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Antique lathe still in use

M

Megar arc 5040dd

Super User
Just wondering if anyone on the site is using an old antique lathe as your primary or only lathe in your shop. I don't mean something from the 1970's or even the 1950's. I am talking like late 1800's to say 1930's. plain bearing style, old iron. Don't be afraid to share pictures.

This is my old girl. Not quite in service yet but is is almost there. It is more together now this is just the picture I had on hand on the computer. This is a MacGregor-Gourlay dating from about 1885 - 1910. 16" swing 30" between centers.

20230520_162642.jpg
 
Megar arc 5040dd said:
Just wondering if anyone on the site is using an old antique lathe as your primary or only lathe in your shop. I don't mean something from the 1970's or even the 1950's. I am talking like late 1800's to say 1930's. plain bearing style, old iron. Don't be afraid to share pictures.

This is my old girl. Not quite in service yet but is is almost there. It is more together now this is just the picture I had on hand on the computer. This is a MacGregor-Gourlay dating from about 1885 - 1910. 16" swing 30" between centers.

View attachment 52642
Click to expand...
Are you on OldWoodworkingMachines (OWWM.org)? Their sister site, VintageMachinery.org, has some information on MacGregor Gourlay:


They don't have many user-submitted photos though. Yours would be a nice addition if you were so inclined.

Craig
 
trlvn said:
Are you on (OWWM.org)? Their sister site, VintageMachinery.org, has some information on MacGregor Gourlay:


They don't have many user-submitted photos though. Yours would be a nice addition if you were so inclined.

Craig
Click to expand...

I have not been to OldWoodworkingMachines before but I have been to VintageMachinery.org a few times. Maybe one day when it is all done I will send in a picture.

trlvn said:
It is not my machine, but the Ontario Steam Heritage Museum has a sizeable old lathe that they use from time to time:View attachment 52659

View attachment 52656

View attachment 52658
Pictures from a 2019 visit.

Craig
Click to expand...

That is a really nice looking machine. Is the head stock sitting on riser blocks or was the bed cast with the riser as part of it?
 
Megar arc 5040dd said:
Just wondering if anyone on the site is using an old antique lathe as your primary or only lathe in your shop. I don't mean something from the 1970's or even the 1950's. I am talking like late 1800's to say 1930's. plain bearing style, old iron. Don't be afraid to share pictures.

This is my old girl. Not quite in service yet but is is almost there. It is more together now this is just the picture I had on hand on the computer. This is a MacGregor-Gourlay dating from about 1885 - 1910. 16" swing 30" between centers.

View attachment 52642
Click to expand...
It should absolutely be capable of doing useful work if you have the patience to deal with belt flipping, change gears and lack of graduated dies. I had a 1930's South Bend 9 inch for awhile. It was a fine lathe, I just struggled with the process when it came to things like threading. Post some video clips of it working. I'd like to see that. Dave Richards has a You Tube channel and uses a similar lathe in his steam powered line shaft shop.
 
I've got an obscure american brand from the 1920's or so...a Joseph Crawford & Co 14" swing
Just brought it home a couple months ago. Things an absolute tank.
The apron probably weighs as much as a SBC engine block lol
I say obscure, because there's my mentions of the brand, the page on Vintage Machinery dot org, and one other fella...
 
My lathe is an old 9 inch southbend 100% manual. Dealing with all of the processes to help it to work is, I believe, I significant part of my learning process. I can't flip a leaver and push a button, I have to understand about all of the little steps to make a process happen.
Just an opinion.
Gary
 
Megar arc 5040dd said:
Is the head stock sitting on riser blocks or was the bed cast with the riser as part of it?
Click to expand...
I don't know for certain. The tailstock looks like it was designed for that centre height but the cross-slide has quite a riser to get the compound up to the necessary elevation? I didn't get to inspect it anywhere near close enough to say.

Craig
 
ducdon said:
It should absolutely be capable of doing useful work if you have the patience to deal with belt flipping, change gears and lack of graduated dies. I had a 1930's South Bend 9 inch for awhile. It was a fine lathe, I just struggled with the process when it came to things like threading. Post some video clips of it working. I'd like to see that. Dave Richards has a You Tube channel and uses a similar lathe in his steam powered line shaft shop.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by belt flipping, I am not familiar with that term. I can post some videos once its up and running. Can't say when that will be but hopefully in the next couple of months. I intend to make a graduated dial for the cross feed one day.
 
Megar arc 5040dd said:
Just wondering if anyone on the site is using an old antique lathe as your primary or only lathe in your shop. I don't mean something from the 1970's or even the 1950's. I am talking like late 1800's to say 1930's. plain bearing style, old iron. Don't be afraid to share pictures.
Click to expand...

I still have an 1880's F. E. REED Lathe. It was my only lathe for about 30 years. It was and still is a wonderful old iron lathe. I even used it to do some pretty cool work. Today I use it mainly as a spinner to polish steel bars and the like.
 
Susquatch said:
Pretty sure he means flipping that flat drive belt from one spool to another. It's a royal pain in the ass.
Click to expand...
That must be how the gear box that mine came with, came to be a reality...machinists getting annoyed with belt changes...
Or how other old lathes I've seen have top loader truck transmissions adapted to the job.
 
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