A circa 1926 21/2-inch backgeared and screwcutting Portass developed from the "Baby" Portass shown below. Whilst having the same generic appearance as the plain-turning model little on this version is the same with even the cross slide and tailstock handwheels being different and made from castings, rather than turned from the solid. However, to save money, it is likely that the bed was cast from a modified Baby lathe pattern. The lathe was offered at a modest £4 : 5s : 0d. (compared to £10 : 10s : 0d for the 3-inch model) but, although cheap at the time for a fully-specified machine, it was a primitive affair, requiring skill to coax  good results from and was advertised for only a few years from 1929 onwards. Just visible in the picture - but shown more clearly below on another lathe with slight differences - are the Drummond-like tapered headstock bearings.

Nor quite complete--but good enough to show the tapered bronze bearings of the early backgeared and screwcutting Portass

Above and below: the plain-turning version of a very similar model with simple split-clamp headstock bearings and a plain rather than T-slotted cross slide.