1918 american works lathe

52international · Post by **52international** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:14 pm

I have an old American works 26x60 I hauled home from the scrap yard. From pictures on the internet I think it about a 1918. I have everything freed up. I cannot figure out how to make the carriage move right to left when the threading shaft is shifted in. I guess the shaft has to be reversed some how. Also I cannot figure out how to get the carriage to go either direction in the cutting mode. The shaft is turning and it will go in and out. There is 2 heavy star wheels on the carriage that looks like they have been beaten on with a hammer. I guess they have to be shifted somehow. Does anybody know about this or know who I could talk to?

John Evans · Post by **John Evans** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:29 pm

Pictures !!!! Show the front of the carriage and not a real tight close up ,back 5 foot or so. Those star knobs are clutches ,turn them CW to engage.

52international · Post by **52international** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:15 pm

I turned the knobs. Left one engages left and right. right one engages in and out. right one is broken had to use pipe wrench and tapped it in to disengage. Carriage went a little ways and the gears started jumping. I hope nothing is hurt. I can not move the carriage now. I will have to figure that out. Thanks that helped.

52international · Post by **52international** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:03 pm

The right star knob is broken and it tightened itself up, when it did that it locked up the shaft. I have been unable to loosen it. It is made of brittle cast iron and it is left handed threads. I measured the head it is 24 inches. The tail stock is an mt5. I got on the vintage machinery web site. I looked through their catalogs. My lathe looks like the ones listed in their 1920 high duty catalog in the 24 to 27 in pictures. Mine has the belt drive with an added transmission and electric motor. I do not know how to take pictures and post them. Does anyone know where I can get parts. Mine has a-b handle, the carriage shaft shifter handles and housing, and the carriage wheel broken off. I still have not figured out how to reverse the threading shaft.

John Evans · Post by **John Evans** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:37 pm

You might post this on the Practical machinist antique forum. Lots of people there that know about theses old lathes. Parts Ha HA . The only source would be if you can find someone parting out a simular lathe, otherwise you make what you need!

52international · Post by **52international** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:15 pm

If anyone wants to know I figured out how to reverse the threading shaft. On the main shaft gear end there is 2 bolts that have to be loosened. There is 2 gears that pivot around the main shaft that change the direction of all the gears and shafts.

spro · Post by **spro** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:49 pm

That is the way most all smaller engine lathes operate and the older ones too. I suppose we got caught up in the mysteries of the apron controls and missed that basic question. In one way it was not to insult you by mentioning that because many things can happen in an apron's controls. More recent lathes have a lever or knob which shifts the gears for that reversal of the drive and lead screw.
Still, it is well you figured that out and will find other areas which require the same reasoning.
When you shift/tighten from one position to another, you should consider lash. There is a position which is not so loose to strip, yet is allowing power transmission of the gears at the middle areas. The gear teeth mesh so that they wipe lubricant across the working surfaces. If it is too tight, it gouges the working surfaces before the end teeth wear. There are names for these areas of tooth but we can't know the wear or condition now.
Altogether though, you have the only one of these on your block or maybe State. There are few surviving examples of these and I think it is admirable of you to take this on. It isn't the machine but the person who saves it. AND gets some good work out of it too.

SteveM · Post by **SteveM** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 7:54 am

Tony Griffiths is the king of machine tool history, and has just about everything documented, but he has nothing on "American Works" lathes:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/page21.html

You should take some pictures and send them to him at:
tony@lathes.co.uk

Steve

John Evans · Post by **John Evans** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:34 am

Try " American Tool Works" lathe. And as I said earlier the antique forum on Practical Machiinist would probably provide more info than here. Also to the OP get pictures one way or the other !!

reggie_obe · Post by **reggie_obe** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 12:10 pm

John Evans wrote:Try " American Tool Works" lathe. And as I said earlier the antique forum on Practical Machiinist would probably provide more info than here. Also to the OP get pictures one way or the other !!

+1 to the above.

For documentation, see OWWM/VintageMachinery.org

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/de ... px?id=1004

The Home Machinist!

1918 american works lathe

1918 american works lathe

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