Antique lathe question

[Brian Novotny]

I found an antique Delta/Rockwell that is in a condition so good that it looks like a nicely restored classic car. Do people buy old lathes as collectibles? The only thind missing is the banjo/tool rest, but the price is incredibly low.

2 questions:

Do people collect lathes like this? And how much do you guys think it's worth?

What is the foot pedal? is it a clutch and would that add value?

heres the pic

http://www.myphoto.com/pupils777/5943/34736

[curtis rosche]

thats a $300 machine. the foot pedal controls the speed and also acts as a deadmans switch should you die at the lathe from to much fun. get it

[Phil Labowski]

foot pedal reminds me of a sewing machine, but I have no idea of the value.

[curtis rosche]

if it wasnt restored it would be about $100-150. fully restored like that is about $300-500. 500 if everything is included and it is in mint condition, nothin missing and nothing ever replaced. i watch things like this over at www.owwm.org (http://www.owwm.org).

[Brian Novotny]

ok.

This guy must be pretty out of it because he is asking $1300 with no pedal and not in as good as shape.
eBay, Delta Rockwell 46-525 12" Variable Speed Lathe, item # 390071507448

If the one I was looking at is only worth $300 (which is the going price of a jet 1014 used here) what delta/rockwells are worth the most? the 46-111 's are selling like crazy in awful shape for about $400. And when you say $300, does that mean that it would sell easily for that price or it would be something that you'd have to sit on?

[Dick Strauss]

Brian,
Pricing may change a bit from place to place. In my area, I've seen unrestored gap bed Deltas that were selling for for $100-$250. Restored and complete machines are in the $250-$500 neighborhood AFAIK. There are folks that think their lathes are worth $1000+ on CL/Ebay but I don't take them seriously.

Your example is missing a banjo and toolrest. If I were in the market for one of those, I might be willing to go $250-$300 for that lathe. If you want the original banjo it will probably run you at least $100 and figure in $50 for the missing toolrest. They have a 12" swing which is smallish nowadays. The gap bed insert seems to be missing as well. The 16" swing in the gap area is really not useable except for platters (assuming you don't use a 4-jaw chuck). The steady rest is a plus! I think the foot switch is a simple on/off switch and not a speed control. This machine has a reeves drive to change speeds and I don't see a VFD for additional speed control.

Check to make sure it isn't set up for three phase power. If it is three phase, this makes the machine undesirable for most folks since most people can't run the machine on home power.

FYI- Ebay links are not allowed!

[curtis rosche]

take a look at the Bring out your dead section of the www.owwm.org (http://www.owwm.org) forum. you can find tons of older deltas there for 300,. just ask and you should get at least 2-3 offers

[Wilbur Pan]

Banjos and tool rests for Delta lathes are pretty easy to come by, if all you're looking for is function and not collectibility.

My feeling is that a fair asking price for that lathe is a bit higher than the $300 that has been mentioned. I've seen a number of Reeves drive Delta lathes go for more than that in good shape.

The other factor to take into account is that you're out on the West coast, where vintage machinery does not seem to be as plentiful as here in the Northeast, which is where most of the <$300 Delta lathes seem to be.

If you're just looking for a lathe to turn on, there are a lot of options that will give you the same or more functionality as this lathe will, especially if you're interested in bowl turning more than spindle work.

[Brian Novotny]

If I buy it, it will just be for resale. Really horrible delta 46-111 lathes fly off of craigslist so fast it's unbelievable and I've never seen one this nice on craiglist.....with a chuck, spindle rest, and anything so old that looks like a low rider pimped it out! Someone will want this just to show off IMO

[neil mackay]

people collect anything and everything, keep it long enough and it will be a antique if its not one now :)

[Brian Weaver]

I love the fact its considered an antique! I have 2 of them, ones just sitting the other I use all the time. I picked them both up for $75 one was completely missing the tailstock the other was missing the guts out of the tail stock but there was enough there that my brother who is a machinist was able to fix it. Both lathes came with several face plates extra tool rests and 2 sets of tools. The one you linked to in your original post looks like its also missing the door over the motor and it also looks like it has had some major electrical work done but that could all be related to the foot pedal.

[Brian Novotny]

I'm not sure, but I think with cars, over 30 years old is considered an antique. Does anybody know if the smithsonian has old tools?

[george wilson]

I do not think the lathe had a gap insert. You may want to check with Delta about the cost of the missing banjo. If it is one of their "historic parts" it may cost a bundle. They want ridiculous prices for those parts. I expect other banjos would work,though.

[Brian Weaver]

My dad has a Jet JWL-1236 sitting right across the room from my Delta, I slid his tail stock on to mine and its a perfect match I even slid it up and matched up the center points of the headstock and tailstock. so I would imagine the banjo would work also.