Looks like a Hendey, but it's not! It's a Vernon lathe made in Worcester, Massachusetts

stevewatr

stevewatr

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Here is another lathe I just had to have. The Vernon machine company was started by Vernon Prentice around 1916 in Worcester, Ma. They only built lathes, and drill presses from what I could find for information online. The company has nothing to do with the Vernon milling machines of the 40's. Here is video shot on the day I brought it home. It's in pieces at the moment:

[video=youtube;4Y7KZnuboeE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y7KZnuboeE[/video]
 
I wonder what the relationship your lathe has to the Vernon Manufacturing Co. of Los Angeles , CA?

Randy

Vernon Plate.jpg
 
randyjaco said:
I wonder what the relationship your lathe has to the Vernon Manufacturing Co. of Los Angeles , CA?

Randy
Click to expand...

Hello Randy,
No relationship at all. Vernon machine was named after Vernon Prentice, and was incorporated about 1915. They made lathes and drill presses, only for a short run of a few years.

Vernon manufacturing was named after the town of Vernon, CA, a suburb of Los Angelos (with the smallest population of any incorporated city in the state). They made mills and jig borers, and were eventually absorbed by Sheldon.

Steve.
 
Would that have anything to do with the Vernon Hotel in worcester same family perhaps?
 
Ebel440 said:
Would that have anything to do with the Vernon Hotel in worcester same family perhaps?
Click to expand...

Wow, you know that place?

The Hotel is named after Vernon square (the former name of Kelley square). The area is called Vernon Hill, but I do not know why….yet. My brother frequented that establishment, that's how I know it. In fact, he died there. It's a little rough around the edges, lots of roofers, and construction trade guys. My brother and his crew started going there after something happened at their other hangout….right across the street. I thought it was called Molly's? I think it's now the Grey Hound Pub. Every teenager should have to navigate Kelly square in order to receive a driver's license.

http://worcestermag.com/2007/05/17/saving-the-soul-of-the-hotel-vernon/3844

Steve.
 
IMG_2023.JPG IMG_2002.JPG IMG_2023.JPG I picked up a vernon lathe on cl for $1. I am in the process of cleaning and adjusting etc. The bed looks very good and there is just a tiny bit of backlash on the cross slide and none on the compound. It came with a decent Cushman three jaw chuck which is mounted on a driver plate. This is probably because it has odd 1-1/2 x 10 tpi threads. It had been in use until recently.

Did your lathe have felt strips attached to the inside of the bearing caps? Mine has no felt and the oil runs right through.

Here are some pictures:
 
That looks quite a bit different than mine. maybe yours is an even earlier model. but the bearing caps look similar in design . There were no felt strips present on mine. But then again , maybe they were removed. there were no shims, and i had to make some to get proper clearance.

Steve.
 
Stevewatr, Hi. I have read your posts and watched a good number of your videos concerning your Vernon lathe as I was in the proccess of buying one my self and of course information is rather scarce on these machines.

Though mine seems more closely related to pmat's lathe and must either be older or a more basic model.

The seller listed it as a 1921 but I dont know where he got the info except perhaps from his father who owned it before.

Thanks for all the information you shared, even if only a hand full of these things exist today.
 
Hi, it's interesting that one of these lathes made in Worcester MA. Made its way out to Nebraska. Information I saw somewhere said that Vernon was only in business between 1916 and 1920.
 
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