New lathe that I can't ID

C

cabinover

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Hi folks, new to the site. Spent half a year in machine shop in high school then went back to welding. Foolish looking back but 20/20 you know. Anyway I've been lurking and had traded some stuff for a smaller Wade lathe years ago that I just started playing with. Along comes a deal on a big lathe and smaller horizontal milling machine that I couldn't pass up.

I've looked all over this mystery machine and nowhere does it say the maker. Any of you here have any ideas?
Don't think the 3 speed transmission is original, looks like it was a line driven piece. Came out of an International Paper shop in Corinth, NY if what I was told was true.

Thanks, Bob

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Since you found it in the Northeast it's probably not too far from where it was made. I would poke around on the Vintage Machinery web site and look at the pictures from some of the lathe makers from the Worcester and Fitchburg, MA areas. It does look a bit like some of the lathes from F. E. Reed & Co. There seems to be a fair amount of corporate incest in that area so machines from several companies have similar look and feel.

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1012&tab=0
 
I've been looking too. I have a pretty good book showing many oldies in it. Some indications that it might be a Reed. It's old enough to be a threading by chaser only machine. Certainly is a hi speed steel era machine. Pretty cool!
 
Ken, I think you've hit on it. Looks very much like the 22" Engine lathe in that PDF. And it would appear that I also got most of the parts that were original, maybe all including the hand made wrench for tightening the tail stock. Yes, it does have a lead screw inside the bed. Now to find time to take the apron off and see what's going on inside. I'm guessing a worn shaft as it will traverse towards the headstock fine but gets tight and loose heading towards the tailstock. Doesn't matter where on the bed.

willthedancer, what do you mean by thread chaser machine only? It's not for cutting threads or just not good at it?

Must be the company name was painted on as there is no raised letters anywhere. Haven't come across any stamping on the bed or tailstock either yet. Will get more into it after snowmobile season hopefully, and after the kitchen cabinets are finished (the wife mentioned that part).

Thanks again guys, much appreciated.
 
cabinover said:
Ken, I think you've hit on it. Looks very much like the 22" Engine lathe in that PDF. And it would appear that I also got most of the parts that were original, maybe all including the hand made wrench for tightening the tail stock. Yes, it does have a lead screw inside the bed. Now to find time to take the apron off and see what's going on inside. I'm guessing a worn shaft as it will traverse towards the headstock fine but gets tight and loose heading towards the tailstock. Doesn't matter where on the bed.

willthedancer, what do you mean by thread chaser machine only? It's not for cutting threads or just not good at it?

Must be the company name was painted on as there is no raised letters anywhere. Haven't come across any stamping on the bed or tailstock either yet. Will get more into it after snowmobile season hopefully, and after the kitchen cabinets are finished (the wife mentioned that part).

Thanks again guys, much appreciated.
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My comment about thread chasing only was due to not seeing a leadscrew. It just makes me all the more curious....
 
The lead screw is inside the bed as Ken noted. Sorry, forgot to mention that.
 
Now that our snow has petered out apparently for the season I've been fooling around with the lathe. Tore the apron off due to some binding in the works and found a couple things going on. First seems to be the feed clutch is sticky on certain parts. Took apart, cleaned, and put back together. Now my larger issue seems to be needing some bushings. I'll snap some pics and label them so anyone wanting to follow along or donate advice will be more than welcome to. I've found back pics of aprons but no labeling so I can say "this is the one I need to make a bushing for".

One question I do have is this. On the gear that is attached to the clutch, it seems the shaft that goes out through the bushing to the clutch handle is not round according to my mic. Guess I should chuck it up and measure how far out but this should be turned back to round before making a bushing for it, shouldn't it? Only makes sense to me. Not sure if I can turn a bushing this thin though.

Brass is expensive. Thought I'd throw that out in case anyone didn't already know that.
 
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