Old lathe 1906

I have an old lathe that I want to get rid of it. it was made in Nashua, NH. I am thinking of bringing it to a metal scrap yard. No one is interested in it and is really heavy.

I know someone in MA who is looking for a lathe. Do you have pictures and dimensions?

Probably a "Flather" lathe made by Joseph Flather, a Brit emigree producing in Nashua between 1873 and say 1928. The company went down in the "Great Depression." There were a few "spin off companies" under the names of various family members.

Made in fairly large numbers at the time, a fair number remain to be found. Varied in sizes from benchtop to large wheeled horsedrawn transport size.

Probably their peak years were around 1900 or slightly after. Among those lathe makers who claimed "Our lathes have gone around the world." Flather lathes of this era usually have a quick change gearset in the "norton" pattern later popularized by South Bend.

Henry Ford admired a slightly earlier Flather lathe which embodied a "planetary gear" type quick change. He admired it so much he copied it for the early pattern Ford transmissions, and the transmission design persisted into the Model T era.

Flather lathes were among the first to adopt a "through hole" in the headstock spindle, and quick change gears of varying patterns. Also adoption of the "compound" tool slide in the modern form.

Joe in NH

Hi Joe
I'm interested. Can I see the lathe?
Be well
Larry