Storebro 15 x 36 Lathe (I think)

[Hawkeye]

My name is Mike and I'm a toolaholic ...

I made an offer today on a very interesting Swedish lathe. It has no label other than the settings for the QCGB, and those are in Swedish. The closest thing I can find on Tony Griffith's site is a GK-185, by Storebro Bruks Aktiebolag. (Spellchecker didn't like that at all.) The 185 is a gear-head with a bigger motor, but the bed casting, tailstock and apron layout are the same.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/ornmaskiner/

The machine is mounted on a factory-built wooden cabinet - actually a steel structure filled in with wood. The story is that there was a warehouse full of war-surplus machinery in Sweden and the original owner (who passed away a couple of years ago) brought one over from there. The tailstock is MT3 and extends over 5". The bed is around 11" wide.
   

The apron layout is backwards to what most of us are used to. The clutch knob on the apron face engages movement along the bed, as does the half-nut lever. The lead screw is actually 4 tpi, even though the threading chart is strictly metric. The little black knurled knob on the centre of the crossfeed shaft is the clutch for the power crossfeed.
   

The 2 HP motor is mounted inside the cabinet, belted to a three-speed gearbox. The white shift knob at the bottom of the picture selects M, H, or L. Two belts carry power to the spindle sleeve. The back gears are in good shape, although the handle apparently broke somewhere along the line and was replaced by a section of threaded rod. First project if it takes up residence in my shop. I think the spindle is MT4, with about a 2 1/4" thread.
   

The lathe comes with a lot of tooling in HSS and carbide, plus an 8" three-jaw, a 10" four-jaw, a 10" faceplate and a dog driver plate. Some pieces, the current owner, who isn't a machinist, is throwing in just because he will never use them. If he counters with a higher price, there is a two-tumbler micrometer that I'll ask for, just because it's cool.
   

Anybody read Swedish? I'm thinking it will take at least a day of trial cuts to find out all the threads I can cut with this lathe. For machining purposes, it will feed a lot slower than my Hercus, so I would expect a mirror finish.
   
   

Just waiting to hear back from him on my offer. He did say that he likes the idea of it going to someone who will appreciate it.

[EdK]

That looks like a nice find Mike. Good luck!

Ed

[Mayhem]

Nice score there Mike.

If you can send me a good crisp image of the Swedish, I can get it translated for you. Even if you hand write it and scan it.

Aktiebolag indicates that the company was listed on the stock market. Many Swedish companies have the letters AB after their name, similar to LLC or PTY LTD. So the company name would be Storebro Bruks AB. A quick search indicates they started out in 1988 and no longer exist (filed for bankruptcy in September last year). Their parent company are listed as ship builders.

[doubleboost]

That looks a nice size machine in good condition
John

[sasquatch]

Very Nice, and the cabinet is pretty decent also.

[Hawkeye]

The information I found previously indicates that the company that made the early machines started around 1900. There are web sites featuring CNC machines under the Storebro name. It looks like there have been several versions of this company over the years. I'm sure the first one went under before the internet, so a lot of information was lost, at least to easy access.

Still waiting to hear back from the seller. he just wants to make sure he's getting a good price.

[Shawn]

Nice looking lathe and cool to have something that is a bit rare ta boot. I hope he takes your offer Mike, I imagine you left room to go up a bit as well.

Shawn

[Hawkeye]

Christmas came early! The seller called up and asked if I wanted to drop over. His buddy had told him that the lathe should sell for $4 - 5000. He upped my offer to $3200, plus I help him wire in a new panel in the spring. I countered with the two-barreled mic. Done deal.

I hauled all the loose bits home. Check out my kitchen floor. I may start to gloat a little bit.
   

The usual suspects include steady rest and follow rest, 10" four-jaw and 10" faceplate, and the dog driver plate. There are a couple of tins of HSS cutters, some new, some ground to all sorts of useful profiles. Some blanks are 7/8'. Boring bars and adjustable reamers.
   
   
   

There is a full set of MT3 collets. Only a couple of them show any sign of ever being used. A brand new pair of 1-2-3 blocks, and a micrometer set that will measure up to 5", in 1" steps.
   

The seller threw in any items he didn't think he'd ever use. Brass oilers are always a good find.
   

The lead screw is adjusted through a combination of change gears and QCGB. He found the gears at the back of a drawer. All but one were in unopened bags. There are at least 10 drill chucks of various sizes.
   

Test instruments include what I assume to be a bore gauge, a set of telescoping gauges, and the unique two barreled mic.
   
   

It may be a couple of weeks before I can get the lathe home. The seller has to go to Wisconsin on Thursday. I'd prefer to move the machine in daylight, but we might push things up one way or another.

[ScrapMetal]

Sweet haul Mike. You deserve some "gloat time".

-Ron

[Micktoon]

Hi Mike , thats the way to buy a lathe, good condition and EVERYTHING you will ever need with it well done
Cheers Mick