Identification of Lathe required

[srrray]

Hi,

Forgive me as this is my first post on this forum and although my Father was a carpenter/lecturer by trade, I have no woodworking skills whatsoever. I'll try to be as brief as I can regarding my issue so I don't bore you all to death.

My Father passed away three years ago. In the late 70's he bought a Garden Nursery in Lincolnshire with a view to obtaining planning permission to build a house on site and run the nursery as a retirement project. It took nearly 20 years of fighting objections and going through various appeals before he achieved what he set out to do i.e. build a property. Unfortunately, by the time that happened, the nursery had fallen into a right state, because my parent's lived 45 miles away and couldn't afford to keep travelling to maintain it.

There are various workshops on site, one of which contains a huge lathe, a mortice machine and a planer, all belt driven.

The planer is easily identifiable as having been manufactured by a company called T Robinson & Son of Rochdale. It has what I believe to be a model number on its side i.e. 606

The lathe and mortice machines have no identity at all, from what I can see with the naked eye. I would have thought they'd have an ID plate somewhere but I've been down on my hands, knees and bumpsy daisy all to no avail.

The machines were belt driven by a 3-phase electrical supply. They have not been used in anger since the late 70's but they turn very easily.

Is there anyone out there who has some expertise in this type of machinery who could possibly help me to identify them?

My mother passed away earlier this year and we're in the process of preparing the parental home for the open market. In doing so, we would like to sell these machines on to someone who could make use of and look after them, rather than see them sold for scrap. They are far too valuable as peices of British Social History for that I'm sure.

I have tried to attach a few photographs but not been successful, but please pm me for images to be sent personally if you can possibly help.

Many thanks.

 

[Wildman]

I don't believe you can pm until you have made at least 5 posts. however if you can email the pictures to me. I'll either identify them or post on here for others to do so.

 

[srrray]

Thank you. E-mail on its way

 

[Wildman]

The morticer is unless I am very mistaken a general purpose back geared heavy duty drill

To Identify the lathe some more details sizes, etc would help

 

[adidat]

That lathe is a monster, as to value there probably not worth much. Due to the high cost in relocating and also not many profesionels have much call for a vintage lathe like that due to lack of guarding.

Im certainley not suggesting there junk. And would have them in a heart beat. But sadly i cant, its going to be a case of finding someone that can rehome them. But i would not expect thousands for them.

Where abouts are the machines?

Adidat

 

[srrray]

The machines are located in South Lincolnshire in the Bourne area.

 

[srrray]

Wildman,

Thank you for posting the photographs. Really appreciated.

 

[flh801978]

The lathe is definately a metal working lathe with screwcutting and power feed
agreed its a monster
I think you would be lucky to find anyone to take it never mind pay for it
industrial museums are awash with stuff like that
even a scrappy will want paying to take it away depending on access

Ian

 

[jurriaan]

It seems to have a lead screw both in front and in the back.

Perhaps send an email to the owner of http://www.lathes.co.uk/ with the pictures and see if he recognizes anything?

I'll try a post on owwm.org, on old metalworking machines.

 

[heimlaga]

I agree with Wildman on the identifications.
What you have is a big metal lathe and a drill press. Both very heavily built for very demanding metalwork. Unfortunately a bit too old for most commercial users and on the large side for many hobbyists. In short they aren't the kind of machines that find buyers in an urban area.

Around here the lathe would be worth 400-1000 euros and the drill press 200-600 euros.

I am pretty sure you can find a buyer among people who rebuild old tractors or steam engines or heavy machinery as a hobby. There are plenty of men both old and young doing such things in the countryside. Those people are prepared to fix up old machines and they need plenty of machining capacity on a low budget.
Many farmars also buy that kind of slightly outdated industrial machines. While outdated for commercial use they are still perfectly adequate for use in a farm workshop.
In short: If the drill press was in my yard I am pretty sure I could find a buyer either in this village or in the next. The lathe would be a bit more difficult to sell but when those turn up for a good prize out in the sticks they usually sell within a couple of weeks.

 

[Wildman]

It seems to have a lead screw both in front and in the back.

Perhaps send an email to the owner of http://www.lathes.co.uk/ with the pictures and see if he recognizes anything?

I'll try a post on owwm.org, on old metalworking machines.

that was the first thing I did, I also spent an hour or two going through the archive. Tony not got back to me yet.

 

[srrray]

Wildman,

Many thanks for contacting Tony, and thanks to all who have left some input. Sorry for not thanking you sooner but I've been working away for a couple of days.

I'm really surprised to see so much enthusiasm and offering of valuable advice. What a great community.

 

[woodfarmer]

I think, and by this am guessing. the lathe is obviously a metal working lathe but it may originally have had a copy turning capability. Also again I think, the reason you have no name is the thing was switched from rear driven pulley to overhead and part of the covering over the front of the pulley block has been cut away, with the makers name. I would love to have it here as it also has some length to it. Holding the three jaw chuck in a four jaw chuck is the sort of thing I would do Although I did make an adapter for my Holbrook.

You are right to be concerned about the loss of heritage if it gets scrapped, I really worry about my Holbrook as at 90 years old it is now quite rare. I have only ever seen one other like it. Would love to find a home for it where I could leave it safe.

 

[dickm]

+1 for Heimlaga's suggestion about vintage tractor enthusiasts. They usually have the space for a beast like that and the need for them,
Asked our neighbour at our last house "how many old tractors have you got now, Bill? After some thought "11, I think"! He had a lathe of similar spec but a bit younger and used it regularly,

 

[srrray]

Hi Woodfarmer,

That's an interesting point you make about the switch from rear driven pulley to overhead and part of the covering over the front of the pulley block has been cut away.

Looking at the photographs again I notice a covering on the floor leaning against the lathe. I wonder if this is the covering you mention? In all honesty, I have never inspected this cover, perhaps thinking it was a cover for something less industrial. I have moved it once to sweep the floor and put it back again, but only that.

When I'm in Lincolnshire again tomorrow week I'll have a look.

Would you say it looks the right shape to cover the top pulley?

 

[srrray]

Hi Dickm,

Funnily enough, we had a totally rotten wooden Living Van on site, hidden under 37 years worth of vegetation. As you may know, these living vans were used in the fields when farmers harvested their crops during the age of the steam engine.

Having dug it out we managed to sell it to a steam engine enthusiast who had two engines he was renovating. The van was in need of a total rebuild. I did show him the lathe but, unfortunately, he wasn't interested. He did recommend, hoewever, that I contact a machinery website such as UKworkshop.

I did think about contacting the folks that publish 'Old Glory' but I just haven't got round to it yet.

 

[dickm]

Certainly worth trying the steam gang! Just being pedantic, harvesting was (perhaps surprisingly) one task that didn't use steam, or at least not in the UK. Though it might just have been used to pull the first combines in the States. Steam in the UK was used for ploughing or other heavy cultivation and for "post harvest processing" (threshing, in other words).

But, no, I wasn't quite there at the time!

 

[srrray]

Certainly worth trying the steam gang! Just being pedantic, harvesting was (perhaps surprisingly) one task that didn't use steam, or at least not in the UK. Though it might just have been used to pull the first combines in the States. Steam in the UK was used for ploughing or other heavy cultivation and for "post harvest processing" (threshing, in other words).

But, no, I wasn't quite there at the time!

You are quite right, I meant to say ploughing.

 

[beech1948]

Have a quick look at

http://www.lathes.co.uk

and email the web site owner as he is an expert on older lathes

 

[cansdale]

srray, you could try contacting Rundles of New Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire. They deal in old machinery and repair/make fairground rides and steam engines. They might be interested in your lathe etc.Hope this helps.