What the heck?!?!

[Mike Cruz]

Didn't post this in D&D because I'm not posting it as a "someone go pick this up, it is a great deal" kind of thread. I'm just seriously curious about what the heck lathe this is... If you need to see the other pics, here's the link:
http:// frederick.craigslist.org/tls/3830693368.html
53" Lathe - $150 (Gardners PA)

http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3I33Nf3Ha5I25N25K5d5q927b665b6130154a.jpg (http://images.craigslist.org/3I33Nf3Ha5I25N25K5d5q927b665b6130154a.jpg)http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3F53Je3Ha5If5H25J2d5q8fdaa91e6b68124f.jpg (http://images.craigslist.org/3F53Je3Ha5If5H25J2d5q8fdaa91e6b68124f.jpg)http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3I13F43M75E55K35Mbd5r32048783a4381e71.jpg (http://images.craigslist.org/3I13F43M75E55K35Mbd5r32048783a4381e71.jpg)http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3If3M33Na5I35F35Jfd5r95bb5e6df7601b9f.jpg (http://images.craigslist.org/3If3M33Na5I35F35Jfd5r95bb5e6df7601b9f.jpg)http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3K23G73M45I55F45Hdd5r21134192a7821580.jpg (http://images.craigslist.org/3K23G73M45I55F45Hdd5r21134192a7821580.jpg)http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3M33I73L65N15Ka5F2d5rca9aa58d1a101568.jpg (http://images.craigslist.org/3M33I73L65N15Ka5F2d5rca9aa58d1a101568.jpg)
http://images.craigslist.org/3I33Nf3Ha5I25N25K5d5q927b665b6130154a.jpg
53" Lathe with base. Half horse power motor. Dual cutting area, variable sized pully for different speeds. Priced to sell - moving soon.

[Roger Chandler]

I don't have a clue what type lathe it is, but put a 2 hp motor and vfd on it and you have plenty of swing to make some large bowls/platters............uh, Mike.........are you getting a fresh bite :eek: from the lathe restoration bug? Don't you have room in your shop for one more? :D Might look good with some of that left over green and copper paint.......it could be a unique one for sure! ;)

[Harry Robinette]

Don't know but can't wait to find out. If it was on the west side of PA I would go see it and probably buy it. I only have 9.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Mike, "What the heck" is what I thought when looking at it. Looks home made and whatever the builder had for headstock and tailstock he had 2 of so they got piggy backed. I'm guessing both spindles rotate via a connecting belt. Looks pretty light duty to swing anything large. For a bipolar turner??

[curtis rosche]

Maybe a copy lathe of sorts?

[Dennis Nagle]

I can't really tell from the pix, but it almost looks like it is made of wood.

[Mike Cruz]

OMG, Dennis, I think you're right!

I suppose this is pretty much what I was wondering about... He didn't list any brand name, so I was wondering if anyone knew who made it and what model it was. Looks like a 40" swing, or more. But if it is made of wood, I can't see that there would be any stability to it.

Use as a copy lathe is what I was thinking, primarily.

And no, Roger, I have NO intentions of getting this lathe. Didn't when I posted this, and don't now. I'm "done" with restorations...at least for now. I've got WAY too many other things to be doing. Turning for instance...which I ought to go get to doing! :)

[Marvin Hasenak]

It appears some one took an old Delta lathe and added another spindle and tailstock section above the original. If you go to the 5th small photo you can see where it is scarfed together and the gap of the original bed filled in. In that 5th photo it looks like it maybe steel, but the second appears to look like wood. Hard to tell for sure, but if I was guessing I would say it started life as a Delta 46-111 of the early 1970's.

[Mike Cruz]

Okay, I just spoke with the seller. Here's the story:

It was given to him by his uncle to learn to turn on. His uncle either made it or had it made (the seller didn't know which). The bed is metal, but the rest (or at least most of the rest) is made of oak. The lower spindle is connected to the motor pulleys (stepped for speed control), but the upper spindle is connected to the lower spindle via a sprocket on each and a chain! So the upper spindle is chain driven. Go figure! It has a 36" swing, though the seller said that it was hard to turn anything of any size because it would start to shake. It weighs...ahem...about $150-200 lbs. (With a 36" swing? EEK!!!!) The lower spindle has a 12" swing, which admittedly, was probably for use as a copy lathe. He said his uncle did mostly spindle turning. He didn't much remember much of the way of bowls being made from his uncle. One other thing: With the lathe came a bunch of "Turn-o-Matic" parts. He couldn't figure out what they were used for or what to do with them. Over the years, those have "gone" away.

So, that's the story. Marvin, you might be right about it having Delta roots. The seller didn't know anything about the metal parts or their origin.

[Harry Robinette]

Mike I still think it would be interesting to have, for no other reason then to add to the collection.

[Mike Cruz]

Harry, I really have no room. But I do agree with you!

[Jim Underwood]

Frankenstein lathe, then! A ugly, scary, patched together monster!