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Axelson 16X30 Find

Kakashi

Plastic
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
As I was driving an alternate route to work I hit the brakes the other day I slammed the brakes spilling my coffee. I hardly noticed, though. No...it wasn't a deer. No, I hadn't witnessed Jussie Smollett being accosted. I wore my brake pads down because somebody had moved a big chunk of, what looked like, some American Iron to the road.

I got out and was greeted by an Axelson 16X30. Some surface rust here and there, but nothing seemed to be stuck...too bad anyway. The cam-lock (D-1?) spindle moved freely. The top engagement lever worked. It seemed like I was going into gear as I moved the levers.

The only worrisome things were the motor, which looked like somebody whacked the wires off at the motor, the disconnect looked like it was smashed up, and the whole point of...the why and how it was pushed to the road.

I found the owner of the shop. It's actually a pretty large operation, and he gave some insight. The lathe was part of a shop buyout. During transport the damage happened to the wiring and disconnect switch. He's never seen it working, though. It was taking up space and decided to get rid of it. It's been outside for some months, but he's only asking $600.

I want it. How stupid am I? I'm a hobbyist and this would be the largest machine I've ever gotten a hold of. My heaviest machine is my Van Norman 12, but I suffer with small lathe chatter syndrome and I think this may be a cure, but it may just be a bottle of snake oil.

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Well...stupid or not, it's mine now. Paid the man today. Now I just gotta tell the wife. That's going to be more dangerous than moving it into my home shop.
 
No chuck, but you're right...it'll be a gamble, but everything moves. I look forward to the project. It's been a while since I had a good one.
 
Good eye. A 46 cj2a or 3a. He tried to sell that to me too. I've already worked on a flat fender Willys project. I wasn't keen for another.
 
My first car was a 1942 Willys MB. I recognize the fender and the curve of the body.
I took it completely apart to the last bolt. I repaired all the rust and painted
each and every part. A long time ago when I was young and had lots of energy.
 
I took a better look at your machine and noticed a few things missing. I would strongly suggest you ask the people selling you the machine to look around for these parts as one of them is almost impossible to find used.

The removable crank handle is missing off of the tail stock. It' a cast handle with a square hole that fits on the gear used to move the tailstock back and forth on the rails, via the gear rack. I see the shaft pointing up in the picture.

You are also missing a handle that locks the threading gear selector. It is a chromed and knurled handle that is spring loaded. Similar to the other ones in the gear selector area.

The apron mounted spindle clutch handle is missing... I've been looking for 4 years for a replacement for my lathe. :( It's a large specialty curved handle that is going to be tough to make :( Move heaven and earth to find this one!
 
I actually went after work (the lathe is still at the previous owners shop) today to lube and cover her up. I retrieved the tail stock crank handle from the chip tray as well at the that "missing" threading gear selector handle. I was looking at photos myself last night and saw it laying in the chip tray, so I got worried that it might end up missing. While I was there I found that handle and I took the tail-stock lock handle with me as well.

There was also a part of the taper attachment, that I'm not sure of it's purpose, floating there, so I secured it as well. I've seen a long, bent handle on some of the Axelson's I've looked at and thought they were for lathes with rapid traverse. Do you have a close up of where this handle is attached?

I did get the only "frozen" function un-frozen while I was there. That was the tail-stock feed. I was surprised and happy to find that it does have 2 speeds. I was under the impression that this was a feature that only the larger Axelson's had.
 
I actually went after work (the lathe is still at the previous owners shop) today to lube and cover her up. I retrieved the tail stock crank handle from the chip tray as well at the that "missing" threading gear selector handle. I was looking at photos myself last night and saw it laying in the chip tray, so I got worried that it might end up missing. While I was there I found that handle and I took the tail-stock lock handle with me as well.

There was also a part of the taper attachment, that I'm not sure of it's purpose, floating there, so I secured it as well. I've seen a long, bent handle on some of the Axelson's I've looked at and thought they were for lathes with rapid traverse. Do you have a close up of where this handle is attached?

I did get the only "frozen" function un-frozen while I was there. That was the tail-stock feed. I was surprised and happy to find that it does have 2 speeds. I was under the impression that this was a feature that only the larger Axelson's had.

Don't move anything on that lathe until you get the exposed rust off of it! You are just dragging rust into the ways and tearing them up.

The long curved handle for the apron is the spindle control... Fits on the shaft sticking out of the handle on the lower left of the apron... I though mine was all there because that shaft has two handles attached. I am missing that long curved one... If you have it I would love to copy it!!!!

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This is the part that people take off, and lose, for the taper attachment... IS that the one you are talking about finding in the pan...? I have a drawing but if you have that part I would also love to take a casting off of it!!!

Heck if you have these parts, and would allow me to bring them to my shop to replicate, I would be happy to bring my rails over to you !
 
Don't move anything on that lathe until you get the exposed rust off of it! You are just dragging rust into the ways and tearing them up.

The long curved handle for the apron is the spindle control... Fits on the shaft sticking out of the handle on the lower left of the apron... I though mine was all there because that shaft has two handles attached. I am missing that long curved one... If you have it I would love to copy it!!!!

View attachment 250951

This is the part that people take off, and lose, for the taper attachment... IS that the one you are talking about finding in the pan...? I have a drawing but if you have that part I would also love to take a casting off of it!!!

Heck if you have these parts, and would allow me to bring them to my shop to replicate, I would be happy to bring my rails over to you !

Any move I made was minimal...just to see what I was getting into, but you're right, of course.

I see now where you are talking about and, again, you're right...I didn't see that. The shop purchased this lathe from an Army surplus auction to do one job. After the job it sat for years. I'll print a picture and go talk to the shops foreman. He may recognize it.

I just took that attached picture. Note all of the rice behind said part. Did I mention we are Cajun?

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Any move I made was minimal...just to see what I was getting into, but you're right, of course.

I see now where you are talking about and, again, you're right...I didn't see that. The shop purchased this lathe from an Army surplus auction to do one job. After the job it sat for years. I'll print a picture and go talk to the shops foreman. He may recognize it.

I just took that attached picture. Note all of the rice behind said part. Did I mention we are Cajun?

View attachment 250952
That is the taper bed clamp!!!!! I have a drawing for it but I would love to borrow that part, sand blast it and make a mold of it :) Looks like one of the rods is missing but those are easily made...

The long curved handle is the one I'm most interested in...
 
No problem with the part loan at all. It'll be some time before I'll need it. I've asked the shop foreman about the remote clutch handle (?). He told me he'll take a look, but thought he had already gotten everything together. I'll get with him again on Monday.
 
Steve,

My brother fabricated a handle that look like the original. Dad made a cardboard template of one from another lathe. Torched cut it out of 1/2" plate, welded a boss on one end to bore out to fit the shaft coming out of the apron. The other end, we had a spare ball knob with the insert as used on the shifting levers on the head stock, got mounted on that end. The problem with that lever on the short bed lathes, it would get in the way of the chip pan at the end of the bed, and made it hard to disengage/engage the clutches. So most of the time it laid in the chip pan. It was still in the chip pan when the lathe was sold.

I never had any issues reaching up and grabbing the lever to disengage or engage the clutches on the head stock. In fact, I found it easier to use over the lever on the apron on the Axelson lathe than on most other old iron lathes.

If your really desperate, there's one up the road at Grant-Prideco like yours but with a longer bed. Just have to get past the guard shack. My brother may be able to get you in there after hours so you could sketch it up, if the lathe is not being used. Just a thought.

Ken.
 








 
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