email: tony@lathes.co.uk
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Holtzapffel Ornamental Turning Lathes
and accessories
Unusual Holtzapffel "Swiss Universal" Lathe   Holtzapffel Lathe Chucks

A Collection of Swiss Universal Lathes

Most famous and prolific of the ornamental-turning lathe makers, Holtzapffel manufactured a range of machines from the simple to the complex producing, between 1795 and 1928, some 2,557 recorded examples. The Holtzapffel family were all master craftsman and designers - and their lathes have always been highly sought-after and prized possessions.  The example below is one of their more basic models, a machine rescued in very neglected condition with a wooden stand so rotten that it was only just suitable as a pattern for a replacement to be made..
Engraved on the headstock of the first example below - a lathe with the Serial number 1216 and known to have been supplied new to Thos. Drane on 30th of July, 1821 - is:
Holtzapffwl & Deyerlein 64 Charing Cross, London. - the retail outlet of the Company from 1821 until 1901.  Fortunately, a number of original or contemporary accessories had survived including the flywheel treadle assembly, a compound slide rest, geometric chuck and a range of smaller items, all shown below.
One unusual version of Holtzapffel lathe was a type built along the lines of the Swiss Universal/English Mandrel, a machine made by numerous makers but one seldom found with any maker's marks.
Should you have a Holtzapffel lathe they you would like to see featured (anonymously) in the Archive the writer would be interested to hear from you.







The ornamental turning chuck (bottom left) has, besides an indexing wheel, a worm-and-wheel fine adjuster - an unusual fitting on so early an example







And still they turn up. Discovered in November 2022, this Holtzapffel has survived complete on its original treadle with the correct set of storage drawers, possibly an complete and complex "overhead" drive system and some accessories.



Unusual Holtzapffel "Swiss Universal" Lathe   

Holtzapffel Lathe Chucks


Holtzapffel Ornamental Turning Lathes
email: tony@lathes.co.uk
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