Apart form cuddley toys and marmalade - is there anything the giant Japanese Mitsubishi Group has not manufactured ? Amongst the company's machine-tool range was this 350mm swing by 500mm between centres (13.75" x 19.5") toolroom lathe of impeccable quality - and the type of machine which may eventually find its way down the supply chain into the workshop of the smaller jobbing engineer - or even the more ambitious home enthusiast.
The 35mm 1.375") bore headstock spindle, supported on two Timken Type 0 precision tapered roller bearings and a double row cylindrical roller bearing was turned by three V belts, powered from a drive unit mounted within the base of the stand; this remote mounting - a favourite ploy by the makers of better-class machine tools - was designed to minimise vibration and so aid in the task of producing the finest-possible turned finishes. The headstock bearings were pressure lubricated from an oil reservoir within the cabinet base - helping to cool the spindle and combat any tendancy to expand in use