Got A Mystery Tool With A Lathe-like Feel... Help

[Christian Poulsen]

I used to have an old Allen Electric armature lathe. It was not too special but it got the job done on regularly repairing the generator and starter on my MGB. It had a Lucas electrical system. You know, "Lucas, the prince of darkness." 8^)

Cool! ...Loooong ago I had a 66' Triumph Spitfire but after that I had a 61' Morris Minor "Mini" (Panel) Van (Yellow with black pin stripes and a header! (...PS: SU Carbs. "The prince of darkness's cousin"

 

[Bob Korves]

Cool! ...Loooong ago I had a 66' Triumph Spitfire but after that I had a 61' Morris Minor "Mini" (Panel) Van (Yellow with black pin stripes and a header! (...PS: SU Carbs. "The prince of darkness's cousin"

I always liked the Morris Minor panel "woodies." I had a Thames van for a long time, slow but rugged. Like a front engine, forward control, VW van. I can sync and tune SU carbs with nothing but a piece of vacuum hose with one end in my ear and the other alternately just inside the two inlets, no Unisyn needed, but I think I still have one here someplace, and some extra bronze fuel needles as well. The good old days, well old anyway...

 

[Christian Poulsen]

I needed you as a neighbor back then! (to tune those SU's!)... (Later, I did get fairly good rebuilding (yada, yada) 600 to 850 Holley Double Pumpers though)

 

[Christian Poulsen]

...but getting back to this subject title, I can't say I know much about it...
...except (Hey! I heard that!) Back in the day of a half dozen slot car raceways around here, I gave rewinding the armatures of my 1/24 scale car motors a shot (Bigger diameter wire, less windings meant go faster (But burn up quicker)...Or was it vicy versy?

 

[jhuston]

Larger wires would have less resistance, at any rate.
I mainly use the shop armature lathe; I've turned everything from small power tool armatures,


to repulsion induction motors like this Century1/2 hp.


I even turned the armature in the RI motor that I'm fitting to my new metal lathe,




-James Huston

 

[silverforgestudio]

to repulsion induction motors like this Century1/2 hp.


-James Huston

James- I have 3 of those "old" Century 1/2 hp motors- any use for them other than boat anchor?

 

[jhuston]

Silverforgestudio,
Century motors are usually quite rebuildable ( I can't say I've ever seen a dead one; the one in my photo sat on the dirt floor of a leaking barn for many years before I got it). Like all repulsion induction motors, they excel at applications where they must start under a load, as they have excellent starting torque. They will also tolerate voltage drops that would damage a capacitor start motor. If you ever plan to restore an older machine, they're a great choice ( the one I have is going to power the feed on a Fay and Egan planer); if you don't use them, some one else likely would .
-James Huston

 

[Dabbler]

Hey silverforgestudio, they have real value... I have 4 of them in the shop - and they still run well! They are a little less efficient at turning electrons into torque, but they do a great job in general purpose applications. If I was closer to you I'd offer to buy them from you! I love them!

 

[FOMOGO]

You know, "Lucas, the prince of darkness." 8^)

Every British car I've ever owned or worked on always seemed to have a glove box full of switches, relays, and other misc. electrical components. Mike

 

[ogberi]

The Prince of Darkness.. Nevermind if the headlights short out, you can see your way home by the guttering electrical fire under the bonnet.