Allis-Chalmers lathe

[OrangeAlpine]

We lapped the bushings to a round condition, made pins to fit. It was the best we could do with the equipment we had. That's usually what farmers do. The shovel frame parts were very large and there was no way we could bore the old bushings. The results lasted well after Dad sold the tractor.
Bill

 

[Richard Hed]

Harvest? Sounds like you are a farmer. If so, this old girl will do you proud. Very suited to the kind of repair work you probably need to do. Dad decided to rebuild a back hoe. The 16" American (different manufacturer, but very similar machines) was a great match for the 1 1/4" inch pins he had to make.
Bill

I'm running a corn harvester. It's not too difficult, just long hours and no time for anything else except eat, sleep and . . .

 

[mp7042867]

Regarding the Lathe, depending on the precision you need you can scrape the ways and refit the plain bearings. I haven’t done it but people I know who have say it is patience mostly. A digital readout is cheap and easy to fit and will save time. These old machines are tough. I used some like it with flat belts and back gears many years ago. Turning to a thou or so was easy. To a tenth not really possible but usually not necessary.

 

[Richard Hed]

Regarding the Lathe, depending on the precision you need you can scrape the ways and refit the plain bearings. I haven’t done it but people I know who have say it is patience mostly. A digital readout is cheap and easy to fit and will save time. These old machines are tough. I used some like it with flat belts and back gears many years ago. Turning to a thou or so was easy. To a tenth not really possible but usually not necessary.

I'm not sure the ways need scraping, maybe a little touch up. I'm more worried about the engine--it's 440V. I thimk I will have to replace it with something 220. I have a couple 220s laying around, maybe 3 phase, but I can work with that with all the comments about the VFDs that seem to be a wonder. I haven't got it yet, and maybe never will. Harvest is over today and I STILL haven't got a price. Tomorrow I will go to the company and try to get a price. If it is reasonable, I will pay cash and arrange a 4 wheeled trailer to haul it. But sometimes these people drag their feets for no known reason (maybe "personal" power? like to lord it over others? Mayabe.) Most likely they don't care if they sell it or not. It's peanuts to a company like this. the only real thing I can say about the thing is It's literally in the way of other things.

 

[goldstar31]

For what it is worth- my thoughts
As far as the owner of the lathe is concerned, the whole thing is nothing but a cost accountancy nightmare.
Correctly, the lathe will have been written down until it is 'zero' in value and should have been sold to a scrap dealer- with whatever little money it would have raised. That would have been entered as income-- and whatever tax or corporation tax declared, accepted and tax due paid. That would be the end of it.
Sadly, your desire to have the damned thing has 'rung bells' but selling it means that it has to go back in the assets, deemed scrap and sold- and a minuscule amount of tax paid. Overall the cost of this exercise in real terms is that it has been a 'negative ' asset or in other words simply a 'bloody nuisance'
Oddly, my opinion, of course , you would do the firm a favour by "STEALING IT"

With increasing old age and with deteriorating eyesight, I've finally had to give the enjoyment of auditing accounts. No charge , perhaps a coffee. I'm doing what most people are doing in a Covid-19 lockdown and trying to keep my brain functioning.
One more thought is that if the lathe is owned by your employers, beware- Patience in such things may wear thin. I say no more except to enjoy reading about what seems to be of a 'a Legion of Lost Causes'
My thoughts- of course.

 

[Richard Hed]

For what it is worth- my thoughts
As far as the owner of the lathe is concerned, the whole thing is nothing but a cost accountancy nightmare.
Correctly, the lathe will have been written down until it is 'zero' in value and should have been sold to a scrap dealer- with whatever little money it would have raised. That would have been entered as income-- and whatever tax or corporation tax declared, accepted and tax due paid. That would be the end of it.
Sadly, your desire to have the damned thing has 'rung bells' but selling it means that it has to go back in the assets, deemed scrap and sold- and a minuscule amount of tax paid. Overall the cost of this exercise in real terms is that it has been a 'negative ' asset or in other words simply a 'bloody nuisance'
Oddly, my opinion, of course , you would do the firm a favour by "STEALING IT"

With increasing old age and with deteriorating eyesight, I've finally had to give the enjoyment of auditing accounts. No charge , perhaps a coffee. I'm doing what most people are doing in a Covid-19 lockdown and trying to keep my brain functioning.
One more thought is that if the lathe is owned by your employers, beware- Patience in such things may wear thin. I say no more except to enjoy reading about what seems to be of a 'a Legion of Lost Causes'
My thoughts- of course.

Thank you for this. I forgot how that works. I thimk you are right.

 

[goldstar31]

Thank you for this. I forgot how that works. I thimk you are right.

Really, you have to do a long distance view. So you get your lathe- and add the cost of changing the motor to 220V and then the question of where are the 'bits' and if you haven't got them in the original transaction- where and how much----------?
At the end of the day- you go into the same sort of category the present owner has------- and it could cost you money-----to get rid of it!

I'm not a misery man really.

Perhaps when you add up the real costs --OVERALL- you could think again.

There's a story-somewhere- about going around with a dead albatross around his neck. I've sort of forgotten the story but that is the way that you are going.


I wish you better luck

Norman

 

[L98fiero]

Thank you for this. I forgot how that works. I thimk you are right.

FWIW, the lawyers might have gotten into this and the company is worried about liability of a functional machine being sold without guarding. I seem to recall a press company, Brown Boggs I think, having to retrofit guarding on decades old machines.

 

[Richard Hed]

FWIW, the lawyers might have gotten into this and the company is worried about liability of a functional machine being sold without guarding. I seem to recall a press company, Brown Boggs I think, having to retrofit guarding on decades old machines.

That's the very reason they had to take it out of service--maybe that is also why they have to sell it a s "scrap". I doubt the company is worried about liability as long as they put it on the receipt that it is sold as scrap.

 

[OrangeAlpine]

That's the very reason they had to take it out of service--maybe that is also why they have to sell it a s "scrap". I doubt the company is worried about liability as long as they put it on the receipt that it is sold as scrap.

And if they sell it as scrap, I see no reason it could not be sold to you as scrap. For all they know, you want to cut it up to use as boat anchors.

One of the drawbacks of these Old Girls is limited speed selection. By all means, put a 3-5 hp three phase motor with a 7hp Ebay VFD on it and start enjoying! That would also let you overrev it a bit on the top end. Not much, be aware of chuck overreving dangers. I imagine that is a greater concern than bearing overrev.
Bill

 

[harborfreight8x12]

The replies about lawyers and accountants mucking up the deal are spot on. As a last resort, they could put you in contact with their scrap buyer and you might then acquire it from them. When I worked for Chevron Oil, Chevron Oil was in the process of divesting itself of it's oil wells located in the Louisiana swamps. The accounting and legal fees cost more than the wells were producing, so bye bye. Smaller oil producers with less overhead could operate at a profit.

 

[bikr7549]

My old company is closing down the local working site. Instead of offering to sell or give tools to employees, or getting the local auctioneer to take it off their hands, or donating it all to a school it is all going into dumpsters and hauled off to the dump. Even brand new leather cases to carry laptops around-they would be great for kids in school. Of course if an employee walked off with one (out of the dumpster) they would be fired.

 

[SmithDoor]

Error

 

[SmithDoor]

Around 1890's
Very good lathe
Starting around 1900 the gear head lathes came out.
South Bend Lathe was last to used flat belts up to 1980's that I know of.

Dave

More phots

Notice the last one shows how the motor is atop the gear box

Sorry, my son doesn't know how to take good fotos.

 

[Steamchick]

Really, you have to do a long distance view. So you get your lathe- and add the cost of changing the motor to 220V and then the question of where are the 'bits' and if you haven't got them in the original transaction- where and how much----------?
At the end of the day- you go into the same sort of category the present owner has------- and it could cost you money-----to get rid of it!

I'm not a misery man really.

Perhaps when you add up the real costs --OVERALL- you could think again.

There's a story-somewhere- about going around with a dead albatross around his neck. I've sort of forgotten the story but that is the way that you are going.


I wish you better luck

Norman

The Albatros is around the neck of the Ancient Mariner, written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. (If my memory is still working?). If you visit Watchet in North Somerset, you can meet the Ancient Mariner - with said bird - in bronze. Www.visit-watchet.co.uk
Also some restored classic boats live there...
A hidden jewel.
K2

 

[goldstar31]

The Albatros is around the neck of the Ancient Mariner, written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. (If my memory is still working?). If you visit Watchet in North Somerset, you can meet the Ancient Mariner - with said bird - in bronze. Www.visit-watchet.co.uk
Also some restored classic boats live there...
A hidden jewel.
K2

Thanks, Ken. I was teasing. I did 'the Classics' way beyond my Matriculation. Laughingly, I used to read at the Litt and Phil in Newcastle before night schools at the College of Commerce.
I always wondered if I was occupying the chair that Robert Stephenson sat in to study whilst he was having a break from his 'Engine sheds' almost next door. Then I was in Neville Hall- of which I will make no comment. It's all supposed to be a secret!

Regarding 'visiting anywhere' that is out.
I sold my last car because the insurance at 90 is simply prohibitive as well as eye sight problems. I gave up without being coerced by the family. I drive a disabled scooter and the sit on mower- but not necessarily at the sam time! Old joke.
Actually, I've been in lockdown since 'the Chinese New Year' cancellations.

But thank you for the comments which I appreciate
Keep Safe

Norman

I was thinking about the albatross and recall volunteering to replace a fellow corporal who was killed when the Joint British Scandinavian expedition. I'd helped out at the English base as a 'Thity-oner' at Hendon. I was National Service but not quite the end of the story.
I wrote up ' Almost the first in Antarctic Skies' but one day, my phone in the office rang. I was asked to be one of the British representatives on the Joint Scandinavian Winter Survival course in Arctic Norway.
Living on memories and regular libations of malt whisky

 

[Richard Hed]

My old company is closing down the local working site. Instead of offering to sell or give tools to employees, or getting the local auctioneer to take it off their hands, or donating it all to a school it is all going into dumpsters and hauled off to the dump. Even brand new leather cases to carry laptops around-they would be great for kids in school. Of course if an employee walked off with one (out of the dumpster) they would be fired.

Maybe even part of the problem was that morale was so low that production was ruined because management treated the peeps like sh*t. It would cost less to give the stuff to employees rather than the gas it cost to dump it. But some of these people would not stoop to pick up a penny but indeed would STEAL a penny from a child and laugh about it--anything to hurt another person for no reason at all.

 

[Richard Hed]

FWIW, the lawyers might have gotten into this and the company is worried about liability of a functional machine being sold without guarding. I seem to recall a press company, Brown Boggs I think, having to retrofit guarding on decades old machines.

Just for funzies, I'll tell you what has happened with the lathe: without informing me, they put it up for auction! Pist me off some that they could be so underhanded, but I might be able to get the thing for 50$ which is far less than I would have bought it for. don't know--some farmer might decide he wants a junker for his shop.

 

[goldstar31]

Get a friend to bid. This way you are clear of possible victimisation

 

[Richard Hed]

Get a friend to bid. This way you are clear of possible victimisation

Now I just want to get it to rub it in his face, obviously. But this will not come up till next month and in the mean time, I am going to Seattle to check the prices of new machines. Truthfully, it's probably best to forget this and get the Grizz machine I have saved the $$ for. I just resent the slap in the face or kick in the b@lls, which ever you think is the case.