Allis-Chalmers lathe

[Richard Hed]

My company has an old Allis-Chalmers lathe. Looks of it, is 30s-40ish. But my boss said it was 1950s. I thimk earlier by the looks. Anyway I lookt on the internet for something about it and all I found was someone trying to sell me farm machinery. Does anyone know anything about Allis-Chalmer lathes?

It is about seven feets long, total and the bed about 5 feets. It looks to weigh about 2-3 tons. It's sitting in the weather, the ways are decent, so far with a bit of rust. They will sell it to me for scrap prices. It's too big to put in my garage (not really if it were a great lathe), and it undoubtedly is 3phase. all problems can be solved so far, but the boss said they replaced it because it couldn't hold a tolerance any longer.

 

[Barnbikes]

Do you have a picture of it?
Allis Chalmers made electrical motors and control switchs but I have never seen a lathe.
Where are you getting the Allis name from on the lathe?

 

[vederstein]

A-C also made electrical generation equipment and turbines for hyrdoelectric power plants and such. They were a huge industrial concern.

 

[Barnbikes]

South bend used allis chalmers control switches. There is one on eBay right now.

 

[Barnbikes]

I stand corrected.
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-and-history/advance-rumely-lathe-350061/

 

[gunner312]

My company has an old Allis-Chalmers lathe. Looks of it, is 30s-40ish. But my boss said it was 1950s. I thimk earlier by the looks. Anyway I lookt on the internet for something about it and all I found was someone trying to sell me farm machinery. Does anyone know anything about Allis-Chalmer lathes?

It is about seven feets long, total and the bed about 5 feets. It looks to weigh about 2-3 tons. It's sitting in the weather, the ways are decent, so far with a bit of rust. They will sell it to me for scrap prices. It's too big to put in my garage (not really if it were a great lathe), and it undoubtedly is 3phase. all problems can be solved so far, but the boss said they replaced it because it couldn't hold a tolerance any longer.

It would be nice to know where it is located. And what is the price?

 

[Richard Hed]

I have a crappy photo of it, but I will put it on later when I have the time. I am not sure it is A-C, there is a metal plaque? plate that says ALLIS-CHALMERS across the top. it is the only writing I could decipher. I have had a better look at it and I can somewhat describe it. the bed is very heavily made, about 4-1/2 feet, the spindle hole about 1-1/4 ", the nose is screw on, looks to be about 4" across.

The main motor sits atop the machine with three drive v-belts, there is some kind of small motor in the left of the head, it looks to be about 1 hp.

The man who told me about it, said that he thot it is 1950 ish, but I thimk much earlier. I've never seen a lathe quite like it. He alsol told me they replaced it because it wouldn't hold the tolerances any more. I'll try to find the name, which I did look for but couldn't find.

 

[Richard Hed]

It would be nice to know where it is located. And what is the price?

It's located in Moses Lake, Washington. No price yet. From what you guys say, I thimk the motors must be A-C so I'll search for a name. Can you imagine a company NOT putting their name on their product? Absurd

 

[ajoeiam]

I have a crappy photo of it, but I will put it on later when I have the time. I am not sure it is A-C, there is a metal plaque? plate that says ALLIS-CHALMERS across the top. it is the only writing I could decipher. I have had a better look at it and I can somewhat describe it. the bed is very heavily made, about 4-1/2 feet, the spindle hole about 1-1/4 ", the nose is screw on, looks to be about 4" across.

The main motor sits atop the machine with three drive v-belts, there is some kind of small motor in the left of the head, it looks to be about 1 hp.

The man who told me about it, said that he thot it is 1950 ish, but I thimk much earlier. I've never seen a lathe quite like it. He alsol told me they replaced it because it wouldn't hold the tolerances any more. I'll try to find the name, which I did look for but couldn't find.

Having had the joy of being tasked to use a lathe that had some 0.014" or 0.016" of change in diameter over 14" of cut (on the last roughing cut) - - - - well I would jump all over that machine at scrap price. (Item had to be a bearing fit when finished - - - - that wasn't 'fun'.)
There are shops that will re-grind the ways if you want.
The real work is all the disassembly and 'accurate' assembly after the grinding is done!

 

[L98fiero]

Having had the joy of being tasked to use a lathe that had some 0.014" or 0.016" of change in diameter over 14" of cut (on the last roughing cut)

I worked on a machine like that in the late 70s, the original machine with that serial number was supposedly at the bottom of the Atlantic, not having made it to England during WWII.

 

[MrMetric]

Although it is always amazing to me just how many serial number records were kept during WW2, I have no doubt that there were probably a lot of errors. Your Atlantic lathe was probably mixed up with another one. After all, who would every know? My guess is that the error was peripherally noticed and never corrected. That said, I've never seen the granularity of record keeping down to a lathe or even a tank, for that matter. I have no doubt that it is probably in some archive someplace, but where? Anyhow, makes for a fun story, at least!

Scrap metal prices are great, but you still have to move and repair it. This reminds me of a different thread on HMEM recently regarding making a milling machine from scratch. It certainly can be done, but if your motivation is to save money, it might not be a wise decision. If your interest is in rebuilding machinery, then that is an entirely different matter. And, for what it is worth, restoring old machinery is a LOT of fun. It is a hobby in and of itself and gives old iron another lease in life.

Allis-Chalmers was, indeed, a massive company in the 50s. They started to go through the buy/chop/sell of corporate America at some point though. One of their bigger lines was agriculture tractors and forklifts. The US Army bought a ton of 4T and 5T forklift lifts, all of which have been retired by now, I'm sure. I've got a PSS40 that I *think* may have been an ex-Army one, but I'm not 100% positive. It has a Continental L-head engine that is pretty common. The lift lives in my side yard, probably taken out every few years to move something. It is built like a tank and will probably run longer than I will. Anyhow, off of memory lane.... Yes, AC made lots of industrial stuff, but I've never heard of them making a lathe. It would definitely be interesting to see some pictures.

 

[patternmaker]

I have been a industrial pattern-maker here in the Portland Oregon area for over 40 years. Allis-Chalmers had a large pattern shop here that had about 16 journeymen if I recollect accurately, from old timers that worked there. I think it closed sometime in the late 60s. My brother in law recently bought an old wood planer that had a cast metal plate on it reading"Allis Chalmers". Turned out that it was a totally different make, but they had put their name on it.

 

[MrMetric]

Oh.. do I hear the Baby Deere castings being poured in the background? Not that many pattern makers in the Portland area, I would guess.

 

[Kelly.s]

Check out the practical machinist website regarding your lathe. Get it out of the rain and get it home. I’ve got five lathes the oldest is 1896 the newest is 1955, none of which you would use to make a living but are great farm hobby shop tools.

Kelly

 

[patternmaker]

About 300 patternmakers here among at least 27 pattern shops when I started in 1979. Probably 50 foundries in Oregon then. Now there are only 4 major pattern shops with less than a dozen each. I had 5 working for me in 2014, now down to 1. ESCO, our largest foundry over 100 years old, covering about 16 square blocks is now 80-90% torn down. There are only 3 brass/aluminum foundries and 3 iron/steel foundries left in Oregon now.

 

[lathe nut]

That is a nice machine, looks like a South Bend, there should be a serial number on the right side of the bed the flat area closer to the front, I like it, sure hope you get it, Joe

 

[Kelly.s]

I think I might have hijacked his thread. The pictures are of my Hamilton lathe. I was trying to encourage the op that old is still usable. The serial number is 51.

Kelly

 

[Richard Hed]

OK, tried to get photos in this but will have to wait til tomorrow, hopefully.

Thanx for all the replies and advice. I'll get it right some time soon

 

[Richard Hed]

I think I might have hijacked his thread. The pictures are of my Hamilton lathe. I was trying to encourage the op that old is still usable. The serial number is 51.

Kelly

I had a 1918 South Bend that workt but it was pretty sloppy.

 

[teeleevs]

This is my British made Lawler Ayres Lathe. It was old and second hand when it was moved into a Motor Garage up the Brisbane Valley, Queensland Australia to resurface truck brake drums for the logging industry in the 1930s. My friend saved it from being sold as scrap 53 years ago, I have been using it for 43 years and have owned it for at least 35 years. Accuracy ? Takes a little longer. An old lathe doesn't mean it can't be used.