Name that Lathe!

[Jeff Wille]

I have used a hand-me-down lathe for quite some time now, but I have always been curious about what brand it is. I am guessing it's a model "273" because some of the parts, like the one pictured, are numbered like "273-#".
Any thoughts?

--Jeff Wille

[David Christopher]

Jeff, I dont know what kind it is but its a cool little lathe.....what kind of things do you make on it ???

[Jeff Wille]

It's been a good lathe. Actually, it's a 48-incher. One cool thing about it is that you could put in a set of pipes of any length if you wanted to make something longer.
I have used it for making train replica parts. The engine of this train has a lot of lathe work including the boiler, smokestack, sand dome, the bell parts, flag poles, and the wheels - 42 small ones and 4 big ones. It was a very fun project.

[Dean Thomas]

Parts of an old Shopsmith product. 10E or 10ER without any of the rest of the machine.

[David Christopher]

It's been a good lathe. Actually, it's a 48-incher. One cool thing about it is that you could put in a set of pipes of any length if you wanted to make something longer.
I have used it for making train replica parts. The engine of this train has a lot of lathe work including the boiler, smokestack, sand dome, the bell parts, flag poles, and the wheels - 42 small ones and 4 big ones. It was a very fun project.

Im impressed, that is very nice work

[Jeff Wille]

Thanks Dean, but I looked at these models on the net, and I definitely don't have a Shopsmith 10E or 10ER. There are some similarities, but my lathe is not as large or heavy-duty. Thanks!

[phil harold]

how about a record?
they had two crome rods for the bed and blue castings

but the rods looked heavier on a record

maybe it is an American Machine & Tool Co., Inc.

http://www.owwm.com/photoindex/detail.aspx?ID=6585

[Dean Thomas]

What I specifically said was "Parts of an old Shopsmith machine."

These are commonly taken apart to become stand-alone tools. Take the top rack (what is seen here), lose the lathe stuff and add a table. Voila, you have a drill press that can be dedicated and nailed to the wall without the underparts. Add longer tubes and you have an extended length lathe. COMMON.

Looking at your pix, you see the very same parts and pieces that allow the machine to rotate up to drill press mode. The U-shape part of the piece that connects the tubes at one end appears to be very close to the design used to lock down with Shopsmith's locking mechanism.

I may be wrong, it happens. :)

[Allen Neighbors]

It also looks exactly like my old Sears Lathe... tailstock, toolrest, tube bracket on the tailstock end, headstock pulley, spearpoint... all of it. I do believe it was made by the American Machine and Tool Company (AMT).

[guy knight]

reminds me of my first lathe when i was 13 if only i knew you had to sharpen your tools

[William Payer]

I have used a hand-me-down lathe for quite some time now, but I have always been curious about what brand it is. I am guessing it's a model "273" because some of the parts, like the one pictured, are numbered like "273-#".
Any thoughts?

--Jeff Wille


Jeff,

I bought one of those in the late 70's. It was manufatured by AMT tools and sold by Sears catalogs. It had 48" tubes that were very unstable. Talk about vibration and shake!

The original tailstock point is interesting. It is a removable center that rides on a single ball bearing at its end. The one shown in your pic is not the one that came with it.

The spindle pulleys had a sheet metal cover over them.
I wish this post occured a couple of years back as I had it sitting in the basement and finally threw it out after salvaging a couple parts for another guy on another forum.

Good luck with it!

[curtis rosche]

looks to me like a craftsman tube lathe with out any gaurds or astetic parts

[robert hainstock]

I used one for years, I thinks the original cost was around 40 bucks, and I powered it with a third HP washing machine motor.
Very nice work on the train. :):):)
Bob

[Rod Sheridan]

The only lathe I know of with a name was when I worked in the maintenance department of a factory.

There was an enormous metal lathe, with a platform that you stood on in front of it.

It was used to machine conveyor rollers etc.

It had a 25 HP motor that drove a 4 step flat belt pulley that went into a 4 speed gearbox.

The lathe had a nice sign that said "Big Bertha".

You might want to name your lathe something else.:D

Regards, Rod.

[Jeff Wille]

Thanks to all who gave suggestions/info about the brand of my lathe! I do agree with the Sears/AMT name. I just did some online searching using those names and I've seen my lathe come up a bunch. It's been a nice lathe for what I do, and I don't plan on replacing it. If anyone ever comes across another, I'd be interested in any spare parts.

Thanks!!