What have I found ?

Hi there. Not an engineer but I have always been messing about with anything with an engine all my life. I have restored 2 series one land rovers in the last 10 years/

Following the passing of my Mother In Law I have been clearing the house and found some equipment used by my late father in law, He was mid way through building to large scale traction engines when he passed away over 35 years ago.

Here is the first item, from his shed. Any idea what this is?

Sorry about the picture being on its side!

I have few other items including a Colchester lathe. More later

Edited By John Stevenson on 07/11/2016 17:30:13

The base, up to the rotary table, is a BCA/Excel type jig borer. What the home made bit above it does I can't quite see, yet!

Hi

Here is another shot. It looks like most of the machinery found so far had been adapted somehow.

Edited By John Stevenson on 07/11/2016 17:31:16

Yes it's a jig borer but the head is missing. If you can find a milling spidle taht attaches solidly to teh moving vertical bit, you will have a very capable bench mill.

Neil

P.S. welcome to the forum!

Yes, as Neil says, this is potentially a very nice item for milling small precise parts...take a look at the illustrations on the 'lathes uk' site and then see if you can find the other bits. You are looking for the spindle housing on it's slide which will have a backplate that matches the top of the main blue casting. Also there was/is a special motor mount that pivots for optimum belt traction.

......These are sought after and quite valuable tools now for good reasons.

Edited By Bob Stevenson on 07/11/2016 09:18:25

It's similar to the BCA, but I think it's a different manufacturer.

... The rotary table drive doesn't look like BCA

Have a browse through: **LINK**

http://www.lathes.co.uk/bca/

It looks to me like the add-ons have made it into a slotting machine.

MichaelG.

It may have BCA cast into the right hand side of the column if its a BCA

Its a Boley & Leinen, predecessor to the BCA.

I have the same machine in my workshop.

Phil

Hi

Thanks for all of the replies. It seems I have found something half useful!

I have a mountain of parts and equipment to go through but I cant recall seeing the head. Time will tell as I sort all this out.

Now for item #2. I think this is a surface grinder with magnetic base. It weighs a ton and tested the springs in my land rover and my back {three man lift)!

Still cant turn the photo's myself. Sorry.

It looks like an MES surface Grinder, By "Model Engineering Services" designed I believe, by Ivan Law.

Having searched the Lathes site I also think I have a 1920's belt drive Triumph 6 1/2 inch lathe. This one has a serious reduction gearbox which is as big as the motor driving it. It also has another gearbox and separate motor fixed to the tool slide (forgive the wrong description). I will post some photo's in due course.

Lots more tools in boxes, and of course two half finished traction engines.