Old lathes

Hello all,

Does anyone on the forum own or have access to an old treadle lathe? The make isn't actually important and would they be prepared to send me a good quality photo or two at decent resolution for me to include in a book I am compiling on screw cutting gearboxes?

The only images I can find are internet versions of poor quality, hedged about by copyright warnings

I can't download satisfactorily from the forum so I would appreciate help coming directly to my e mail wood_y [at] btinternet [dot] com----all lower case, no spaces and note there is an underscore between d and y

Thanking you in advance

Brian

If you don't get any responses you could try contacting Forrest Horological Club they had one on demonstration at the London Model Show last week.

**LINK**

regards Martin

Hello Brian,

I own both a no. 16 and a no. 17. Britannia, both original, but I'm afraid neither have gearboxes.

Ralph

Were there any treadle lathes with screwcutting gearboxes?

Hello Ralph,

That's wonderful news, the point I want to make in the book is that these were machines before gearboxes, indeed there would be little chance of fitting one because of the belt and the absence of a gearbox is at the heart of the picture.

So if you would send me something I would be eternally grateful. So that I can acknowledge my source please also include your name to add to my list of those I will be thanking in the book.

Kind regards

Brian

Thank you for the link Martin, I may not now need to use it

Edited By Brian Wood on 21/01/2016 16:14:45

Edited By Brian Wood on 21/01/2016 16:15:26

I can understand a shortage of treadle lathes with geared heads, but screwcutting gearboxes & back gear both can be found on some treadle lathes:

From: www.lathes.co.uk/weisser/page4.html

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 21/01/2016 17:05:04

That is or must be a rare machine. Thank you for showing it. It has to be about 1900 or a little before, Norton was only granted his patent in 1892 and the gearbox shouts Norton

Brian

Neil Wyatt:

Thank you. Your example is apparently from the 1920s but I see that Tony Griffiths is also illustrating an 1898 machine with treadle and gear box. Men were men in those days!

lathes.co.uk is a wonderful resource and I have sometimes wished it had more refined search capabilities eg "showing" it a photo of an unknown lathe with a view to identifying it.

Edited By ega on 21/01/2016 17:45:41

Hello Ralph H

Your response raised my hopes but I can't contact you. I've sent you a PM, please read your in box.

Regards

Brian

Brian,

I have sent you an email. I have an old treadle lathe, probably a Britannia 14, which had its treadle gear removed long ago, and has a small motor driving it. It does not have a screwcutting gearbox. I think it was made about the turn of the century.

It is virtually identical to: **LINK**

And it evens sounds the same!

Regards,

Bill

As mentioned above Epping Forest Horology Club had a working treadle lathe on display at LMEE (Ally pally) last week. The lathe belongs technically to one of our members and is usually on display in the foyer of our workshops. It is a Drummond lathe with full thread cutting via change wheels and has a back gear. We think this lathe to be made approx 1910 to 1920. Similar machine can be seen illustrated on the 'lathes UK' website.

If the OP would like to come and have a look at the lathe we would be delighted to show him and he can have a cup of tea with us and take a look at our interesting workshops (clock & separate watch facility).

Alternatively, I can photograph the lathe tomorrow afternoon and send the pix to him.

Hope this is of help!

Hello Bob,

Thank you very much for the invitation, but living in rural North Yorkshire rules a visit out altogether

Your offer of a picture or two though is excellent and would be really helpful.

Just to repeat my email address which is wood_y (at) btinternet (dot) com all in lower case without spaces and note there is an underscore between the d and y, the simpler handle of woody was already taken.

I look forward to seeing them

Kind regards

Brian