# metal working lathe - mystery part??



## SimonT (11 Jan 2015)

Hi guys, 

First time posting in this forum. Im into woodworking so i go to the father in law for my metalworking projects. He has an old lathe as shown in pic 3 and 4. 

On making a drive centre last night for my woodturning lathe, i came across a few boxed accessories for his lathe which I'd be curious to know what there for pics 3 and 4. They have a bearing which pivots as well as rotates and m97 stamped on the side.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.














answers on a postcard. :wink:


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## porker (11 Jan 2015)

Sorry can't help identifying that part but is the lathe an "Ideal"? If so there are some good pics on the lathes site which might help. http://www.lathes.co.uk/ideal/


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## SimonT (11 Jan 2015)

Not 100% sure to be honest but some great pics and info. Thanks


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## Myfordman (13 Jan 2015)

I notice the address on the brass plate is Guildford. Drummond brothers - one of the forerunners of Myford, were based in Guildford.

The bearing in a link linke that suggests the possibility of it being part of a taper turning attachment. The link would go between the guide bar and the rear end of the cross slide.

MM


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## woodpig (13 Jan 2015)

Yes, part of a taper turning attachment was my first guess.


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## dickm (14 Jan 2015)

+1 for MM's suggestion of Drummond. Several of the bits look identical to their equivalents on the Drummond flat bed that I once had. But your example doesn't have the characteristic arched member between the two headstock bearing housings, which makes me wonder. Did anyone, apart from Myford, make versions/copies of the Drummond?
Can't add anything about the odd tool.


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## RogerP (14 Jan 2015)

Could it be part of a ball turning attachment?


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## SimonT (14 Jan 2015)

Thanks, it is definitely a drummond lathe as ive seen that stamped somewhere thinking about it. 

Its a fantastic piece of kit and has loads of attachments. He has had it a while, it came from an engineering dept on a ship along with a pillar drill and milling machine.

So as part of a tapering jig would it attatch to the tool plate thingy (technical word) are ther any modern day variations i can view? 

Thanks again for the input guys, my father in law is great at metalwork and has been teaching me a few things but was stumped when we came across this, he didn't realise it existed let alone he had it. I apparently will inherit his workshop someday (so he keeps saying) and i dread to think of the things ill find as his workshops like mary poppins hand bag!!!


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## mikebeetle (15 Jan 2015)

If you look at the images on this link http://www.lathes.co.uk/drummond/page7.html just about 1/3rd of the way down, it's part of the old treadle mechanism.


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## dickm (15 Jan 2015)

Wow.. I'd never looked at the Drummond page on lathesUK before (don't think it existed when I had a Drummond) so was amazed to see that mine must have dated from 1912-20. I bought it for about £100 in 1978 or 9 and it had absolutely no play in it at all. It still had the original treadle base, but no treadle and linking mech (or I might have recognised the mystery part!). A previous owner had fitted a big motor and it was a beauty to use. So let's hope the OP has as much luck.


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## SimonT (15 Jan 2015)

Mike your a star, how you noticed that is beyond me. Thanks very much. I find it extremely odd that of all the parts they saved with the chucks and face plates was part of the treadle system.

Thanks to all who have replied.


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## SimonT (15 Jan 2015)

The lathe is lovely to run dick, completely flat bed and all the parts well oiled and looked after. Amazing really considering its possible age. He has had it at least 10 / 15 years and as he says it runs as good as the day he got it. In fact the only thing hes done to it (that im aware of ) is to replace / fix the drive belt.


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