The beautiful little "Box-Ford" 3.3" x  9.25" precision plain-turning bench lathe was first produced during 1946/7 and appears to have been the first machine tool manufactured by Denford in their "Box Tree Mills" plant (letters found with the few surviving sheets of advertising literature refer to a forthcoming 9-inch screwcutting lathe - an obvious reference to the company's well-known South Bend 9-inch clone - with a target price (indicated in pencil) of "less than £100").
In size the lathe fell neatly between the American precision bench type as made by, amongst others, Stark, Waltham and Pratt & Whitney and the "heavier" pattern of WW type watchmakers' lathes of the Derbyshire, Levin and Pultra pattern.
Eight belt-driven spindle speeds were provided, in two ranges of high and low using a 2-step V-belt from a 1425 rpm 1/4 hp motor and a 4-step flat-belt final drive to the 0.5" bore hadstock spindle. The spindle assembly, with a 7/8" BSF nose, was hardened and ground and ran in adjustable cast-iron bearings; on test in the company's toolroom one had been run for over 3000 hours without any appreciable wear becoming apparent.  The standard speed range was: 170, 270, 280, 450, 460, 740, 760, and 1210 rpm - with an alternative, slower set available which spanned 40 to 630 rpm. The maximum collet capacity was 5/16".
The lathe bed, precision ground and hand scarped, was formed from Vs and flats and was of quite massive proportions for so small a lathe; the compound slide rest was fitted with a single quick-set locking bar and, unusually for this class of machine, had both its feed screws completely enclosed and protected from swarf; a simple two-way tool-holder was fitted as standard.
The tailstock barrel had an auto-eject mechanism and a No.1 Morse taper. The whole machine weighed 112 lbs with overall dimensions, including the countershaft, of 27" x 24" x 16"..