My new extremely old lathe now running

[scott yeomans]

I'm just back from the lake district to pick up an old Dominion lathe. I'd like to tell you what model it is but I've been completely unable to find a picture of anything like it on lathe.com. it was at least 800 pounds plus in weight and I spent the entire time expecting the wheel bearings in the trailer to collapse on the 150 mile journey back again. But now it's in the workshop and assembled, I've spent the afternoon turning blanks to try it out. If anybody recognises the model and date of this lathe please let me know. It seems to have a little bit of slack in the bearings, and it would be handy if I could find what size they are before I strip it down to replace them.

 

[duke]

That is a beast of a lathe!

 

[Jameshow]

Look here...

https://www.lathes.co.uk/dominion/

 

[scott yeomans]

Hi, I see what you mean, the bed looks like a type AL model. But the headstock on my lathe doesn't have the shaft lock handle at the top of the headstock, and it doesn't have the speed selector handle halfway down. I can only assume that it's an earlier model. They don't really list any models earlier than the 50s on that site. I was wondering whether it was an AL but made during the war without the speed selector and the shaft lock to save materials. That site doesn't really list models before 1950, even though the company was making woodwork machinery since 1920. Having spent the afternoon using it, I think a previous owner may have regeared it, if I was to turn a piece of wood the maximum size that the lathe would handle, it would be turning way faster than I would be comfortable with even at the slowest speed. But I really appreciate the solidity of the machine. It's really quiet. A pretty usable piece of kit all in all.