What's new
What's new

Pulled this old lathe out of a barn, any idea of the make/model?

GADJEEP

Plastic
Joined
Apr 14, 2021
Hi all, this is my first post after being a lurker for some time.

I just picked up this lathe from a friend of my dad's and cannot find any clearly identifying markings on it. It appears to be an approximately 9"x24" unit, obviously converted to electric power.

I know little to nothing about these old machines and would really appreciate any and all information about it. Please let me know if there are any other specific pictures that would be helpful.

Thanks!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210412_133124_406.jpg
    IMG_20210412_133124_406.jpg
    94.8 KB · Views: 2,341
  • IMG_20210412_133124_441.jpg
    IMG_20210412_133124_441.jpg
    92.2 KB · Views: 542
  • IMG_20210412_133124_489.jpg
    IMG_20210412_133124_489.jpg
    93 KB · Views: 531
I can't ID the maker right offhand, but the casting bolted to the headstock is interesting. It would appear that the machine probably started out with a factory electric motor drive, but at some point the motor was removed and the line shaft hangers were added in its place. Maybe the original electric motor failed, and was of a special configuration that wasn't easily replaceable.

My first thoughts on ID were either Porter-Cable or Rockford, but after looking at some photos I don't think either is correct. A few other makers did that "reinforced" headstock casting, where the front and rear edges extend up to cover half of the cone, so that may be a helpful indicator.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Going by the quick change box and the carriage on this one it may be a variation of this model of Sheldon
Photo Index - Sheldon Machine Co., Inc. - Sheldon Lathe | VintageMachinery.org
As found in a Google Image search .
Also here,
Early Sheldon 9-inch & 10-inch lathes
I didn't check all to see if the original drive setup on yours may be shown
somewhere.
Jim
P.S.
Just a thought that the cast addition to the top of the headstock may have been made by Drive All or UniDrive to accept a small version of their multi speed gear box conversions and a motor bracket at some point before being converted back to a step pulley.
 
Last edited:
that casting on top of the headstock is cool get rid of all that junk above it and install a 1 hp or 1-1/2 hp 3 ph motor with a vfd and go to town
 
Can't ID it either, but I will say that's very likely one of the few lathes, like, ever, that got converted FROM an onboard electric motor TO lineshaft. :D

Doc.
 
I second that it is a very early Sheldon lathe as Jim has mentioned. The poster should be able to get us a serial number that is stamped at the tailstock end of the bed between the ways. He aught to join the Sheldon Machine group over at [email protected] | Home To download some information on the lathe. Ken
 
My thanks to everyone that has replied. Sorry for the delay in my reply, I had a login issue and just got back in. I'm working on it today and will post some more photos and info as I find it.

So far I have:

Removed it from the bed of my trunk via a newly installed HF worm gear winch mounted in my garage

Removed about 5lbs of old mud dauber wasp nests from every possible nook and cranny

Got the saddle, cross slide and tail stock quill un-seized and started cleaning them up

I'm actually surprised at how well it's coming along so far. It will need to come completely apart and be detailed before it ever runs but these first checks are promising.
 
sorry i do not know the brand but i do like it quite an attractive lump really

Thanks. The size really works for my small shop. I like that it really doesn't require any rear clearance with all of the drive parts mounted vertically.
 
Hi all, I was able to put a little more time into cleaning the mud dauber nests out of the lathe and found the serial number Ken asked about, it is: K1008 . If that means anything to anyone on here, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks!

I second that it is a very early Sheldon lathe as Jim has mentioned. The poster should be able to get us a serial number that is stamped at the tailstock end of the bed between the ways. He aught to join the Sheldon Machine group over at [email protected] | Home To download some information on the lathe. Ken
 
I second that it is a very early Sheldon lathe as Jim has mentioned. The poster should be able to get us a serial number that is stamped at the tailstock end of the bed between the ways. He aught to join the Sheldon Machine group over at [email protected] | Home To download some information on the lathe. Ken

Serial # is K1008. I have been trying to reply to some of these posts but I'm getting a message saying, "post must be reviewed by moderator" or something to that effect.
 
Serial number K1008 was built sometime in 1939 according to the write up over on the Sheldon Lathe Group. "K" indicates the early 11" swing lathe with 2-1/4-8 Threaded spindle. Bronze spindle bearings. Ken
 
Serial number K1008 was built sometime in 1939 according to the write up over on the Sheldon Lathe Group. "K" indicates the early 11" swing lathe with 2-1/4-8 Threaded spindle. Bronze spindle bearings. Ken

Interesting, near as I can tell it is a 9" swing with and 1 5/8" spindle with a 1 1/16" through hole. I wonder if it's a "bitsa" machine.

I disassembled, cleaned and reassembled the apron on Sunday, so far everything seems to work OK. Both cross and longitudinal feeds are working and the half nut engages easily.

The one issue I'm concerned with is the shaft that the hand wheel is connected to. For some reason it appears that a large chunk of the apron where the pinion shaft passes through was brazed back onto the apron. I think that is the cause of the slop in the hole that the handwheel shaft passes through. I was thinking of the best wayS to address it and they all involve boring that hole for a bushing.unnamed5.jpg
 








 
Back
Top