Antique Benchtop Lathe.

[Russell Neyman]

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My Woodturning friend, Darrel Wood, pulled this extremely old lathe out from a corner of his shop, and I'm wondering if any of you have any ideas about age or manufacturer. It has no manufacturers marks, or patent numbers. The "drive" side has only oiled bushings and no ball bearings. I wouldn't be surprised if this dates to the mid-1800's.
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[Marvin Hasenak]

I would bet money that it was "cobbled" together from parts. The headstock almost screams "homemade".

[Russell Neyman]

I would bet money that it was "cobbled" together from parts. The headstock almost screams "homemade".

Of course, that's a possibility, but some parts are cast and the ways are pretty precise. I'm betting somebody will come up with an image of another just like this.

[Mel Fulks]

Back in 1950s and a little later there were full page black and white ads of very cheap machines. Probably had 20 different machines on one page. All shown with drawings,no photos. Tail stock looks like it's from their lathe . Not sure where all that stuff was made. I think your lathe was home made using a tail stock of the type in the ad.
Ads were in magazines like Popular Mechanics.

[Bruce Page]

Judging by the angle iron, welding, & pillow blocks I would date it closer to the mid 1900's or later. Except for the tailstock casting it looks homemade to me.

[Marvin Hasenak]

I have collected about 20 old iron bench top lathes, all have cast headstocks, that is why I say the headstock is homemade. I checked all of them, none have that tailstock design, close but not a winner. There is one old lathe that had double tubes for the ways, but the name escapes me.

[Russell Neyman]

Your thoughts are appreciated, Marvin, but the welds and finish aren't consistent with something made in someone's garage. Also, the headstock and tailstock are both painted red, but there's only a single coat of paint anywhere, leading me to believe nothing has been re-purposes. Let's see what insights others have to offer.

[Geoff Whaling]

Russell, I think your comments about the welding not looking home made well and truly preclude the "mid 1800's" date and put it into mid 1900's as the only welding available in the 1800's was a blacksmiths hammer forge welding (Google welding history). My thoughts are at earliest post WW1 given that you say the headstock is welded.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Your thoughts are appreciated, Marvin, but the welds and finish aren't consistent with something made in someone's garage. Also, the headstock and tailstock are both painted red, but there's only a single coat of paint anywhere, leading me to believe nothing has been re-purposes. Let's see what insights others have to offer.

Who ever made it was a perfectionist, the welds are pretty good. As to the welds looking so good and not homemade, I have friends that can weld that good and they are farmers and ranchers. I was an accountant, but my step father was a certified oilfield welder, even I can weld that good. As to the one coat of paint, as I said he/she was a perfectionist, they would have stripped the paint off the "reused" tailstock. If they had the ability to cast the tailstock and then machine it, why would they weld up the headstock?

If I was guessing, the bearings on headstock went bad and the shaft was marred on the original lathe, somebody picked it up for scrap prices and build the headstock. I grew up with people that lived through the Depression, I have seen a lot of "rebuilt" tools and tooling. Some of them were still repurposing "stuff" when they passed.