help me get info please

my dad passed away and left quite a collection of oddities in the back of the old barn is an old lathe it has all the pieces and then some xtras it all still moves and works the only identifying mark is on the horse shoe legs it says Rockford Drilling Machine Company Rockford Illinois. I have no idea what it is worth or when it was made. I have spent countless hours trying to research it so my mom can get a fair price without ripping the neighbors off. would you please help if you have any information.

can't tell you anything without a pic other than what you already know.

Sorry to hear about your dad, and I understand how hard it can be dealing with a relative's tools after they pass.

Take a look at this website, which has a section devoted to Rockford lathes. Perhaps the photos here will line up with what you have and then people here can likely tell you a lot more about it and what it may be worth.

BTW, I've never seen a forum dedicated to Rockford machinery, so be patient with the South Bend folks here if they can't give you the info you need. You may want to repost your question on one of the more general subforums here on PM once you know what you have.

Best regards,

Tom

Link: Rockford Lathe 1950s

Here is what first showed up in a google search. Not a lot in terms of prices but some pictures of lathes and other machines.

Rockford Lathe & Drill Co. - History | VintageMachinery.org

You may find prices on ebay and craigslist?

Sorry to hear about your dad... Hope you find what you are looking for.

Holly, you'll get a lot more help if you post in the Antique Machinery forum here on PM. And photos are going to be important.

Holly Deadmond said:

my dad passed away and left quite a collection of oddities in the back of the old barn is an old lathe it has all the pieces and then some xtras it all still moves and works the only identifying mark is on the horse shoe legs it says Rockford Drilling Machine Company Rockford Illinois. I have no idea what it is worth or when it was made. I have spent countless hours trying to research it so my mom can get a fair price without ripping the neighbors off. would you please help if you have any information.

Click to expand...

Holly - I have several pages - probably from the late teens to early twenties - on Rockford Lathe & Drill (likely a later name than on your Dad's lathe) lathes. Be happy to scan them and email them if you want to Private Message me that address.

Its just an old lathe about 100 or so years old and it really has no value unless an interested party wants it bad enough to bother moving it out of that barn. Even the little 14" is said to weigh nearly a TON, so does not sound like a wimp lathe

Good photos with a Craig's List listing may help folks get interested. They say Face Book listings are more active, but I have no idea about that

ON EDIT

Thumbnails are five of the seven scans - not as high resolution as if emailed. The cover is quaint - just a cardboard folder with a cord in the pair of holes for retaining the pages. Don't know if Catalog 19 is indicative of a date. I would imagine due to the slightly revised company name compared to what is on your Dad's lathe that what you have there is older than these scans.

And here are the two remaining scans

I love the oldies like this- hopefully Holly comes back with some info....even back then they had FEATURES and CONTROLS..