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Rivett 1020S lathe for sale $7500

Carneye

Plastic
Joined
Nov 24, 2015
Rivett 1020S precision lathe. This lathe is in great shape and still cuts very accurately. This lathe is truly a work of art. All the gearing in these lathes were heat treated & ground. lathe includes a 3&4 jaw chuck, steady rest, taper attachment and tailstock. This lathe makes a poor machinist like me look like they have talent, just a really well built machine.

We have moved to Georgia and don't have room for it in the new house so it is in storage in Birmingham, Al. Buyer will have to arrange transportation. But they can use my machinery skates too help load on their equipment trailer.

Pictures can be seen at iCloud Photo Sharing

Email me at [email protected] for more information.
 
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The machine seems to be in a "more" original condition, then many of the ones I have seen on the net in recent years.
I dont think they even made a thousand of them, anyway much less then the later style Monarch ee of around 8000 machines.
 
The machine seems to be in a "more" original condition, then many of the ones I have seen on the net in recent years.
I dont think they even made a thousand of them, anyway much less then the later style Monarch ee of around 8000 machines.


Is the 1020s more desired or sought after than a 10ee , assuming both in equally good condition ?
 
The rivett is so rare, I dont know how they compare.
Some decades ago there was Industrial Machinery sales in Ontario California, the owner Lyle, really liked rivetts, had two, those were the only ones I have seen up close, and they were worn.
Lyle said the chance of finding a like new rivett is very low, where the monarchs are much more plentiful, and there are still like new machines out there.
I just know very little about rivett, it has been said they cost more then the monarch
 
I’m unlikely to own either a 10trouble-E, or a Rivett, but am curious which is smoother at spindle- a Reeves drive or electric Monarch magic. I have seen the effect of single phase cogging on small lathes- as Reeves belts wear do they give patterns on work as well?

L7
 
I have one of each, 10EE WIAD and 1030S, and I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference in smoothness. The way I’d compare them would be:
- The Monarch is a little more comfortable to run; quieter (I’m talking electronic drive versions) and the electrical spindle speed adjustment is more responsive and convenient.
- The Rivett is more stout. For roughly equivalent capacity, a 1020S weighs about an extra 800 lbs. it’s beefier throughout. Bigger spindle. Massive headstock. 3MT tailstock, and on and on.
- Neglecting losses ( which of course you really can’t ) the Rivett drive can deliver full motor horsepower to the spindle at all speeds, open belt or either backgear. The highly effective electronic drive in the Monarch still can only deliver constant torque as rpm goes down, which translates into diminishing horsepower. The spindle torque on the Rivett in 2nd backgear (there are two backgears) is scarily impressive.
- Drive maintenance. Gearheads like the all mechanical drive in the Rivett; sparkies like the blue glow in the Monarch thyratrons.
- The Rivett lacks the cool stainless steel racing stripes.

— Greg


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There were fewer than 500 1020S/1030S’s made. Most went to either the government or government contractors. Mine was originally purchased by Electric Boat so I fantasize that it made nuclear submarine parts.

— Greg


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I have a 1020s. Never owned the 10ee. The Rivett is larger and looks more beefy than the Monarch. Haven't run either machine, so can't comment on actual operation.
 
As far as I know, the machine is completely original. It was used as a tool room lathe at US Steel Fairfield Works. I think mainly government or really large corporations used these cause they were so overbuilt and expensive. I have had it for about 15 years having bought it from US Steel when I still worked there.

If any work has been done to it, I can’t tell. As someone else mentioned, it has a ton of power. I ran it through a static phase converter and still had more power than I knew what to do with. I put new belts on it and changed the oil but otherwise haven’t needed to do anything to It. It’s in better condition than any of the few others I have seen online. For someone that wants a Rivett, this is the best one I think you could possibly find.
 
The others I have seen have been worn or had some other issues. I hate to get rid of it because I know it can’t be replaced. But just don’t have the room for it anymore and it’s not doing me any good in storage.
 
I have one of each, 10EE WIAD and 1030S, and I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference in smoothness. The way I’d compare them would be:
- The Monarch is a little more comfortable to run; quieter (I’m talking electronic drive versions) and the electrical spindle speed adjustment is more responsive and convenient.
- The Rivett is more stout. For roughly equivalent capacity, a 1020S weighs about an extra 800 lbs. it’s beefier throughout. Bigger spindle. Massive headstock. 3MT tailstock, and on and on.
- Neglecting losses ( which of course you really can’t ) the Rivett drive can deliver full motor horsepower to the spindle at all speeds, open belt or either backgear. The highly effective electronic drive in the Monarch still can only deliver constant torque as rpm goes down, which translates into diminishing horsepower. The spindle torque on the Rivett in 2nd backgear (there are two backgears) is scarily impressive.
- Drive maintenance. Gearheads like the all mechanical drive in the Rivett; sparkies like the blue glow in the Monarch thyratrons.
- The Rivett lacks the cool stainless steel racing stripes.

"From the vantage point of history.." AKA "20/20 hindsight"..

Rivett made a grievous tactical marketing error to put that much beef into a super-precision lathe and aim it directly at the 10" X 20" (optionally 30") segment of a market Monarch already "owned" .. what with tens of thousands of 10EE in long service.

IF ONLY.. they had delivered as a 14" X 30" that could "clear" 16 over the ways?

They'd have been king of the hill for super-precision in that size range, the Axelson Tool & Gage right above it, and the 9" Hendey Tool & Gage just UNDER the 10EE.

Rivett could have done that with the same beef and HP they already HAD in their 1020S/1030s.

Modest rise "in the sand" to the HS & TS and it wudda STILL been a VERY beefy machine.

See also Nebel Microturn. But Rivett was legend for fine work at high precision, whereas Nebel's OTHER lathes had been basic white-bread, nothing special.
 
Didn’t know Axelson made a tool and gauge lathe. Pics? Links?

L7

It is in PM's annals.

Someone even furnished a brochure. Or linked it. No, not that one. A real person.

That was a WHILE ago.

ISTR it was around an 18" or 20" swing?

Mind ... Monarch (and others..) could upgrade spindle bearings, fit parts to an enhanced spec, and deliver their larger lathes as "toolroom" models as well. The "Herringbone" Sidney played in that pond, too.

"Superprecision" was more than that. Or so we have been led to believe?

Once a(ny) lathe is better than I am, I'm not the one to know how MUCH better nor to complain, am I?

Anything NEW will be CNC - or at least hybrid "teach-in".

ALL the rest are de facto antiques, grand or humble alike.

:)
 
lol, yes they are new! The cheapest skates I could find on Amazon. I fully expected them to break on the first use. But they actually worked great and seem pretty sturdy. Made the move so much easier as it was pretty easy to roll the lathe across the garage using them.
 
My 1030F is #536, made in 1968. It’s the latest serial number I’ve seen referenced, and was sold to the Brown Univ. Physics shop.
 
My 1030F is #536, made in 1968. It’s the latest serial number I’ve seen referenced, and was sold to the Brown Univ. Physics shop.

I used to drool over that machine (and 2-3 more of the same) when at Brown in the early 80s. I recall they were painted white and looked like you could eat off them. At the time I had no idea about how legendary they were, but I knew they looked gorgeous.


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