Gorton 687-1 Graduating Machine

[jlrice54]

I am picking up a Gorton 687 graduating machine next month. There seems to be very little out there on this machine. I was told it is mid 1930's vintage and was recently still in use on production work. It's fairly clean and looks like it's in pretty good shape considering it's age and comes with a second indexing wheel, a collection of what looks like workholding collets of some type and at lease one cutter still in the machine's spindle. I haven't asked about any possible documentation yet.

Rick Gorton's site has several catalogs with the 687's shown and there was apparently only one type of cutter ever offered for it which probably can be shop ground out of HSS or by regrinding a small keyway slot cutter. I have a Gorton 265 to go with my Gorton P1-2 pantograph, so I probably can duplicate the cutting tool. I'm going to email Rick to see if he has anything else on the machine that he hasn't scanned or posted yet.

Does anyone one here have any documentation or any experience with one of the little jewels that they can pass on to me?

James R
Sherman, TX

 

[4GSR]

You will be the first.

When you get it set up, let us know, I have a list of dials I need graduations cut on them to replace the worn out ones on my lathes.

Schmidt Marking Systems used to make one, too. Now days, everyone has gone to laser marking systems, which I hate on some things like a all angle grinding vice I bought a few years ago. https://www.gtschmidt.com/index.php

 

[jlrice54]

So far I have drawn a blank. I emailed Mr. Gorton and am awaiting a reply.

I need some dials also. I'm picking up the machine next month. It's a 32 hour round trip from me. I'm located just north of Dallas and the Gorton is located in Dearborn Michigan.

James

 

[kd4gij]

Ah Dearborn, can you pick me up one of those new Mustangs While you are there?

 

[Toolmaker51]

I've only seen one graduating machine and it was Gorton. That was in the 80's, unwisely didn't drop coins required for purchase. However, graduating and dividing tools are DIY'ed now on a regular basis, with basic but correct machine tools. Loads on the web.
An un-celebrated benefit of DIY dividing, like the Gorton with 25 to 720 index positions, is creating verniers, circular yes, but vernier all the same.

Far as Dearborn and Mustangs concerned, you can have all of them, plenty out front every night being toyed and treated as platforms for exhibition. Same goes for Detroit's Dodge's.
All those people know is order forms, gas pedals and auto-trans; not a single car-builder among them.

 

[SIP6A]

I am picking up a Gorton 687 graduating machine next month. There seems to be very little out there on this machine. I was told it is mid 1930's vintage and was recently still in use on production work. It's fairly clean and looks like it's in pretty good shape considering it's age and comes with a second indexing wheel, a collection of what looks like workholding collets of some type and at lease one cutter still in the machine's spindle. I haven't asked about any possible documentation yet.

James R
Sherman, TX

I am looking to build a machine to engrave dials. I would like to get in touch with you to ask how your machine indexes.
All The Best
Todd