Headstock taper turning

Unlike most lathes, the headstock on a Pittler lathe can be rapidly offset by as much as 20 degrees in either direction for fancy taper turning. Here is my first attempt on this 118 year old machine. Using the swivelling cross-slide I first turned a ball near the centre and then added tapers either side.

The drive belt restricted me from moving the headstock much more than 7 degrees as it's not long enough to allow further without the belt slipping off.

In a factory setting with a much longer belt from above then the full 20 degrees would easily be possible although probably not work between centres but held on a face plate or chuck. The headstock is fitted with one large bolt under the pulley and another smaller one above the degree scale.

What a clever design, obviously specially for constant use in turning tapers. Is there a locating pin for zero, as the scale markings would never be better than +- 1/10 degree?

Another use I have seen it used for is for facing off the ends of clock plate pillars to ensure they are concave and thus ensure they seat without wobble. A cheaper feature to add to a lathe than a topslide which was not universally provided.

Sherline lathes use a similar approach. They use a key to reset zero

No locating pin but takes one minute to set to zero and check alignment of both centre points

I think the Drummond flat-bed lathes had a simple version of this, but from what I recall of the early 'B'-type I once owned, there did not seem a clear, positive way to re-align the headstock.

Nice; I enjoy these little 'Pittler' interludes, a machine with some interesting features. Thanks for taking the trouble to post, it's appreciated..

Thanks, enjoy my Pittler website as well Vics Pittler website

For readers information the Emco Unimat DB and SL have the same feature and use a 4mm pin to locate a truly aligned with bed setting.

Emgee

The Barker lathe (with geared head) will do this and has a pin for resetting.

I had an early Drummond lathe, circa 1900 . It had the swivel head on it too. Great for cutting pipe threads. It came with some ball centres , for offset turning. One that went into the chuck of the headstock, and the other for the tailstock itself, a #1 morse taper from memory.

It was a great little machine. I now regret that I sold it when I bought my S7 in 1987. Hindsight I should have kept it.