REAL TOOLS BELONG IN A BOX

[RIMSPOKE]

I HAT THE GOOD FORTUNATE TO RUN ACROSS A HARDINGE MODEL C RADIUS ATTACHMENT .

THESE THINGS ARE DEAR AND CAN SELL FOR A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS .
TROUBLE IS , I DON'T HAVE A HARDINGE LATHE . MY LATHE IS A MAXIMAT SUPER 11

NO PROBLEM ! ARE WE TOOLMAKERS OR AREN'T WE ?
THROUGH CLEVERNESS , DETERMINATION & HARD WORK , I MODIFIED THE
HARDINGE TOOL TO WORK OK THE MAXIMAT LATHE . IT's A DREAM COME TRUE .



NOW THAT I AM MAKING BALLS AND POSTS WITH WEIRD SHAPES , MY
PRECIOUS RADIUS ATTACHMENT IS STARTING TO RUST !

I KEEP IT OILED AND WILE IT DOWN WITH EACH USE BUT IT DRIVES ME NUTS
THAT IT SITS IN A METAL CABINET JUST WAITING TO CONDENSE WATER .

I WANTED A NICE WOODEN BOX TO STORE IT IN THAT KEEPS MOISTURE AWAY .
IT ALSO NEEDED TO FIT IN THE CABINET .

I BOUGHT A HUGE BROWN & SHARPE MAHOGANY HEIGHT GAUGE CASE ON E-BAY .
I DISSECTED IT AND RE-PURPOSED IT TO FIT THE RADIUS TOOL .



IT IS NOW 10" SHORTER AND 3" SMALLER IN HEIGHT WITH LEFT OVER PIECES BEING
USED TO NEST THE ATTACHMENT . BOTH HANDLES COME OFF WHEN NOT IN USE .



THE BOX FITS IN MY CABINET AS NICELY AS THE HARDINGE FITS IN THE BOX .

 

[benmychree]

Brown & Sharpe made very nice boxes; I have also used them for other purposes, one has most of my special dial indicator Accessories in it. If those intermik boxes on the shelf have not been repurposed, there is a pile of money there, at least at the E Bay wishing prices that are posted!

 

[RIMSPOKE]

If those intermik boxes on the shelf have not been repurposed, there is a pile of money there, at least at the E Bay wishing prices that are posted!

REPURPOSE THE INTERMIK BOXES ? GOOD HEAVENS NO !
I HAVE THE SET THAT IS IMPLIED & CHERISH THEM .
THEY LIVE IN WOOD BOXES AS DOES MY STARRETT #199 MASTER LEVEL

 

[benmychree]

I have never had an Intermik or used one; telescoping gages and small hole gages are about it, but of course I can see that the Intermik would be of considerable value for fine work, especially for internal grinding where eliminating taper is a problem and most telescoping gages have too short of a handle; I finally got a extra long handle for the B&S telescoping gages with interchangeable heads and handles. I saw your level there also on the shelf, knew what it was in spite of not being labeled; when I sold my machine shop I had one just like it, let it go with the shop and found a very nice Pratt & Whitney level on E Bay to replace it for my home shop. I can see that you very much appreciate fine tools, as do I. Most of my fine tools are Starrett, because B&S did not have a dealer near me when I was apprenticing, so it was not until E Bay came along that I was able to find much B&S finery, except, I bought a new 4ft. camelback straightedge back in the 1960s, this I bought directly from the factory.

 

[Silverbullet]

I have a set of the intramics too. They were so DERN costly I keep them in a closet in the house. And that was thirty plus years ago. Still keep them there unless I need them. I keep a few others I paid dear for there also.

 

[benmychree]

I have a set of the intramics too. They were so DERN costly I keep them in a closet in the house. And that was thirty plus years ago. Still keep them there unless I need them. I keep a few others I paid dear for there also.

What would discourage me from owning them is how narrow the range of each is, especially in the smaller sizes. I like most all of their machinery and tools, but not much of it is seen in the Western States (California for me) I have a #2 Universal mill from 1943 with universal milling attachment, spiral index centers, short lead attachment, slotting head, vise, rotary table (Gorton) and quite a lot of tooling in the way of arbors, etc. Also a B&S bench grinder made to run from line shafting. Have a large number of hand tools also, but mostly Starrett, as they had a local dealer and B&S did not.
I took a tour of B&S new factory in North Kingston, RI in 1970, and cannot say it amounted to much, it was disappointing. I went there with my mother's uncle who had apprenticed there starting about 1914. One thing I can say positively is that they had a very fine cafeteria, which we were treated to and had a fine lunch.
I'd say that in my opinion that B&S made generally finer tools than Starrett; their graduations were finer than Starrett's, but now at my age, coarser grads are easier to read!

 

[rock_breaker]

Rimspoke I think you just made my day!
I got a used Enco Tool & Cutter grinder and some tooling last year. In the tooling is what I now believe is a ball turner like yours. Am going to hike out to the shop after shutting down the computer and check that stuff oout again.
Have a good day
Ray

 

[rock_breaker]

What I have is a ball turner alright. No names etc. except on the plastic handle- one side says France the other says GITZ. The attachment had to be used on a larger lathe as there is a 3" diameter X 1.5" high mounting extension. It has a quill for R-8 collets. Need to learn how to attach pictures to show better description.
If the words on the handle mean anything other than the nation I would certainly like to hear about it.
Have a good day
Ray

 

[RIMSPOKE]

What I have is a ball turner alright. No names etc. except on the plastic handle- one side says France the other says GITZ. The attachment had to be used on a larger lathe as there is a 3" diameter X 1.5" high mounting extension. It has a quill for R-8 collets. Need to learn how to attach pictures to show better description.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT LATHE IT IS INTENDED FOR ?
MINE WAS INTENDED FOR A HARDINGE HLV WITH DOVETAIL WAYS .

I TOOK IT APART AND MACHINED NEW V GROOVES TO BE ABLE TO MOUNT IT ON THE MAXIMAT .
I ALSO MADE NEW PARTS THAT CLAMP IT TO THE EDGES OF THE BED . IT USES THE ORIGINAL CAMLOCK
TO CLAMP IT DOWN AND CAN BE CONVERTED BACK TO HARDINGE DUTY IF THE NEED EVER ARISES .

ONE THING THAT IS THE SAME ON THE TWO LATHES IS THE TOOL HEIGHT AND THAT WAS SOMETHING
THAT I COULDN'T CHANGE . THE TOOL CENTERING IS PERFECT AND THAT WAS JUST DUMB LUCK .

 

[rock_breaker]

Double checked for labels etc. nothing there. The man that used my ball turner had passed on about a year or more before I got there. His family were putting his shop area to a different use so I never saw his lathe, my impression was that he was a very meticulous machinist and it is possible that he may have made this tool. Without measuring, the center of the R-8 tool holder is about 5 inches above the bottom of the bracket that holds the rotation bearing (like your picture next to the bottom). It is roughly 2 inches to high for either of my lathes so may be in the trading business.
Currently working on a rotary indexer so will put the ball turner aside for a while.
I like your pictures, thanks for putting them on the site.
Have a good day
Ray