PDA

View Full Version : A Different sort of lathe....


John Toigo
10-31-2010, 4:21 PM
I'm just about finished with this and had the chance to take a few pictures today. A friend of mine in upstate NY picked it up for me last winter and it took about 8 months for it to wend it's way down here to me. There is no maker's mark nor any casting marks on it to identify it so the maker remains unknown. I'm guessing it's around 1900-1920 vintage although it could be older. Anyway - I cleaned & repainted it & built a new bed for it. I have just 8' between centers and 8" clear to the the bed. Next I'll set it in place & hang the countershaft & build some kind of mount for the motor. I thought you turners might be interested in seeing it.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x286/Fencer257/9-01-10/P1010204.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x286/Fencer257/9-01-10/P1010205.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x286/Fencer257/9-01-10/P1010206.jpg

This is the countershaft with a couple of very cool oilers....

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x286/Fencer257/9-01-10/P1010207.jpg

And the motor... A vintage Brown & Brockmayer.....

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x286/Fencer257/9-01-10/P1010208.jpg
Steve Vaughan
10-31-2010, 4:34 PM
That is very cool. I love the old stuff! Hope you get some good use out of it.
Steve Kubien
10-31-2010, 4:40 PM
I may get cooler than this, but I'm not sure how. Well done on the restoration.
David DeCristoforo
10-31-2010, 4:42 PM
Way sweet! Ernie Conover must have copped this design when he designed the one he sold for a while.
Kyle Iwamoto
10-31-2010, 6:05 PM
WOW!!! Way cool.....
I'd hate to use it and get CA all over that beautiful wood.....
John Toigo
10-31-2010, 7:19 PM
Heh. The wood is dunnage I got from a marine terminal in Newark. It was blocking in containers that came from Spain carrying wind turbines. AND.... it was free. They were glad for me to haul it away.
Bernie Weishapl
10-31-2010, 7:29 PM
That is a beauty. Really well done on the restoration. Please post when you get the motor on and running.
Dave Parkis
10-31-2010, 8:54 PM
That is sweet!!
Baxter Smith
10-31-2010, 10:37 PM
Nice job on the restoration!
James Combs
10-31-2010, 10:49 PM
You say the wood is salvaged dunage but is the resulting wood base the same design as the original or just your best guess? In any case it is a sweet looking machine that anyone would be proud to own.
Duff Bement
11-01-2010, 7:33 AM
I would say you have older model Conover. I looks a lot like mine.
John Keeton
11-01-2010, 8:29 AM
John, from a former flatworker than enjoys handcut dovetails (or, at least I seem to recall loving them?!?!:o - been awhile!), I really like the way you joined the ways to the legs!! Nice work!

This is going to be a very nice setup!
John Toigo
11-01-2010, 7:55 PM
I never saw whatever the original base for the lathe looked like. The bed was long gone when my friend in Buffalo picked it up for me. Usually this sort of lathe came without a bed and the owner fabricated one of whatever size they needed. I copied the legs from the legs you can see in the first picture. They're a very vintage set of Garvin legs.

As far as the dovetails go.... I cut them free hand with a circular saw.
alex carey
11-01-2010, 8:27 PM
beautiful lathe. nice resto job.
David DeCristoforo
11-01-2010, 8:54 PM
"I would say you have older model Conover...."

Conover lathes did not have flat belt pulleys! Here's some pics of one:

http://bedair.org/ConoverLathe/Conover.html

But there is no question as to the similarity of the design.