Manufactured by Perkis & Hayes (Engineers) Ltd. of 147 Tarring Road, West Worthing, Sussex, the 4.5-inch centre height  "Perhays" looks to have been made during the 1940s and early 1950s - although its general appearance was more akin to a lathe from the late 19th century. Almost certainly assembled in a small factory converted from a stable block at the rear of a Victorian terrace, the lathe was available in standard and long-bed forms able to accept, respectively, 24" and 36" between centres. Although of simple design and construction it was properly built from cast iron and steel with an absence of the cheap fittings normally found on such simple machines. The general specification was impressive with the bed having a very deep gap that allowed a disc of wood 18" in diameter (but only 3" thick) to be turned. The 1" x 12 t.p.i. No. 1 Morse spindle ran in plain bronze bearings - fitted with flip-top lubricators - with its outside end threaded 12 t.p.i. Left-hand and intended to accept, on a plain section, emery wheels and polishing mops (although there was no facility to mount an outboard bowl-turning attachment). The spindle carried an aluminium 3-step V-pulley (5", 4" & 3") to take a full-size "A" section (1/2") wide belt, an arrangement that would have guaranteed a long and trouble-free life. As an optional extra, a neat saw-bench unit, with a cast-aluminium, rise-and-fall 12" x 9" table able to accept 6" or 8" blades, was available to mount on the left of the headstock, this being a common and popular fitting on wood lathes of the era.
For metal and precision wood-turning jobs, a compound slide rest was offered, with small, non-zeroing micrometer dials and a 360° swivel top slide of limited travel - instead of the much longer type normally fitted to plain lathes. With a useful No. 2 Morse taper, the 1" diameter tailstock spindle was bored clear though - to act as a long-hole boring support - and fitted with a square thread that passed though a large diameter but smooth-edge handwheel that lacked  any form of handle to aid grip
A proper stand was offered, with a strong countershaft (fitted with self-aligning bearings) bolted to the back with a cast aluminium guard over the motor belt run  - though that on the headstock was left exposed. The countershaft was also available in a version for bench mounting.