Pacemaker versus later American lathes.

M

Miguels244

Diamond

Joined

Mar 27, 2011

Location

Denver, CO USA

• Sep 8, 2014

• #1

Besides the sexy castings and the possible miles put on older machines...
What are the differences?
What recommends one over the other?

 

P

Panza

Stainless

Joined

Oct 23, 2005

Location

Lillehammer, Norway

• Sep 9, 2014

• #2

It depends what you mean by later. If you look up a thread on here about American Pacesetter lathe there is some info.
It all depends on the wear on the machine in question but I'd say get a pacemaker with the tool steel ways, and the later pacemakers are heavier and have 2-speed tailstock. 60s are the best years.
Options you probably want:

• 27 speed headstock - 1500 or 2000 rpm top speed.
• Taper attachment
• Leadscrew reverse on apron
• Rapid travers

 

johnoder

Diamond

Joined

Jul 16, 2004

Location

Houston, TX USA

• Sep 9, 2014

• #3

Thanks to Greg Menke, there is collected info. Possibly you will want to study up on your own.

http://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/docs/index.html

 

M

Miguels244

Diamond

Joined

Mar 27, 2011

Location

Denver, CO USA

• Sep 9, 2014

• #4

Thanks for the links to the PDFs.
They seem to end before the transition into the square head Americans.

 

johnoder

Diamond

Joined

Jul 16, 2004

Location

Houston, TX USA

• Sep 9, 2014

• #5

Though not the usual "small" ATW, you can certainly see that by '68 they were into such things as preselected spindle speeds

http://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/docs/atw/atw-pacemaker-bulletin-3220-1968.pdf

Miguels244 said:

Thanks for the links to the PDFs.
They seem to end before the transition into the square head Americans.

Click to expand...

 

M

Miguels244

Diamond

Joined

Mar 27, 2011

Location

Denver, CO USA

• Sep 9, 2014

• #6

thermite said:

Fitness for a given purpose.

EG: Work envelope. Throughput. Space, power, required skills, acquisition, transport, restoral/maintenance and tooling budgets.

You haven't even hinted at what any of those might be.

Prop shafts for containerships? Balance staffs for watches? One-offs? Low/medium series production?

Hobby? Revenue?

Or just admire-my-cool-lathe rights?

Bill

Click to expand...

What I want is a machine that I don't have to fight to learn on.
So, a machine with excellent stiffness and decent ergonomics, as well as nice production features like ball micrometer and reverses.
The smaller Americans appeal to me because they're bigger than the normal HLV or 10EE and there are things I want to make that are more than 20" long and 12" in diameter.
So, given that, what sets the Pacemakers apart from the later square heads.

I don't mind spending decent money on good tools...I just don't want to spend it twice.

 

Cole2534

Diamond

Joined

Sep 10, 2010

Location

Oklahoma City, OK

• Sep 9, 2014

• #7

In that case, don't count out L&S or Monarch.

 

O

oinotnasiul

Aluminum

Joined

Feb 26, 2014

Location

Alabama

• Sep 9, 2014

• #8

In our shop we got Pacemakers, Monarchs, Axelsons, Leblonds all of them from the 40's and 50's and honestly non of them have get the best maintenance or TLC and the 4 Pacemakers are the ones I like the best stiff,simple,quiet, speed selection when changing direction of the thread is required only takes seconds to reverse screw. The clutch is easy to adjust and even the spindle bearing can be adjusted easy. So to me the Pacemaker is the best choice.

 

M

Mike C.

Diamond

Joined

Nov 25, 2004

Location

Birmingham, AL

• Sep 10, 2014

• #9

Have never run a late model American, but spent a lot of time on a big 1943 24" HD Pacemaker. One of the nicest features is the automotive like single shifter. No playing games with multiple levers and looking at a work out chart to figure how to arrange the levers for a given speed. Superbly rigid and reliable machines. Another comparable make not mentioned is Sidney. The later Herringbone gear machines are absolutely on par with a Pacemaker in most aspects. Fact is, any of the big old US makes, Axleson, Sidney, Monarch, L&S, Cincinnati, LeBlond, P&W, Hendey, etc... were excellent machines. You couldn't make a lousy industrial class machine and stay in business.