Not quite a lathe, but what is it?

This item for sale on a local web site is listed as a "Small metal lathe", it clearly is not.

It looks like the headstock and tailstock are intended to be coupled together by means of the countershaft and serrated belts.

I am curious as to what it actually might be. Any thoughts ?
Thanks,
Clive

Could well be a small glass lathe.

Andrew.

I have no idea, but I'm itching to find out. Come on, somebody !

Its very interesting, that's for sure.

I'm not sure either but I have a strange desire to buy it.

This must be some kind of as yet unclassified mental illness and I suspect there are others on this forum that suffer from it.

Do you have piles of random junk scattered here there and everywhere?

Perhaps we could form some kind of self help group.

David.

Looks to me like an armature lathe, not sure why it would need the counter shaft driven tail stock, but the tail stock end does look like an armature lathe set up.

If it's not one of them then I'm stuck.

So 'tis indeed. A very small one. Used to weld two pieces of glass together etc as they both rotate at the same speed and are heated with a blowtorch. With the tiny chucks and fixed cross slide position it almost looks like it's made for one specific job. No idea what that might be. Bead making? Scientific glassware making? ???

Edited By Hopper on 15/05/2019 07:16:06

Edited By Hopper on 15/05/2019 07:25:09

Thanks Andrew and Hopper, that does seem to be the most likely explanation.

I must admit, it appeals to me too, not sure why though, but the asking price at $300 Canadian is a little too steep, especially for something I don't really have any use for

Clive

He'd probably get that price if he labelled it as a glass blowing lathe. Seems to be quite a following for the hobby and guys making their own machines out of TAIG metal lathes or using two stepper motors, one at each end etc. I can't see any way it would be useful as a metal lathe though. Sure looks neat. Obviously commercially made. Glass blowing would be a whole rabbit hole of its own though...