Thread: Another vintage W&S

Can anyone please help identify this old Warner and Swasey no. 2?

132XXX is prior to 1920. It may have been involved in the "making" effort for the Great War - a conflict that ended this day in 1918

Here is the some larger #4 (that has an actual carriage) from the 1926 catalog

Originally Posted by Epower

Can anyone please help identify this old Warner and Swasey no. 2?

Famous anti-gravity model.

I was about to say it must be the export version bound for Australia!

southern hemisphere model - export only

Actually, it's just the natural progression after "slant beds", which help keep chips from piling up on the carriage.

I'd be curious to see larger photos, if the OP has any.

Doc.

Installed in the machine shop of the SS Poseidon. I am sorry, just couldnt resist More photos would be great.

Went to an auction in Corry, Pa, the shop had a couple of them.
They made leather packing for oil wells and other pumps.

Never seen them that old before, your posting is the second time I have.

Even the Amish (that were in full force at the auction) would not bid on them.....

Attachment 304411

I have no idea why the pictures keep getting posted upside down. We have discovered this machine was made about 1918. The biggest issues I have is it’s missing some gears. And still need to figure out a way to mount a motor somewhere. I would really go get this machine running again, then sell it. Anyone have any good leads on parts for this machine

any good leads on parts for this machine

Like most past 100, you make them yourself

As to motorizing, here are some how to - which always involves getting the spindle SLOW enough to be of some practical use - while accommodating the limitations of the plain Bronze or Babbitt stye spindle bearings



The #4 pictured in above post only went to 450 with a bottom end of 35

Originally Posted by Epower

I have no idea why the pictures keep getting posted upside down. We have discovered this machine was made about 1918. The biggest issues I have is it’s missing some gears. And still need to figure out a way to mount a motor somewhere. I would really go get this machine running again, then sell it. Anyone have any good leads on parts for this machine

Why do you want to get it running if you are just going to sell it?

Two more from 1926 - the first showing back gears, which probably are not present on #2



And the second showing motor back when 600 and 900 RPM motors were common - the huge idler part way down effecting favorable "wrap" on the teeny pulley up top

Yeah, I dunno. You will assuredly spend more money getting it running than you will get selling it. Just a word of caution. People have trouble selling 1940s to 1970s turret lathes all the time at basically any price. Now if you are just fixing it up for fun and then getting rid of it regardless of return, then go for it.

This machine has been sitting in storage for at least 30 years. Right the shop is slow, there isn’t any other projects to work on. We currently have 4 other lathes and a CNC lathe. We don’t need this machine. It’s just a fun project.

Originally Posted by Epower

We don’t need this machine. It’s just a fun project.

-I'm all for fun projects, and would be interested in seeing a 'blog' or photos of the build.

But I think the issue Blackrain was getting at is basically the fact that turret lathes in general, really don't sell. And that's like at all, to say nothing of 'for a profit'.

Don't get me wrong, I am, at this very moment, sinking more money than I can afford into a turret lathe whose market value has only increased from "totally worthless" to "almost totally worthless", despite nearly four months of work and several thousand dollars in parts.

And that's not hyperbole- I have no doubt that if I put it up for sale, right now, freshly refurbished, brand-new electricals and heavily tooled, I doubt I could get $500 for it.

So the point I'm laboriously trying to make is, once you're done with it, what do you plan to do with it?

The chances somebody in relatively machine-rich Michigan would even want an old turret lathe, let alone an antique, flat belt powered one, are slim.

So your options, generally speaking, might be to either put it on display somewhere (front office, maybe?) or donate it to some museum.

Doc.

Yeah, I meant no disrespect. I definitely understand the fun project aspect, and it would be fun to see it running again. I just have seen a lot of people frustrated trying to sell stuff that they have put a lot of work in, or new motors and parts in etc.

—-not that you need to defend your decisions either one way or another

As far as providing power, my No 1 has a hinged plate attached to lower left hand leg, was made like that from the factory, you may be able to do something similar without messing up the legs. Looks like you will need to cut an opening in the chip pan which you probably don't want to do.

Lot of photos - another #2 with over head drive

swasey turret lathe - tools - by owner - sale

have fun

On Edit....

Squinting at serial, maybe 1921 - looks like it starts with 15XXXX

Didn't know they had a power-feed turret that far back.

Doc.