Joe Michaels
Diamond
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2004
- Location
- Shandaken, NY, USA
I was browsing fleabay for LeBlond 13" Roundhead Regal parts, and came upon this listing. It is laughable. Reference: Listing number 333244473166
The seller has listed an old "Lumphead" 13" Regal lathe. He describes it as "rare", and goes on to say that it was made by a well-known FRENCH manufacturer. Aside from a coat of gloss grey enamel and some shining up, things go downhill from there. The seller shows the headstock opened up, and it is clear most of the gears for speed selection are not there. The seller states as much, saying the lathe has only two spindle speeds. Other than that, the chart on the quick change box giving the threads/feeds is missing, and the lathe looks well used. There are some chucks included with the lathe, and the seller, showing his superior knowledge of good shop practice, has photo'd the lathe with the key in the chuck at the 12:00 position. Maybe if the seller throws on the power, the chuck key will fly out and knock some sense into his skull.
The seller goes on about how the lathe is not a Colchester or Harrison, and how he made a project of restoring it. "Restoring" is one of those terms where a high degree of latitude or interpretation seems to apply.
The seller and the lathe are in Worcester, in the UK. With the wonderful thing we call the "internet" and "Google", I am surprised the seller did not avail himself of it to find out that LeBlond was a US lathe builder. It would likely be asking too much of the seller to expect that he had stumbled upon this 'board and read up on older LeBlond lathes, let alone availed himself of Tony Griffith's excellent "Machine Tool Archive". There is someone actually bidding on that lathe, which means one of several things:
-the bidder knows less than the seller
-P.T. Barnum was right (there's a sucker born every minute)
-lumphead Regal lathes, even missing some of the headstock guts, are rarer and more desirable (particularly in the UK) than any of us would have imagined
I have no personal stake in this, and if I did, I'd deny it. Just good for a laugh to see what's on fleabay.
The seller has listed an old "Lumphead" 13" Regal lathe. He describes it as "rare", and goes on to say that it was made by a well-known FRENCH manufacturer. Aside from a coat of gloss grey enamel and some shining up, things go downhill from there. The seller shows the headstock opened up, and it is clear most of the gears for speed selection are not there. The seller states as much, saying the lathe has only two spindle speeds. Other than that, the chart on the quick change box giving the threads/feeds is missing, and the lathe looks well used. There are some chucks included with the lathe, and the seller, showing his superior knowledge of good shop practice, has photo'd the lathe with the key in the chuck at the 12:00 position. Maybe if the seller throws on the power, the chuck key will fly out and knock some sense into his skull.
The seller goes on about how the lathe is not a Colchester or Harrison, and how he made a project of restoring it. "Restoring" is one of those terms where a high degree of latitude or interpretation seems to apply.
The seller and the lathe are in Worcester, in the UK. With the wonderful thing we call the "internet" and "Google", I am surprised the seller did not avail himself of it to find out that LeBlond was a US lathe builder. It would likely be asking too much of the seller to expect that he had stumbled upon this 'board and read up on older LeBlond lathes, let alone availed himself of Tony Griffith's excellent "Machine Tool Archive". There is someone actually bidding on that lathe, which means one of several things:
-the bidder knows less than the seller
-P.T. Barnum was right (there's a sucker born every minute)
-lumphead Regal lathes, even missing some of the headstock guts, are rarer and more desirable (particularly in the UK) than any of us would have imagined
I have no personal stake in this, and if I did, I'd deny it. Just good for a laugh to see what's on fleabay.