Strange old lathe, any thoughts?

Yes, almost exclusively. electrification didn't really get underway until around 1905 or so, and then only in major cities. Small electric motor driven lathes were available as early as 1915, but nobody had electricity available, except in the cores of cities. So steam plants and overhead shaft belt drive systems were common through the early to late 1930's- particularly in rural areas.

Glenn
 
So I'm entering the WTF phase. Please see below. What are these little ACME rods for? Also, what is that little knobby thing?

The half-nut fits onto the rod closest to it in the photo, but the fit is sloppy/worn at best. I think this machine got used hard or abused some.

I can't figure out how to get this mess together. I'm going to install the lead-screw and see where this journey takes me. I just wanted to avoid disassembling it 40 times as I learn the order of the parts, but I fear that I am headed that way. Any ideas on parts or assembly would be a godsend for me. I can usually tear down and build a machine if I see it together once, but when I have such a weird hegemony of parts and don't know if I have them all, my spatial perception is even worse than usual.

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Hi Patrick,

I would suggest that the short acme screws are for the cross-feed slide.....and possibly the top-feed slide....if it has one.....

That painted black bracket is for mounting the change gears just off the left end of the headstock...often called a "banjo". The long slots allow you to adjust the centre distance of the various gears to get them meshed properly. The entire bracket pivots on the bushing at the end.

The knob is likely for holding gears on.

I'll try to dig up a similar picture for you......

-brino

EDIT: the 5th picture down here:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/barnes/index.html
shows change gears mounted to a Barnes lathe, most are similar.
The banjo handle can just be seen sticking out (forward) behind the largest gear.
 
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Thanks Brino, and sorry for my lack of clarity. I know the banjo, just can't figure out how it all fits together. I have never seen these weird segmented rods before, with the machined ends that appear to go nowhere. Granted, I am an absolute novice with machinery this old, and painfully acknowledge that it will be slow going. After seeing the knob picture, it makes more sense. I have a few random [to me] knobs with threaded internals. Thank you for sharing that. I'll poke through more old lathes on there and see what I can glean.

I put the leadscrew on and found the bracket that holds it near the headstock. The half-nut fits that like butter. The other rod I mentioned is like a short clone of the leadscrew, but beat to s--t. Must have been a screwcutting or change gear component that someone really laid into.

The gear that the carriage turns on the long track is tiny and chewed up, but the action is still smooth. It is small enough that I think another can be made easily.

Optimistic as I put this together that it has some life left. I'm seeing evidence that it was dropped once or more, but the critical components are still solid. I need to braize on another tooth on the long track under the bed, and whip up some of the 'consumable' parts like gears.
 
Like these little swivel bearing things, I have no idea what those are. Also a knob that goes on the end of part of the gearing, in case it is distinctive. I don't know what the other little slide holder thing is.

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Heim type rod ends. They are used in exactly the same way as a tie rod is used on a car, and for many other uses. Those rod ends are newer than the lathe.
 
Heim type rod ends. They are used in exactly the same way as a tie rod is used on a car, and for many other uses. Those rod ends are newer than the lathe.

I see, so these really had nothing to do with it

Mystery solved. This other line fit through them but it doesn't fit onto this lathe. All the more reason that I wish I saw it together once. I'm trying to figure out someone else's jigs ha

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Heim type rod ends. They are used in exactly the same way as a tie rod is used on a car, and for many other uses. Those rod ends are newer than the lathe.

I see, so these really had nothing to do with it

Maybe....maybe not.
I used something similar as a belt tightener on my old Barnes 4-1/2". They moved a hinged arm that held a reduction shaft and moved it closer-to/away from the lathe head to tighten the flat belt on one of three steps on the pulley. I'll try to find a picture.....

-brino
 
Continuing assembly, the half-nut slips around in there like crazy. Is that normal? There must be a spacer that holds it in the right position. The weird knob I posted above (img_245) with the silver flat back side is for the half-nut.

There is some play or a missing bushing for the compound knob, as pictured.

The strange threaded nipple is installed now on the apron, but I don't know why yet. :)

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That's starting to look more like a lathe! :encourage:
-brino
 
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