email: tony@lathes.co.uk
Home   Machine Tool Archive   Machine-tools Sale & Wanted
Machine Tool Manuals   Catalogues   Belts   Books   Accessories

Leinen and "Boley & Leinen"
Traditional-Type WW Watchmaker's Lathes
Leinen Home Page   Optical Lathe
Modern-style Watchmakers Lathes   Leinen Milling Machine
Screwhead Tool - Lapping Attachment   Micro Mill

Leinen Manuals can be purchased here here and catalogues here

Continued here on page 2

Based on the traditional Webster-Whitcomb American design with a heavy, bevelled-edge bed and a 50 mm centre height most Leinen and Boley & Leinen watchmakers' lathes had a spindle bore of 8 mm (maximum pass-through 7 mm). The collets specified were U8 DIN 6341 Cat.-No. a31/1-3 with a largest through-bore of 4.4 mm and a maximum blind-bore of 7.0 mm. As with other makers Leinen offered a wide range of both individual items and expensive (though beautiful) boxed kits. Modern-style Leinen watchmakers' lathes with integrated drive systems can be seen here.
One of the most important accessories for a watchmaker's lathe is the drive system where a properly designed and built unit can transform the lathe, making it possible to select exactly the right speed for the spindle - as well as being able to drive various milling and grinding accessories held on the bed.
Shown below is a typical Leinen unit, a good example of late watch-lathe development with a one-piece supporting base for the lathe being made from cast-iron and standing on three rubber feet. The motor supplied was of either a 3-phase 0.12 kW precision-balanced unit which drove through a belt change to give speeds of 1000, 2400 and 5300 rpm - or a 1-phase a.c 0.07 kW unit with variable speed drive to 2800 rpm which gave, in conjunction with belt changes, a speed range from 300 to 7500 rpm. The motor speed was changed by the handle fastened to the right-hand motor end plate. An extension shaft above the motor provided a means of taking the drive to a countershaft which powered milling, drilling and grinding attachments held in the compound slide rest..
Lathes marked "Boley & Leinen" had nothing to do with the G.Boley Company but were pure Leinen designs - see this page for details

Boley & Leinen "Reform" lathe of traditional WW-patter. Swing over bed 100 mm with headstock designed for 8 mm type WW collets and displaying design elements  of both "Geneva" and "WW"  types. This model was further developed and built with various types of bed holder and integrated drive systems.

Leinen Model WW80 with a 280 mm bed and 80 mm between centres. This lathe was sold in America as the Paulson

Leinen Model WW81aaa with a 400 mm long bed and 200 mm between centres and the rare compound slide rest a35

Leinen (branded as Boley & Leinen) Standard "Reform"  Outfit No. R2

Leinen (branded as Boley & Leinen) "Reform"  Outfit No. 66/V11

Leinen (branded as Boley & Leinen) "Reform" Outfit No. 77/X1V

Leinen (branded as Boley & Leinen) "Reform" Swing over bed 100 mm with headstock designed for 8 mm type WW collets and displaying design elements  of both "Geneva" and "WW"  types

WW82a Accessory Kit fitted in Case No. a53

A very rare Boley & Leinen watchmakers' lathe with chase screwcutting - a system
normally only found on rather larger precision lathes

Changewheel drive on the Boley & Leinen chase-screwcutting model

Leinen No. 154 Drive Unit for WW Type Lathes with either
3-phase belt change or 1-phase variable-speed motor.

Drive Unit No. 155 for WW Lathes.
This neat assembly was built on a cast-iron base with a swivel-mounted flange holding the motor and countershaft. The motor was available to exactly the same specifications as that fitted to the No. 154 Unit shown above.

Drive Motor No. 156 for WW Lathes. A beautifully presented, rubber-foot repulsion induction motor for 1-phase. 0.08 kW with speeds to 2800 rpm infinitely variable in both directions by operation of the black-knob topped lever. The motor was available in a variety of specifications and voltages.

Continued here on page 2

email: tony@lathes.co.uk
Home   Machine Tool Archive   Machine-tools Sale & Wanted
Machine Tool Manuals   Catalogues   Belts   Books   Accessories

Leinen and "Boley & Leinen"
Traditional-Type WW Watchmaker's Lathes
Leinen Home Page   Optical Lathe
Modern-style Watchmakers Lathes   Leinen Milling Machine
Screwhead Tool - Lapping Attachment   Micro Mill

Leinen Manuals can be purchased here here and catalogues here