Strange mini “turret” lathe?

[Dave SParticipant @daves59043]

[Dave SParticipant @daves59043]

Browsing through ebay, as you do on an evening I came across item 334008021715 – which looks like the offspring of a WW lathe and some sort of screw machine or turret lathe.

Can anyone shed more light on it?

It's clearly solidly built and certainly the tool you need to do whatever job it does.

I have no connection,and SWMBO is quite certain I don't need it…

Dave

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Posted by Dave S on 21/05/2021 22:17:55:

SWMBO is quite certain I don't need it…

So you must have asked whether you need it then?

need? – not sure that is relevant

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Would look good on a coffee table or mantelpiece

Maybe for the mass production of tiny screws?

Certainly has a look of quality

If you get it do not remove the "patina", apparently it increases the value

[DiogenesIIParticipant @diogenesii]

Has the look of the gunmaker about it, to me.. ..I see the seller is is close to Birmingham – there were a huge number of workshops operating there by the eve of the Great War..

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

I'd think watchmaker. The pulley in the tailstock turret suggests one or more of the spindles there could be powered, but I'm struggling to imagine what for.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

It's a precision production lathe. The sticky out rods at the back are depth stops. A sequence of pre-set operations are applied to the same workpiece and the lathe was probably only one of several different machines on a production line that produced the finished item.

Watchmaking is a possibility but my guess is almost anything in the instrumentation line. D'Arsonval meter movements, gas & electricity meters, rev counter, telegraphic, barometer, navigational, dial caliper movement, dial pressure gauge, range finder, etc etc. I think it's too small for gunmaking.

Whilst wonderful for repetition work because they leave manual lathes in the dust, it looks too specialised for comfy general purpose machining.

Dave

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Drat and botheration

I was outbid

Did anyone here buy it ?

MichaelG.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 30/05/2021 22:38:49:

Drat and botheration

I was outbid

Did anyone here buy it ?

MichaelG.

Not me either but I reckon somebody got an interesting bargain at that price.

Edited By V8Eng on 30/05/2021 23:38:10

[DiogenesIIParticipant @diogenesii]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 22/05/2021 10:03:14:

It's a precision production lathe. The sticky out rods at the back are depth stops. A sequence of pre-set operations are applied to the same workpiece and the lathe was probably only one of several different machines on a production line that produced the finished item.

Watchmaking is a possibility but my guess is almost anything in the instrumentation line. D'Arsonval meter movements, gas & electricity meters, rev counter, telegraphic, barometer, navigational, dial caliper movement, dial pressure gauge, range finder, etc etc. I think it's too small for gunmaking.

Whilst wonderful for repetition work because they leave manual lathes in the dust, it looks too specialised for comfy general purpose machining.

Dave

I wasn't implying that guns were made on it, the tooling set-up suggested repetition of ?shouldered screws to me ..

Edited By DiogenesII on 31/05/2021 08:06:51

[Dave SParticipant @daves59043]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 30/05/2021 22:38:49:

Drat and botheration

I was outbid

Did anyone here buy it ?

MichaelG.

Wasn't me, currently keeping free machine slot for a rose engine build…

Dave

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Me neither. I did have a punt on this one a week ago but was outbid…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184838331000

Did anyone else have a look at that one? Some sort of small gear hobbing machine as far as I can see but doesn't look like the Jacobs to me.

Not sure I needed it, but I think everyone likes a hobbing machine… in the same way that everyone likes a shaper.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Well-spotted, Andy

But what a shocking presentation by the Seller

MichaelG.

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 31/05/2021 09:28:41:

Well-spotted, Andy

But what a shocking presentation by the Seller

MichaelG.

Yep. My theory is that his logic was… 'I have no idea what this is… so I will pile stuff on top of it, call it a mini lathe and hope that nobody notices'

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Posted by Andy Carlson on 31/05/2021 09:20:24:

Me neither. I did have a punt on this one a week ago but was outbid…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184838331000

Did anyone else have a look at that one? Some sort of small gear hobbing machine as far as I can see but doesn't look like the Jacobs to me.

Not sure I needed it, but I think everyone likes a hobbing machine… in the same way that everyone likes a shaper.

I don't have a shaper but I love my hobbing machine and I use it often.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 30/05/2021 22:38:49:

[…]

I was outbid

 

.

So … on the rebound, I have just bought this

**LINK**

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/George-Nissel-Contact-Lens-Lathe-engineering-lathe-/254995003598

Don’t worry, folks … I’m not about to start making contact lenses !

It will, in due course, be lovingly down-cycled to machine more mundane optics, etc.

… It has the makings of an excellent general purpose radius-turning machine.

Now … does anyone happen to have any diamond tipped tools going cheap ?

MichaelG.

.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/nissel/

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 06/06/2021 22:12:50

[Dave SParticipant @daves59043]

That seems like a bargain.

Dave

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Michael is going to hate me for this but :-

Nearly 30 years ago I gave £15 (plus finacing a trip over t'other side of the Thames) for a pair of those Nissel lathes in slightly worse condition with ideas of doing something with them. What the something was I now longer remember and the lathes have slid back to the "3/4 hour to dig out" end of storage. Anyone wanting them needs to bring a strong shovel and weightlifters belt. They may be small but they are heavy!

Clive

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Duplicate post

Edited By Clive Foster on 07/06/2021 22:29:28

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Clive Foster on 07/06/2021 22:28:35:

Michael is going to hate me for this but :-

Nearly 30 years ago I gave £15 (plus finacing a trip over t'other side of the Thames) for a pair of those Nissel lathes in slightly worse condition with ideas of doing something with them. What the something was I now longer remember and the lathes have slid back to the "3/4 hour to dig out" end of storage. Anyone wanting them needs to bring a strong shovel and weightlifters belt. They may be small but they are heavy!

Clive

.

I’m collecting it on Wednesday … hoping to detach the top-plate, etc from the box, for ease of handling.

Grace’s Guide has this rather nice ‘cutaway’ of a different model in the same family :

.

.

It will be a while before I can do anything with it … but I’m looking forward to seeing how something with such solid foundations will perform.

MichaelG.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Michael

As I recall it getting the beasts apart is not as straightforward as it seems. Dim memory suggests that this was a prime reason for the rapid evaporation of my "do something with them" desires. Hafta say that if http://www.lathes.co.uk had existed then I'd never have bought them. E-Bay ad pictures didn't really show how they were made. Not having a conventional bed is seriously limiting for most turning purposes. Good basis for a baby Britan tho'.

Hope your pick-up trip is less stressful than mine was. The SAAB 900 I had in those days decided that it was a nice evening for the rubber doughnut bushes in the the connection between the gear leaver and gearbox to start failing. Bit slack and not quite right going up turned into the something seriously wrong feeling about a mile into the return journey. Nursing it through south London at around 10 pm with a minimum of gear changes and not abusing the clutch was seriously stressful. Managed the 60 odd mile run home on about 20 – 30 gear changes!

A side benefit of driving lessons from my godfather, who claimed to have been trained as a chaffeur by a Rolls Royce, whose mantra was "don't touch the brakes". Pretty much essential if rich bastard in the back is gonna get a smooth ride but also excellent for honing traffic reading and anticipation skills.

Investigation suggested I had about 10 gear changes left before it all went whaooie shape.

Clive

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Clive Foster on 08/06/2021 08:26:46:

Michael

As I recall it getting the beasts apart is not as straightforward as it seems. Dim memory suggests that this was a prime reason for the rapid evaporation of my "do something with them" desires. Hafta say that if http://www.lathes.co.uk had existed then I'd never have bought them. E-Bay ad pictures didn't really show how they were made. Not having a conventional bed is seriously limiting for most turning purposes. Good basis for a baby Britan tho'.

Hope your pick-up trip is less stressful than mine was. […]

Clive

.

Thanks for the warning, Clive … tomorrow will tell !

We’re going in the Suzuki GV, so at least loading it into the back should be relatively simple.

… I’m guessing the weight might be about 60kg, but would be grateful if you have a better estimate.

MichaelG.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Clive, where are you? I'm in NW England. Are your lathes the spherical turning or parallel?

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Michael

Your weight estimate sounds about right, possibly a touch high. Back then I was able to lift mine out of the car and down onto a sack barrow on my own but it was hard work. Not a chance now. Like grandfathers clock they have lived on the floor ever since.

Nothing to get a sensible grip on which doesn't help. If mine ever have to be lifted I shall pass two flat ratchet straps underneath and poke a pole through so two minions can move it for me.

Duncan

I'm in sunny Sussex. As I recall one is certainly spherical turning. The other may be but only carries one indicator which would suggest parallel. But its years since I properly looked. You are welcome to them, transport costs (pallet service?) would probably be uneconomic.

Clive

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Clive Foster on 08/06/2021 11:55:17:

Michael

Your weight estimate sounds about right, possibly a touch high. […]

.

Thanks Clive

MichaelG.

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