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Lathe made in 1830

Odie

Odie

Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
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I saw this on eBay and am posting only for general interest......thought it was interesting.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-woo...498?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbf9aee0a

According to the story, leather belts were used, and at one time, human power and water power may have been used to power the lathe. Does anyone have any idea how water power could be utilized to get the kind of speed necessary to efficiently run a lathe 180 years ago? (I'm having my doubts, but........?)

Good luck in selling at this price.....but, it was an interesting story. Not that often old equipment comes with such known history.......

ooc
 
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odie said:
...Does anyone have any idea how water power could be utilized to get the kind of speed necessary to efficiently run a lathe 180 years ago? (I'm having my doubts, but........?)...
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I'm no engineer, nor am I an industrial archaeologist, but I've see this kind of thing in museums. Basically the water wheel (later a turbine) would be geared to a line shaft. There would be belts and pulleys that took power off the shaft for the individual machines. Some technical information is at this link:
http://www.old-engine.com/belts.htm
I know a single large waterwheel in Troy, NY, in the 19th C. powered a plant of 17 buildings that forged horseshoes, among other things. When I was in high school, all the machine shop equipment for an entire class was powered by one 10 HP electric motor and distributed to the machines by shafts and pulleys using leather belts. Those machines were a double row of Cincinnati engine lathes, plus bench lathes, milling machines, and drill presses.
In Lowell, Mass, where this lathe was made, entire buildings full of looms were powered by water. One still exists as a museum, and weaves fabric every day.
 
I think he's dreaming with a starting bid of $1500 but hope he's successful. If you want to see the power of water just go to my great great grandfathers mill in Indiana. The Hamer Mill in spring mill state park. The water drives a great wheel which drives a stone grist mill and at the same time will drive the lumber saw which is a racheted bandsaw like device.
to get the proper speed and horsepower it's just a matter of setting up the right pulleys to drive the belts.
 
Apparently he feels the provenance is worth something. Impressive research perhaps, but he seems to have missed the year 1783 when he calls it "colonial." Or 1776 for those who feel that saying we were independent was enough to make it so.
 
John Lawson said:
I'm no engineer, nor am I an industrial archaeologist, but I've see this kind of thing in museums. Basically the water wheel (later a turbine) would be geared to a line shaft. There would be belts and pulleys that took power off the shaft for the individual machines. Some technical information is at this link:
http://www.old-engine.com/belts.htm
I know a single large waterwheel in Troy, NY, in the 19th C. powered a plant of 17 buildings that forged horseshoes, among other things. When I was in high school, all the machine shop equipment for an entire class was powered by one 10 HP electric motor and distributed to the machines by shafts and pulleys using leather belts. Those machines were a double row of Cincinnati engine lathes, plus bench lathes, milling machines, and drill presses.
In Lowell, Mass, where this lathe was made, entire buildings full of looms were powered by water. One still exists as a museum, and weaves fabric every day.
Click to expand...

Wow.....thanks for the link, John.......really eye-opening for someone like me who was not aware of the power transmission capabilities of a simple water wheel. I guess if you can power circular saws with water, there's no reason why speeds capable of powering wood lathes can't be done, too........:cool2:

ooc
 
I stopped near a house several years ago near the TN/GA state line, outside of Chattanooga, TN. The house was an old converted mill. The mill pond was still there and full. I noticed a horizontal wheel turning under the house. After I pondered its purpose, I noticed that there were no power lines leading up to the house nor did I see a meter anywhere. Someone was getting free electricity. Just watch the Weather Channel and see the power that water has during a flood. Turning a shaft for machinery is small potatoes.
 
old time lathe

My lathe Thayer Houghton & Co was made before 1858. I spent a sum of $ reversing the neglect of previous owners and did not pay near the current asking price. The lathe is a sliding gap bed lathe that swings 26" + or 47" + all inboard as It has a solid headstock. Not sure how to post a picture of it.

Ed
 
old time lathe

My lathe Thayer Houghton & Co was made before 1858. I spent a sum of $ reversing the neglect of previous owners and did not pay near the current asking price. The lathe is a sliding gap bed lathe that swings 26" + or 47" + all inboard as It has a solid headstock. Not sure how to post a picture of it.

Ed
 
jarvis89 said:
My lathe Thayer Houghton & Co was made before 1858. I spent a sum of $ reversing the neglect of previous owners and did not pay near the current asking price. The lathe is a sliding gap bed lathe that swings 26" + or 47" + all inboard as It has a solid headstock. Not sure how to post a picture of it.

Ed
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind taking a look!

If you have a picture of your lathe somewhere on your computer, then it will be relatively easy to post a picture to the forum.

When you post a reply, scroll down to "additional options", and click on "manage attachments". This will bring up another window. Click on "browse" next to "upload file from your computer". From there, you should be able to navigate to your picture from your PC files. Click twice on the picture, it will be entered into the box. Then click on "download". Your pic will be included with your post when you hit "submit reply".

ooc
 
Thayer, Houghton & Co Lathe pre1858

Spindle size 1 3/4" x 7 tpi number 3 morse not original came with several faceplates small one was 17"
 

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That's a beauty! I love the oil reservoirs for the bearings (and the roller pan on the floor)! And does the bed move to adjust the size of the gap!? And a leather belt! Maybe I should have been an industrial archaeologist. I just love this stuff. What do you turn on it?
 
Thayer, Houghton & Co Lathe pre1858

John,
I make 3 phase with vfd and I wired it for remote control. I am curretly looking at adapting a oneway pendant with control head to it aIso use a oneway banjo. Having a 8" gap between the rails was one of the hurdles. In the future is digital readout on the rpm of the headstock. She weighs 2000 lb with out the face plate thinking about adding some weight under the headstock. Planing on taking it to Swat next year for display. I may be moving to the Euless area next year. As for turning Giant Sequoias, haven't found any here in Texas yet still lookin, use what ever free wood I can get my hands on. I am at the moment learning to turn bowls. The gap is 14" wide and the bed slides open for that distance. If I put the risers up the swing gets close to 60"

Ed
 
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John Lawson said:
I'll look forward to seeing it at SWAT!
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Me too! That is a beauty of a beast. They don't make serious iron like that anymore.

I f you do move to the Euless area, drop in on the Woodturners of North Texas. We meet on the last Thursday of the month. Click on this link to our website, Woodturners of North Texas, to get time and location. Also, the Golden Triangle Woodturners in Denton is not too far away.
 
lathe TH&C

The lathe even came with a built in shapener on the tail.

Ed
 

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Looks like a lot of pride in ownership, Ed.........

Definitely looks like a well constructed, built tough, and made to last for the long term lathe!

Do flying chips ever become a problem with those exposed belts and pulleys?

The theory of lathe turning hasn't changed much in a couple hundred years.......the only thing that really has changed is the method of delivering power to the lathe......and, that makes a lot of difference. Do you have variable speed, or rely strictly on belt changes?

That older Delta 8" 1825rpm grinder is the same one I have. I believe they are now discontinued. I lucked out and bought mine just prior to when they were no longer available......matter of fact, it was the last one the distributor had, so I just got mine in the nick of time! That one seems to be built much better, or heavy duty, than the current offerings in that price range........can't remember for sure, but I think I paid $199 for mine.

ooc
 
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jarvis89 said:
The lathe even came with a built in shapener on the tail.

Ed
Click to expand...

What's with the drip tray(?) on the rear of the headstock. Or is it just a parts tray? Love the positive alignment factor of the tailstock riding and wedging the rails.
 
drip tray

The tray catches oil from the headstock, my garage floor slopes to the garage door. There is also a plastic bowl that slides in the lathe under the headstock to catch drips at the gap end of the headstock as well, I used to have a paint tray there but it fills with chips very fast.

Ed
 
lathe

Oldie,

I have not had problems with chips and belts yet. I use a variable frequency drive to change the speed of the motor. and I can change the rpms by changing the belt on the cone pulley, have not done that yet but might for sanding.

Ed
 
raised ways

John,

I thought so too initially. I went to Providence RI to a musem there that has a metal lathe by Thayer, it had double ways. in searching the net a few others turned up again double ways. New york steam engine company whobought what was left of Thayer after the fire continued the double ways I only seen one new york machine in pictures.
Ed
 
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