Essbeco lathes were manufactured by S. Bjorklund and Company in Aktiebolag, Sweden. By the 1950s their products ranged from general-purpose workshop lathes to massive 24-inch (630 mm) models able to take 20 feet (6m) between centres. Their smallest machine, the Model ABC 190 had a centre height of 7.5 inches (190 mm) and could accept either 30, 40 or 60 inches (750, 1000 and 1500 mm) between centres; the basic model had no gap but the ABC190/G was fitted with a removable bridge section that increased the maximum capacity to a disc some 23.375" in diameter. The bed, at 350 mm, was as wide as the lathe's swing, a good foundation for accurate turning and the ability to cope with larger jobs.
The oil-bath headstock was all-geared with 8 speeds from a usefully low 34 r.p.m to an adequately high 1000 r.p.m. The "American long-taper" LOO nose spindle was bored through to take a 1.625 inch (41 mm) bar, ran in taper roller bearings and was driven by two V belts from a 2 h.p. motor neatly contained within the cast-iron headstock-end cabinet leg. Spindle speeds were controlled by two concentric levers mounted on the from face of the headstock with a leadscrew reverse lever to their left and the electrical control switch immediately below and to the right.
A full screwcutting gearbox was part of the standard specification and able to generate, without changing or moving any gears, 32 English pitches from 3 to 44 t.p.i., 20 metric from 0.25 to 10.532 as well as 32 longitudinal feeds from 0.195 to 2.87 mm and 32 surfacing (cross feed) from 0.089 to 1.3 mm - both per revolution of the spindle. The changewheels drive to the 1.125 inch diameter leadscrew was protected by a shear pin and the tumble-reverse mechanism for reversing the drive built into the headstock beneath the spindle.
The tailstock was locked to the bed with a permanently fixed lever working through a cam and the 1.75-inch (45 mm) diameter, No. 3 Morse taper graduated tailstock spindle clamped by a proper compression mechanism that limited any deflection as it operated.