Whitcomb #1 1/2 Collets and others

[salperta]

Hi All. This is cross-posted to the general forum because I didn't realize it probably belonged here. Feel free to delete whichever one is inappropriately located:

Among many other oddities and wonders, I inherited a bunch of unmarked collets from my dad when he retired. He ran Howard Precision Products in Framingham, MA, previously Howard Clock Products out of Waltham. Originally, they made watches and clocks. I'm trying to identify some of these old collets, and I'd love to know if anyone is interested in acquiring them from me too--I don't have the accompanying lathes for these, and would love them to go to good use.


There are three sizes here. The smallest size appears to be for a Whitcomb #1 1/2 lathe, according to http://www.lathes.co.uk/collets/, which makes sense given Whitcomb, too, was in Waltham for a time. Thread diameter, .220", diameter of body, .255, diameter of head, .435". Anyone have interest in these? I have about 80 of them (can send photos if interested).


The largest collet set is a mystery to me. .36" (9.2mm) thread diameter, .44" (11.2mm) body diameter; .77" (19.5mm) head diameter. Photos of one attached. Doesn't seem to match anything on the site above. Any ideas?


I've also got about 35 Magnus Elect collets and a few attachments if anyone's interested in those. Want them to go to a good home.


Thanks kindly for your help.

 

[salperta]

A little more research: The mystery collets are awfully close to a Springfield #3, (.365" thread dia, .440" body dia, .725" head dia). Only the head size is a little large.

 

[L Vanice]

As I said in the other thread, I have Derbyshire machines that use the Magnus-Elect collets, so I am interested and sent you my contact information.

The other collets you have apparently fit lathes that lost out in the popularity sweepstakes of the late 19th century. By that, I mean the lathes did not sell well, so they are now rare and there will be little interest in the collets that fit them.

The great winners in the sweepstakes were American Watch Tool Co. of Waltham, MA and F. W. Derbyshire, who quit AWT to start his own lathe company and bought out AWT when they went out of business a few years later. The AWT Webster-Whitcomb collets and lathes were so popular that other makers copied the lathes and the collets, making them extremely common to this day. AWT's other products (thw Whitcomb designs) were quickly forgotten once the WW model caught on. In Elgin, IL, Moseley lathes and their own design collets were probably the second most popular, though they were only copied by G. Boley in Germany. Marshall was still selling Moseley lathes and collets in the 1950's, along with their own design lathes that used WW collets. Rivett in Boston, MA was probably a distant third, though they were great lathes, possibly too well made and high priced to attract many buyers. Rivett tried again after WWII with a modern-looking almost WW-like lathe that was again too nice to sell.

Larry