Old machinery question - oval handle manufacturing

[Jim Underwood]

For several years I've been looking for a old machine that will cut oval handles for hammers and hatchets. So far no luck. Thought I'd post a question here so if any old timers remember seeing such a thing they could possibly give me a nudge in the right direction?

I'm pretty sure there are old machines out there that do this, but have not seen one personally. I'm also certain that nowadays they use CNC copy lathes or something like it and batch 'em out by the hundreds. I'm looking for the precursor for that kind of thing.... Say 1940-1950's or so...

Basically I'm just looking for a design or a name or possibly just a source of info.

Thanks,

[Brian Ross]

If you go to the website of
www.tealpaddles.com (http://www.tealpaddles.com)

They have a picture of a paddle lathe which I think is something like you are looking for. Scrool to the bottom of the opening page and click on the manufacturing process.

Brian

[Phil Pritchard]

I don't know if they were ever sold in the USA but the famous British manufacturer of copy turning lathes were W.A.Fell of Windermere. There are two different types of machines - the copy lathe which used a head with a spinning fly cutter and copied from a template (but the template and workpiece both turn slowly in unison whilst the fly cutter does the work) and the off centre lathe which allows work to be turned on multiple centres. If you are only doing a few a pattern maker's lathe with a tool carraige couuld be set-up to do the same very easily. If you are doing hundreds then you'll need some form of copy lathe.

This is the sort of progression required for off-centre turning:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c258/Real_Scrit/UK%20Workshop%20Images/OffCentreTurningProgression.jpg

Arrisses (sharp edges) are taken off on a pneumatic bobbon sander

Phil

[Rick Lizek]

The oval turning technique works fine for small editions. There are copy lathes used in other industires such as gun stock making which uses patterns. The pattern is traced by a follower and a rotating knife makes the copy. The lathes we ran at Savage Arms would make 4 copies at a time. They were then sanded on a pneumatic drum type sander. I think he means bobbin sander. A booboin sander is actually an oscillating spindle sander which is not the same as a ballon sander. Not really
an oldtimer but do bridge the gap between the old timers and new timers?

[Jim Underwood]

I'm pretty sure (actually I haven't a clue) that this would be a machine similar to the gun stock duplicator you mention.

Somewhere there's got to be an original of this type of machine that made only one copy at a time though. That's sorta what I'm looking for.

Maybe I need to go to the Old Wood Working Machine website and do some poking around...

I'll follow the leads y'all mention and see where it gets me...

Thanks for the help guys,

[Charles McKinley]

I have seen one and even got a handle that was made by it, though it was lost long ago. There used to be a Threshermen's Dinner and Steam show in our town. Had all sorts of neat old tools, Hammer handle maker, Shingle splitter, and a baler that was powered buy two horses that walked around in a big circle. OWWM is where I would look first then the Steam engine and Antique tractor sites.

Happy hunting,

BTW are you looking to buy or just for information?

[Phil Pritchard]

I think he means bobbin sander. A booboin sander is actually an oscillating spindle sander which is not the same as a ballon sander. Not really an oldtimer but do bridge the gap between the old timers and new timers?
Before the introdution of pneumatic balloon sanders the job would have been done using a combination of oscillating bobbin and short centre belt sander with the spindle wrapped in a deformable felt. This is how a local firm near here still makes wooden clog soles.

Phil

[Phil Pritchard]

Somewhere there's got to be an original of this type of machine that made only one copy at a time though. That's sorta what I'm looking for.
These machines were designed for high volume production. One at a time and high volume production don't go together.

Good hunting

Phil

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

You could build a router follower easily enough from some shafting and linear bearings. It would of course require you to flip the piece for each side..

[Jim Underwood]

Charles, that machine you mention sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. Did it make one handle at a time, or did it make several?

And yes, I may have a buyer if the price is right.

Failing that, I might make one.:cool:

[Charles McKinley]

One at a time and it sent chips flying. Mind you this was 1978, Clintonville's 150th anniversary. Sure doesn't seem possible that it was 29 years ago. I was 8.

I'll ask a friend of mine that had a steam engine if he knew who had it.