Subject: Oliver Patternmaking Lathe

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 04:57:15 GMT

After owning it for almost 20 years, I  now have my Oliver
Patternmaker's lathe operational.  It is a Model E53 and is powered by
a Watson 1/2 HP, 220 v Direct Current motor.  The motor case is
stamped "Oliver" so I suppose the windings were done by Watson.  Best
guess is that it was built sometime between 1895 and 1920, the
approximate year AC current was introduced to my area of the country,
though it is possible that it was made for the US Navy to be used
aboard a ship using DC power.  

I operate it on 220 v AC through a rectifier and control speed by
means of a rheostat.  The lathe headstock is the motor.  The armature
shaft is hollow, has a No. 2 Morse taper on the inboard side and a one
and one-sixteenth, 8 TPI threaded shaft on the outboard end.

The inboard shaft (where the No. 2 MT is located) is also threaded
with a 1 1/16 x 8 TPI.

I am anxious to equip this lathe with a 3- or 4-jawed chuck.  Here is
the problem:  No one seems to sell a chuck of this size.  They seem to
be available only in 1/4-inch increments, i.e., 1", ;1 1/4, 1 1/2,
etc.

Unless someone can steer me to a source or has an old chuck he will
sell me, I have to come up with a solution for adapting the 1 1/16 x 8
TPI shaft to accommodate a chuck.  

Since the shaft is hardened and since one would have to completely
disassemble the motor to weld up the shaft and recut it to 1 1/4" or
larger I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions.  Perhaps I could
have an adapter made to fit 1 1/16 and step up to 1 1/2.  Any
suggestions will be appreciated.  Even more would be info from anyone
else owning this lathe and their solution to the odd-sized shaft.

I do not know if my E-mail address will show up on this notice but if
it does please do not use it as I am having trouble with my mail
program and will probably not receive any E-mail messages sent. Please
reply to the rec.woodworking group with a posted notice.  Forgive the
verbosity but it seemed neccessary to explain the situation.

---

From: BOB Hendricks <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 21:19:26 -0800

> verbosity but it seemed neccessary to explain the situation.

 I'm sending you a post I made the other day, it may help . my lathe has
not been set up for 30yrs. but I plan to soon.
                                        BOB
>From - Wed Feb 12 01:08:47 1997
From: Douglas Turner
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Subject: Re: 2 old lathes
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Date: Wed, 12 Feb 97 06:11:39 +0000
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bob6666 wrote:
>
> Hi,all.
> I need info. I have a (Rockwell) Delta lathe that I picked up at the
> Salvation Army for $25.00 complete (4 yrs ago). It's a"HOMECRAFT" model
> 46-230.
> It has a cast Alm. head stock, cast iron bed and cast iron tail stock.
> It uses a #2MT head and tail.
> I would really like to give it a complete overhaul.
> Can any one help me out?
>
> My other lathe is a big question mark ?. It was my grandfather's that
> he bought from a friend in the 30's. It's the one I learned on as a kid
> (I'm 48 now) and it's Big, (8' bed, 3/4 iron on 3x8 oak rails), 123 1/2
> lb. headstock, 72 lb. tailstock and rest of the stuff is really massive
> (4' tool rest). My question on this lathe is, who made it and where can
> I find out about it? I've looked on the head and tail stock, but can't
> find any information. Is there a book on turn-of-the-century wood
> lathes? (The gentleman that my grandfather bought it from was a
> professional turner for a furniture manufacturer in Connecticutt. He
> sold the lathe to my grandfather 5 years before he died, at 93 years of
> age.) The reason I think it was an industrial lathe is that the head
> stock still has the massive, flat wood pulleys (6") that seem to be of
> the steam-powered age. Any help would be appreciated, or if anyone out
> there can step me through identifying this dinosaur, I would be most
> appreciative. BTW, I plan on setting it up as soon as I figure out how
> to build on to my shop and get a fork-lift in!
>
> Keep it turning,
> Bob
>
> P.S. I even have the original electric motor that my grandfather had on
> this lathe. It's 1 1/2 hp, and weighs 63 pounds! I also have all the
> old turning tools that came with it. Most are Buck Bros. with some
> Bruce Lakin thrown in (25 all together). A lot of other things too
> numerous to list now, but if anyone is interested, I'll be glad to
> answer, and give a description. All weights are true.
Bob,

Your Massive lathe sounds like an old Oliver because of the wood
pulleys. I had one that was made in the 1920's and is still working for
someone else. They are located in Grand Rapids Michigan. Things I
remember are 1 1/8"x8TPI headstock spindle, adjustable split bronze
bushings that never wear out, headstock castings were about 3/4 thick
cast iron. Mine still had the original black paint finish. Oliver
doesn't have and manuals, but the parts never are almost
indestructable. I can get inexpensive faceplates for you if that is the
size.

Doug Turner

---

From: [email-masked] (Marty Escarcega)
Date: 14 Feb 1997 05:51:01 -0700

Not sure where you could find the right chuck , but if you can get it in 1 
1/2" then have a bushing turned by a machinist from 1 1/2 to 1 1/8. I'd wager 
it wouldn't cost you that much, its such a small part.

Marty

---

From: [email-masked] (Mailermike)
Date: 14 Feb 1997 15:39:12 GMT

The solution is simple (although not completely inexpensive.

It is very common for chuck manufacturers to offer their chucks with the
standard thread patterns smae as woodworkers lathes. I would SUSPECT that
the availability of your 1 1/6" thread pattern might be more available in
metalworking circles. 

It is commin to buy a "faceplate" that fits the spindle thread then buy
the chuck that screws onto the faceplate. You're calling it an "adapter".

Even if you couldn't find an off-the-shelf faceplate with your thread
configuration, I would think, I wouldn't think it would be expensive
tomake.

I'd go to rec.crafts.metelworking and ask around there. Someone will let
you know where to gewt a 1 1?16" threaded faceplate. (The Enco Company
might be the ticket....ask them.)

Hope this helps!

Michael McCammon
Portland, Oregon

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 15:19:17 GMT

>   [email-masked] writes:

(substantial deletion)
  
>  be available only in 1/4-inch increments, i.e., 1", ;1 1/4, 1 1/2,

OneWay will make special-size adapters for their
chucks.  Craft Supplies, in Provo, UT, offers them
for $59.95 (800-551-8866), or you can go directly
to OneWay (800-565-7288), which might be a little
faster, though probably not cheaper.

Hope this helps.

---

From: [email-masked] (John Paquay)
Date: 14 Feb 1997 18:17:04 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>TPI shaft to accommodate a chuck.  

Lathe chucks are manufactured and machined with removable back plates
for this very reason.  You can buy a chuck with a blank (undrilled or drilled
but not tapped) back plate and any decent machine shop can thread the
plate to match your spindle.

An adaptor for the spindle is an option, but you're far more likely to end
up with a perfectly centered chuck if you go the first route.

-- 
John Paquay
[email-masked],  [email-masked]
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/~jep/
-----------------------
Without my wings you know I'd surely die...

---

From: Ron Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 16:44:38 -0600

> > verbosity but it seemed neccessary to explain the situation.

Are you sure it's 1-1/16th, and not 1-1/8th?  A friend just bought his second 
Oliver - this one sounds like yours, except someone modifided the motor - pulled 
out the windings, and replaced the shaft with a new one threaded 1x8.  They cut a 
hole in the motor housing and ran a belt to a new motor.

His old machine, also an Oliver, was threaded 1-1/8th.  He got it at an auction at 
my school, and along with it came a set of machine drawings for most everything 
Oliver sold to the school - lathes, jointers, etc.  If you'd like, I'll see if he 
still has them, and post a list of the drawings.

Good luck with the big iron!

RKW

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 15 Feb 1997 04:12:50 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, Ron Williams <[email-masked]> writes:

>Oliver - this one sounds like yours, except someone modifided the motor -
>pulled out the windings, and replaced the shaft with a new one threaded 1x8.  They
>cut a hole in the motor housing and ran a belt to a new motor.

I have an Olive lathe built in 1948 and the spindle is 1 1/8 also.  The other thing he might do is contact Oliver... although they do not make these lathes anymore, they still have parts.  Phone # is 616-451-8333.  The guy to talk to is Rich Fink.

John
[email-masked] or [email-masked]