comparison:

With graver support:
QGqTO2E.jpg


With crosslide attachment, and toolpost. And microscope for seeing the small work better:
jhHOnUo.jpg
 

MrStretch

Hot Rolled
Joined
Mar 20, 2017
I would guess that the longer bed models have two feet. Looks kinda modern with the on/off switch built into the base.
 

odedluria

Plastic
Joined
May 1, 2023
Thank you so much for the reply
I assumed that it was for manufacturing as well. Also the bed seems to be much larger than the standard sizes i have mostly seen and so also assumed it was some sort of a model more targeted towards precision and rigidity.

As for the site you mentioned i read most of the articles on there and while very interesting and informative, it didn’t seem to have any knowledge that could help me disassemble/reassemble the machine without much damage which is what i am currently after.

I am young but have spent a few years around my father machine shop which has been a machinist and a welder for over 30 years. So generally i still have a lot to learn and probably will always have. Anyway, i can make my way around most machines. What is new to the both of us though, is watchmaking and specifically this lathe. So were not afraid to try building some of the accessories.
 

JST

Diamond
Joined
Jun 16, 2001
Location
St Louis
You can find one similar here, partway down the page. The two supports (not one-piece) and lever tailstock etc:

 

L Vanice

Diamond
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
First step is to positively identify the collet type and whether the lathe conforms to the WW (Webster-Whitcomb) standard dimensions. If it does take WW or B8 collets and if the center height is 50 mm, then finding more collets and a T-rest or slide rest will be fairly easy, though you may have to search in other countries.

The reason I raise a doubt about this production lathe is that there are other lathes that look like WW style lathes, but are made to different dimensions, notably center height, bed width and collet type. The most common example is the Derbyshire Elect 10 mm lathe.

G. Boley WW watch lathes were near exact copies of the original WW lathes made by American Watch Tool Co. from around 1888 and, after 1911, by F. W. Derbyshire Co., both of Waltham, Mass. The G. Boley WW copies were sold by the thousands in the USA, along with G. Boley copies of the Moseley lathes, a USA competitor different from the WW design. Both G. Boley and Derbyshire made some design changes over the decades, notably to the tailstocks, but the collets, center height and bed width remained constant, so accessories from different makers and eras will interchange.

I can see that the headstock bearing design of this production lathe looks very different from the WW design. Standard watch lathe designs are described in several books, but they only deal with common bearing styles and how to get them apart and clean them. I think the industrial type machines by G. Boley were very seldom imported to the USA and would not know where to find information on them, beyond the Lathes.UK website. They are probably much more common in Europe. The American demand for small production precision lathes was mostly filled by Derbyshire and also, after around 1950, Levin.

Larry
 

L Vanice

Diamond
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
With regard to replacing the belts: O-rings are meant to sit still in a groove and seal fluids. They are not meant to be drive belts. I tried using some decades ago and they stretched too much under centrifugal force while running and then quickly broke. Also, the headstock spindle is somewhat of a nuisance to remove, which is necessary if you want to install an endless belt.

My sixty years of experience with watch lathes has shown that the best round belts are made of urethane and the best way to join the ends is welding. I have been very pleased with green urethane round belting in various diameters. The 5 mm works well on standard watch lathes, but your production lathe may need a larger section. I buy it in long lengths from various Chinese sellers on eBay. For years, I used USA-made urethane belting, either yellow or clear, but I found it turned brittle and broke after several years of use or just sitting. So far, the China material has not failed and it has lasted long enough that I will not mind replacing it with more of the same.

Welding urethane belts can be done with minimal equipment like sheet metal held in a vise and a small torch to heat the sheet metal, which in turn heats the ends of the belt before you push the ends together and hold until cool. Fingernail clippers work to remove the flash at the weld. You can also find fancier, but not very expensive, equipment on eBay. I have a Swiss belt welder which is the ultimate in fancy, but very expensive unless you get as lucky as I did, finding it in a pawn shop.

Larry
 

jkopel

Stainless
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Location
Seattle, Wa USA
Nice looking lathe. I have a similar (slightly cleaner) G.Boley that takes WW-8 collets. I think I took the headstock apart and found that it was plain tapered bearings but I don’t remember any details other then it was pretty easy if slightly complicated.
Yours looks larger though. If you measure the top of the taper inside base of the tailstock what is it?
 

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odedluria

Plastic
Joined
May 1, 2023
Thank you all for replaying.

With regards to the measurements of the bed - the length of the bed is 400mm, the collets are 8mm, the center hight is 50mm and the flat of the bed is 37mm.

Currently I have the whole thing in parts ready to be cleaned, except for the
Spindle. The split nuts or what I assume are split nuts, the stubborn thing is stuck and not really to spin, move or open any ideas how to get it open.
 

Dave.Phillips

Aluminum
Joined
May 20, 2023
WOW that’s a amazing G.Boley lathe!!

I’d also assume a production factory machine and if it was I’d wonder what Watch factory or presuming watch factory lol. During your cleaning maybe you will find a factory marking scribbled in you never know.

Be careful with the headstock for you probably have Babbitt bearings and you don’t want to harm them.

I’d try first rotating that spindle bye hand before disassembling the headstock. If it will not move try pouring something like marvel mystery oil in the oilers and wait a few days and keep turning bye hand. It should free up you probably have 100 year oil gumming the spindle up. Just my thoughts I’m no expert!!!
 

JST

Diamond
Joined
Jun 16, 2001
Location
St Louis
I'd bet the spindle runs either in bronze, or possibly in hardened steel bearings, as many watch type lathes did.

The spindle will come out toward the nose, as there is probably a tapered bearing there. Could be another at the back, but maybe not.

You need to get the collet lever mechanism off first, then see how the spindle collar at the back is held, and remove it. The pulley seems to have a set screw, but may have a hidden key, which will need to be removed before sliding spindle out.

If ther is a cone bearing at the back, it ought to come out with the spindle. look out for retainers and adjusting means. There should be an adjustment for it which is visible as assembled and needs to come out.

Not having seen one just like that, I could be wrong, so you may need better advice, and a sharp mechanical eye on what is present there in order not to damage anything.
 

Dave.Phillips

Aluminum
Joined
May 20, 2023
WOW that’s a amazing G.Boley lathe!!

I’d also assume a production factory machine and if it was I’d wonder what Watch factory or presuming watch factory lol. During your cleaning maybe you will find a factory marking scribbled in you never know.

Be careful with the headstock for you probably have Babbitt bearings and you don’t want to harm them.

I’d try first rotating that spindle bye hand before disassembling the headstock. If it will not move try pouring something like marvel mystery oil in the oilers and wait a few days and keep turning bye hand. It should free up you probably have 100 year oil gumming the spindle up. Just my thoughts I’m no expert!!!
Actually now that I think of it it might have bronze bushings/sleeves it's been a long time since I worked on my G.boley lathe.
 








 
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