Cleaning up my old lathe

[Mayhem]

I had posted about this lathe over on the PM site when I first got her, hoping that someone may be able to provide some information on her heritage.

Yesterday I received an email notification of a new reply and it seems there is another Australian out there with a similar lathe. What was more interesting was that he referred to his as a "Willson" lathe.

This morning, I see there has been another reply, this time with a link to some info on the Willson from www.lathes.co.uk Whilst there is only 1 photo of the lathe, it does look like mine. Especially the bed and the tail stock. The nameplate appears to have been placed on the door of the headstock pedestal, which is missing from my lathe.

Here is the post on PM

Here is the page from lathe.co.uk

[sasquatch]

Interesting post Mayhem, Keep us posted on this please.

[TomG]

Wow, an interesting development!

It looks like the Wilson name is cast into the bed on the one over at PM, but there were likely many variations made. At least you have a name to focus on for your research.

Tom

[Mayhem]

Now how the hell did I miss the name on that one?

[stevec]

(12-01-2012, 11:24 PM)Mayhem Wrote: Now how the hell did I miss the name on that one?

Easy to miss Darren, I went back, expanded the pics to full size and I still can't see it.
Good news on the provenance though.

[Mayhem]

OK - well time to add to this thread.

One of the things that my lathe doesn't have is carriage locks of any description. My lathe has flat ways, with a dovetail on the front edge. There are two large gibbs, one at each end of the saddle, as shown below:

   

Here is one of the gibbs from when I tore her down. The bolts that hold the wipers (which I have to make) are 5/16" (the ones there were just to test the thread - the real ones would be much shorter).

   

Basically, I cannot see any way to lock the carriage from the front/top and it looks like I need to go to the rear/top and make a clamp that pulls up on the bar that runs beneath the rear way.

   

Looking from the top, there is already a hole that passes through the carriage and the bar. I'm not sure what this was for originally, nor do I know what the three smaller holes around it were for either. They have broken fasteners in them. I did wonder if coolant was piped through here?

   

So - anyone have any thoughts on using this as a carriage lock?

[EdK]

No thoughts on using that hole but could you make something that bolts to the side of the saddle for a carriage lock?

Ed

[TomG]

Darren,

That hole looks like the perfect spot for a carriage lock. Throw a square head bolt in there like the ones used by South Bend and you have an instant carriage lock. You may need to mod the part underneath to get it to clamp against the bottom of the way.

I thought about a bracket on the side as Ed suggested, but that would cut down on the reach of your tailstock. It might also be tough to design something that didn't influence the position of the carriage when tightened.

Tom

[EdK]

(03-09-2013, 11:21 AM)TomG Wrote: Darren,

I thought about a bracket on the side as Ed suggested, but that would cut down on the reach of your tailstock. It might also be tough to design something that didn't influence the position of the carriage when tightened.

Tom

That's a good point Tom.

Ed

[Mayhem]

I actually forgot to post a follow up to this project, probably because my efforts failed. However, I discovered some pics on my phone today whilst getting some others off, so I thought I would post an update.

I managed to make up a shaft and handle that threads into a block of steel, which sits beneath the bottom of the rear way. When tightened, it pulls up on the gib, pressing it against the way. When tight, the carriage can still move

Back to the drawing board I guess...