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Lovely Boley watchmakers lathe kit - complete
- Thread starter Arbutus
- Start date
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- Tags
- classified lathe watchmaker
It's NOT complete, though.
FWIW, a complete set of collets is fifty pieces. sizes 1 through 50.
And that's just touching on what is missing for it to be complete...
This one is closer, but still not "Complete"
Yes and no, according to who? I have sets like that (Levin and Schaublin) but also very complete Boley sets that don't have that many. Here for example is a ww83 which is the large boxed offering for one of their top of the line models. i.e. they're weren't holding back on this one. Its complete boxed set as Boley sold it, as best I can tell, but that doesn't there aren't other things in the catalogue not part of the set. It would be nice to have an old Boley catalogue to see exactly what else they offered, never come across one
. I've also got a boxed Boley Geneva style that has similar complement of collets....none are missing but there aren't 50.The Levin set is by 0.1mm starting at 0.1 mm. The Boley set starts at 0.5mm, has a few of the smallest sizes with 0.1mm increments, that changes to 0.2 mm. I think Boley knew a thing or two about keeping watchmakers happy and that's how they equipped one of their top of the line packages..... I mean is there practical use for collets below 20 thou? The pivot on a balance staff can be 0.1mm diameter, but you aren't holding the staff by it.
A kit like that does qualify a bit as collecting. I'd guess 99% of watchmakers did not have sets like this, probably 95% did not have a slide rest. I've bought a few estates of pro watch makers who's lathe kits were quite modest, imo all the fancy stuff is nice but not crucial for the actual business of watch repairing.
Outside of whats in the box, there is also a vertical slide, milling spindle, miniature steady rest, dividing head and thread cutting rig with tumbler and change gears. I used that the other day to chase some 40 tpi threads on a small model part that were damaged so its not just collecting. It was a kijiji find for small dollars.....one of my better deals lol.
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Thanks. Just paint, and I converted the spindle to P4 AC's. Factory was deep groove P4's, conversion to angular contact bearings involved making and grinding spacers. This is one of the few 8mm lathes that uses rolling element bearings. Bearings on the motor and counter shaft were also changed, regular deep groove bearings (because they are inexpensive enough and easy enough to change, worth doing while its all apart) Couple of shots of the process
Checking the spacer size - quite the difference in headstocks!
Checking the spacer size - quite the difference in headstocks!
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I have a few catalogs from the 1940-1950's time frame, that have Boley stuff in them. And Levin, Marshall, and a bunch more makers.... Was pretty heavy in to watchmaking and clockmaking stuff for a while. The catalogs came from some groups of literature I picked up over the years.Yes and no, according to who? I have sets like that (Levin and Schaublin) but also very complete Boley sets that don't have that many. Here for example is a ww83 which is the large boxed offering for one of their top of the line models. i.e. they're weren't holding back on this one. Its complete boxed set as Boley sold it, as best I can tell, but that doesn't there aren't other things in the catalogue not part of the set. It would be nice to have an old Boley catalogue to see exactly what else they offered, never come across one
The Levin set is by 0.1mm starting at 0.1 mm. The Boley set starts at 0.5mm, has a few of the smallest sizes with 0.1mm increments, that changes to 0.2 mm. I think Boley knew a thing or two about keeping watchmakers happy and that's how they equipped one of their top of the line packages..... I mean is there practical use for collets below 20 thou? The pivot on a balance staff can be 0.1mm diameter, but you aren't holding the staff by it.
A kit like that does qualify a bit as collecting. I'd guess 99% of watchmakers did not have sets like this, probably 95% did not have a slide rest. I've bought a few estates of pro watch makers who's lathe kits were quite modest, imo all the fancy stuff is nice but not crucial for the actual business of watch repairing.
Outside of whats in the box, there is also a vertical slide, milling spindle, miniature steady rest, dividing head and thread cutting rig with tumbler and change gears. I used that the other day to chase some 40 tpi threads on a small model part that were damaged so its not just collecting. It was a kijiji find for small dollars.....one of my better deals lol.
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Gonna suggest that the "Kit", like all such kits, has contents tailored to covering as many options as possible, rather than being an all in one, 'Complete' assortment of tooling. Like any such kits, one bought according to means, and need.
When you have the wrong size collets, things like that broken off pot collet happen. Ouch!
My first foray in to WW pattern lathes was a Marshall Peerless WW, with a collet holding tailstock, three slide top rest, and a fair assortment of collets as well as a watchmakers face plate and a 3 jaw chuck. For the grand price of 125 dollars! I did OK!
I have added a few pieces to the kit, but have not been able to justify a nice milling spindle or indexing spindle yet, so yeah, a bit jealous! 
That Leinen is a pretty sharp looking piece of gear! Nice!