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Axelson 14" Older Style...

michael.kitko

Cast Iron
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Location
Pontefract, UK
So, I have been looking for a new lathe for a bit now, honestly because of COVID ruining my day and letting a Monarch slip through my hands and into a shredder after I off loaded my other one.

Anyways, I ran across this little one and started doing some research. I think this is one of the older styles due to the detent pin handles. It also has no chip tray. Did they make those like that?

So I guess my questions are:

1. Are the detent pins something to worry about?
2. Does anyone know anything about these years? It looks like like they are missing the cross slide stop.
3. I'm guessing it should weigh about 5000 lbs being an older 14", does that sound right?

I was wondering what y'all's thoughts are on this?

Sidenote, there is one in Pittsburgh, but it looks like it was dropped on it's face and the tailstock doesn't look original. I was also looking into that one. Any leads on any others would be much appreciated and I'm on a limited time frame due to my current moving situation.
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What ever turns up you just fix.

Can't be "old" with that D1-6" spindle nose.

Thanks John, you always have words of encouragement. My wife was upset I let the Monarch go, but it's now more upset because I can't fix the things I could before without one. It's funny, it's like my arm got chopped off. Kinda makes you realize, how do people get by without one.

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On the brass plate on the quick change gear box should be a three or four digit serial number. Let us know what that number is. Yours probably had the slide out chip pans installed, which would make it a later machine, not early one. Early one's did not have the thread dial in the saddle as yours has, they were originally installed on the outside of the saddle. Don't find many long bed Axelsons in the 14-16" swing range out there. Clean her up and put her to work! You will love that lathe! Much sweeter than a Monarch in my opinion!
Go over to Vintage Machinery website and down load the manual I scanned many years ago and somehow got posted over there. Ken
 
Oh, on the detent pin plunger. Yes, you need that to control the direction of the feed on the carriage for both movements and also neutral needed for using the half nuts for threading. If the pieces are there, get someone to braze them back together.
One thing I forgot to mention, the lathe may have not been sold with a chip pan. That we considered an option with lathe manufactures back then. Ken
 
Don't let the 849 RPM stop you from buying it!!! All the years we had our 16" Axelson, we never ran it over 600 RPM. Most of the time around 350-500 RPM and less. IT's a work horse of a machine, made for metal removal just like a Monarch. Just remember, it not for making parts in the 0-1" diameter range even though we made a few around 1" in diameter on the old lathe. We had a 9" and 13" lathe that filled in the the smaller range of part making.
 
Little late to the party but I believe I just bought the lathe you spoke of in the Pittsburgh CL, was purchased in the 50s at a foreclosure auction and the fella snuck in and busted all the handles off. In the process of fixing those now. Runs like a dream though. I run 3 of them at work and they are really a beast of a machine and not meant for “small” material as stated. They’ll hog off .250 all day and not even groan though.
 
Little late to the party but I believe I just bought the lathe you spoke of in the Pittsburgh CL, was purchased in the 50s at a foreclosure auction and the fella snuck in and busted all the handles off. In the process of fixing those now. Runs like a dream though. I run 3 of them at work and they are really a beast of a machine and not meant for “small” material as stated. They’ll hog off .250 all day and not even groan though.
I actually am picking up the smaller one down in SC. I do hope you get the handles fixed properly and I'm glad it was in decent shape. To be honest, that one was my second option if the one in SC wasn't still available.

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I think its a standard military model.....some years ago ,the airforce sold off all the machine tools of WW2 vintage ,and included were four Axelsons exactly as pictured...in new condition.....but they didnt go for much because the head and saddle just about take up the whole bed ,and they wernt gap bed either ......IMHO ,pretty useless for general work ...OK if you are making shell casings or something short.
 
I think its a standard military model.....some years ago ,the airforce sold off all the machine tools of WW2 vintage ,and included were four Axelsons exactly as pictured...in new condition.....but they didnt go for much because the head and saddle just about take up the whole bed ,and they wernt gap bed either ......IMHO ,pretty useless for general work ...OK if you are making shell casings or something short.
You mean the one at the beginning of this post?

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I think its a standard military model.....some years ago ,the airforce sold off all the machine tools of WW2 vintage ,and included were four Axelsons exactly as pictured...in new condition.....but they didnt go for much because the head and saddle just about take up the whole bed ,and they wernt gap bed either ......IMHO ,pretty useless for general work ...OK if you are making shell casings or something short.

We had one of the short bed one's that came off of a sunken destroyer from WWII, salvaged in the 1970's. Still had saltwater imbedded in cavities of the old lathe! Made lots of parts on that lathe, the short bed didn't stop us. Most of the stuff we were making was under 24" long. Still love to get another one some day. My only problem right now is finding the room for it!
 
The itty bittyest Axelson is 14x30 which translates to 18.5" x 40". In the Axelson manual it says you can hang the tailstock 1/2 off the bed for most jobs and it doesn't matter. That's how you get 40" parts in it.

I use my 14x30 Axelson almost everyday. It's my favorite machine in the whole shop. I have the last year of the heaviest Pacemakers- A 1967 14 x 120 right next to my Axelson and if I came across a 16x120 Axelson I would probably trade up.

I looked at an early 16X54 Axelson just like that one last week. It was pretty used up, but had some cool accessories with it so I thought I'd bid on it, take what I wanted and resell it. The thing went for over $6000 with a small pile of mostly useless tooling and a few chucks. I figured $800, maybe $1000.
 








 
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