What machine tools are these?

Wow! thank you all so much for your response this is a great help!

Nigel - Its beginning to feel like Narnia! you are indeed correct the box in the BSA picture is another attachment for the tool.

For the last few pictures the mounting lugs do sit on an angle not just my bad photography ha!

I will go on the search for any engraving in the casting and see if I can come across anything.

The mystery object is part of a selection of parts that we have came across from Ornamental Turning lathes... another research hole that we are currently in.

Mark - thank you for pointing that piece out. We will have a look to see if we can find the plane to go along with it and post any pictures we find.

Andrew J - I'll pop another few pictures below of the BSA item.

Andrew, Nigel,

The BSA grinding fixture is shown with, what I believe to be, a boring tip sub fixture. I would be interested to see what the boxed attachment is next to the base tool.

Just as a Snap!

This my unit and there are 3 sub fixtures used with it, one is the boring bar tip grinder, one is a 'nest' for the re-grinding of Coventry dies (top rake) and one is a die lead angle grinder attachment. They all fit into the front slot, and are made with a fixed angle for top rake or lead accordingly.

Don't forget that following the DTI 'White Heat of Technology' programme instigated under Tony Wedgewood Benn around 1967 that Herberts' became 'Herbert BSA' group as the UK MTI was forced into mergers to establish a stronger scale of manufacturing and purchasing efficiency. Churchill Grinders of Altringham were also subsumed at a later date. Who can forget that sickly Magenta corporate colour of the 'new generation' Herbert BSA' group?

Meanwhile, whilst all this was happening, we at the Edgwick plant were developing the worlds first truly CNC machining centres and lathes - The Batchmatic 75 - 250, launched in 1972 but development units were in production environment with Rolls Royce at Derby, Associated Engineering at Ringwood, and at the BSA Armoury Road plant from 1969ish. These machines were a sea change to the former products, no cast iron beds weathered for 2 years anymore but fabricated from rolled steel and - shock, horror! welded - just like those pesky Japanese machine tools that wore out in 3 to 4 years!

Enough of history though, the tool in question was a universal tool grinder for many 'application specific' uses not covered by normal grinding fixtures, probably a little more 'useful' than the Herbert die head only unit.

Martin

I've got one of these too. It looks like a NAMCO thread chaser grinding fixture. I bought mine thinking I repurpose into something useful. At the moment it's a doorstop. Sorry the picture isn't too clear, but the photo in the bottom right shows it being used.

The blue grey item in the last couple of photographs is the main part of a Jones & Shipman X9 radius grinding attachment. This is designed to fit the J&S 310 or 310T tool and cutter grinder and is used to grind radii onto milling cutters. As supplied it comes with numerous fittings to allow the cutters to be mounted and set-up, these are not present in the photographs.

Jss,

That makes sense as BSA were reknown for their Auto lathes and the Namco chaser system was frequently, if not almost exclusively, used on Auto's.

I was always impressed by the six spindle vertical BSA Auto we had at Herbert's main plant. It was an amazing machine to see in operation. The tool holder that came my way was probably, as you suggest for yours, repurposed.

Martin

Martin - we have checked the chucks and you are 100% correct with the make! I have posted pictures below we actually had 2 although one is missing a tooth

Also... the so called attachment box turned out to actually be the blocks that go into the shaft on the bottom to hold it it place! whoops

Lindsay,

Wow! Nice find. I thought I recognised the chuck and it looks like it hasn't been abused. They are superb second operation chucks for castings and are built like the proverbial brick outhouse. If it dates from the early to mid 60's the jaw slots were machined next to where I worked. Probably tripped over them on the way in in the morning!

I want one!

Martin

You must have an eye for them to spot it!

We are going to be selling the majority of these items in the very near future so if you are interested in them please let me know as we won't be keeping these ones before we advertise them

Lindsay

It's rather fun this. A sort of big puzzle-set.

I am sure the Society of Ornamental Turners will be very interested in what you have in that field; and if you intend selling that equipment would find loving homes for it.

(BTW I learnt not long ago that King George III, the allegedly-"mad" one, was an accomplished ornamental-turner, taught by a French specialist, and at least some of his work is in the Royal Collection.)

Hi, nice chuck and it looks as if four of the jaws that I have like the one below would fit it.

I don't have one of these chucks myself but I got these jaws along with a few carriers for them a and fair few larger carriers with a load of used soft jaws in a box that was part of a auction lot of 3 or 4 other chucks several years ago, one of which was a four jaw one, which was the one that I wanted. most of the soft jaws and many other chuck jaws, went to the scrappy as they were not of much use and didn't fit anything I had. I kept these and and all the other carriers and some decent soft jaws and a few unused soft jaws.

Regards Nick.