WD Clement Watchmaker's/Jeweler's Lathe Owners?

[CJMiller]

I recently picked up this WD Clement lathe, and I've ordered and read all the available materials from Tony at LathesUK, but I have a ton of questions, and I'm hoping there's another Clement owner on here who might help me figure things out.

I've got the basics worked out (more or less) with the swiveling feature and the tailstock, but there's a bewildering number of attachments that I don't have a clue about. (Obviously if anyone is sitting on any parts or accessories for this machine I'd love to hear about that too).

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Jay

 

[L Vanice]

I have several Clement lathes, parts and sets of attachments. He made a number of different models. But I have never owned the model with the built-in electric motor like yours. I actually used one of mine back around 1982 or so, but mine are presently sitting in drawers. I have had some of the literature that Clement printed, but not sure where it is at present. There were some illustrated fold-out ads meant to be mailed to potential customers that incorporated microscopic print in order to get all of the text on the paper. You would need a loupe to read it all. Most helpful would be the actual instruction manual that explains all the attachments. I don't know exactly what Tony has in his 45 pound bundle, but the pound is down now, which helps.

Larry

 

[CJMiller]

Thanks for responding. Tony's materials are very helpful, especially for the tailstock, but some of it is from poor quality originals so it's missing pieces. Its also from different years, and Mr. Clement seems to have had an annoying habit of redesigning his attachments, so I've had more luck just sitting down with the pieces and trying to see what can be made to mate with what than anything else.

I found a 17 year old thread on the NAWCC forums, and apparently back then a dealer was selling copies of Clement's lessons. He's long gone but I'm hoping someone might have a copy sitting around.

I'd also love to find a "combined tailstock accessory kit" like the one below (photo stolen off the internet) but that's probably a fantasy:

Jay

 

[rivett608]

Is your machine a 10mm? I might have a tailstock for one of these.

 

[CJMiller]

Is your machine a 10mm? I might have a tailstock for one of these.

Yes, 10mm.

PM Sent!

 

[L Vanice]

Is your machine a 10mm? I might have a tailstock for one of these.

The fancy "combined tailstock" was made in several variations. Broadly, there is one with only a larger than normal tapered hole for centers or tapered shank tooling, one that holds 8 mm WW collets and one that holds 10 mm Magnus-Elect collets. There are some design changes within those types, especially the one that does not hold collets that must be the first type to be introduced. The collet-holding tailstocks came with one tapered bore solid collet for holding the taper shank accessories.

Clement would sell his combined tailstocks machined on the bottom to fit any then-common watch lathe bed, so some of his tailstocks exist with bases to fit Moseley and other lathes. The first Clement tailstock I bought was in a fitted walnut case that held just the tailstock and the irregular shape wood block with accessories. That tailstock fit a standard WW lathe. Some of the tricks that Clement showed you could do with his tailstock and accessory kit required a lathe with swiveling bed, only ever made by Clement. A conventional solid bed lathe could still do many of the operations enabled by the combined tailstock and accessories.

Clement also made solid bed lathes similar to the WW standard with conventional tailstocks, both with small tapered bores for holding centers and those that held 8 or 10 mm collets. These tailstocks are identifiable by the bodies that curve toward the rear of the lathe to leave clearance for using a slide rest.

Larry

 

[CJMiller]

Thank you. Mine seems to date closer to the end than the beginning.

 

[mbjollylathe]

Thank you. Mine seems to date closer to the end than the beginning.

Know this is an old thread...
Did you figure out all the attachments to the lathe? I've also been trying to get a Clement lathe with attachments in operation. I've looked at some of the patent applications & literature -- still can't figure out how the cutting table attaches.