Prentice lathe on Sacramento Craigs List

There is what appears to be a complete foot powered Prentice Brothers lathe on the Sacramento Craigs List. An electric motor has been added, but the seller says nothing original was damaged, or removed in the process.

Price seems steep to me at $1,250, but machines are not as common out here.

Craigs List

Foot powered lathes that still have their foot power apparatus are rare and command a premium price. With the tooling it has that price doesn't seem too out of line with the market. Nice looking lathe.
Andy

Here is the rest of the story. The lathe got moved to the SF bay area and was for sale again for the last few weeks. I picked it up today for $200. It is quite a find. It was the guys Grandfather's. It is very complete with a lot of old tool bits and taps. It has the steady rest and all of the change gears. It needs some clean up but is in pretty good original condition.

Congratulations Charlie, definitely a great price on the lathe. Perhaps you can post some better pictures when you get a chance.

Hi Dave,
I didn't see it when it was for sale in Sac. but I know it came from there. It was for sale in the Bay Area for $750 and then lowered to $600. I sent the owner an email a few weeks back telling him a little about myself. I have a museum background in my distant past. I told him that I couldn't justify his price but I did think it was fair what he was asking and hoped that he would sell it. If it did not sell I would go $200 for it and give it a good home. I have to admit that I was surprised to get the email saying that I could have it for the $200 and would I like to come and look it over. My natural instinct was to try and bargain some more. After looking at it I decided the price was very fair. It was in his family for a long time and he had played with it when he was a kid growing up. In high school, he built a setup so it could be run off of a motor. He is a retired teacher and hated to part with it but it was time because he couldn't keep everything that his father had saved over the years. He told me there had been a fair amount of interest in it but only for free. I was the only one that offered any money for it. I must admit that I was saddened to hear that but I am very happy to add it to my already overcrowded shop.

I'll post some pictures once the weather clears and I can unload it from my trailer.

.
I went out today and took a few pictures while the weather was clear.

Enjoy

Here is one picture. Follow the link to see the rest.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v328/walnut_charlie/Prentice Bros Lathe/

I dig stuff like that- I'd buy it- I wonder if there's anything to the name- I have a reed printice electric power- Jess

Nice looking, Charlie, definitely a thing to buy. Intersting bacth of hand tools, including thread chasers. and, perhaps, home made taps.

Tool Pornography.

Doesn't hurt to look at the menu even when you're on a diet?

And at $200 you've done very VERY well.

Now you'll truly learn the advantages of keen tooling.

"Gee dear, I've decided to drop that health club membership. Instead I'll just go out to the shop."

Best,
Joe in NH

There is perhaps an identical Prentice Bros. lathe in the 1900-era machine shop at Wilder Ranch State Park, a former Catholic Mission cattle ranch and dairy in Santa Cruz. It doesn't have the foot pedal. Along with other belt-driven equipment, it is powered by a Pelton wheel. Wilder Ranch SP (I live in Santa Cruz and have a Barnes lathe of similar size and date that was converted to electricity at some point.)