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Unknown Lathes No. 66

Of English manufacture (all the threads being either BA or Whitworth) and similar to the Greenly "home-build" lathe (but much more lightly constructed), this little 1.75" x 6.5" twin-bar bed lathe has no supporting foot at the tailstock end and looks to have had its main castings faced between centres in a lathe - the turning marks being clearly evident. Running in "babbit" (white-metal) bearings (poured directly into the cast-iron headstock), the 7/8" diameter spindle is hardened and bored through 1/4" - though without the ability to accept collets. White metal is also used to secure the 9/16" diameter bed bars in the headstock casting, presumably with the intention of obtaining a perfect alignment in some sort of jig as the metal was poured in through two holes on the underside of the casting - picking paint off revealing white metal where the bars emerge from the headstock. As a note of interest, South Bend used a similar method on some of their models to retain the hinge pin on the changewheel cover (white metal is not just a soft solder-like material but available in a range of compositions, some being quite hard and durable).
Of "American type" the toolpost is carried on an unusual top slide with evidence of hand finishing and with its ways open at the top - and so exposed to the wearing effects of swarf and dirt. However, the whole assembly is effective with the fine-pitch top-slide screw positioned to one side of the casting (as on many bench precision lathes) and with both slides operating smoothly and without obvious wear, or tight spots. 



Underside of the headstock showing the holes though which white metal was poured to secure the bed bar in the casting