1. Home
  2. ⏣ General Metalworking
  3. Antique lathe

Antique lathe

I have an old / small Goodell-Pratt lathe which was my father's and came to me many years after his passing. I inherited it as a set, including a vintage drive motor, countershaft, drive belts, mounting board, etc. But -- no instructions, drawings or any other form of guidance in how to set it up. I'm now tackling that problem and have encountered a fundamental question. It's very basic, but I've never used a metal lathe before, so need to ask anyway. When I arrange the motor, countershaft and lathe in the most convenient way, for use of space, the lathe spindle and chuck turn clockwise when viewed from the tailstock perspective. But that would seem wrong, given the way in which the cutting tool would contact the workpiece. I'm thinking the spindle has to rotate CCW, so the tool will bite into the workpiece and cut properly. Can someone advise which direction is right? Thanks much.

Reply to
ghb624
Loading thread data ...

"ghb624" wrote: (clip) the lathe spindle and chuck turn

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Yes, it's wrong.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Turn the motor end-for-end.

Reply to
Brian Lawson

formatting link
jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Glad this post came up..

In the near future I'll be helping a neighbor dispose of her Husbands estate, there's a pair of Goodell-Pratts in reasonable shape... One's more full featured than the other... what's an honest price for them...

--.- Dave

Reply to
Dave August

I have no idea but you might try emailing the guy (Tony) who has that British website referenced above.

Reply to
ghb624

That depends. One factor in estate disposal is often getting the stuff out the door in a timely manner, which may mean a rather different price than what a collector or even user would pay as top dollar - doesn't have to, if you can find the right buyers, but it can be a factor - and sometimes bigger is cheaper here (in part because you may have to realistically include the buyer paying rigging costs if it's in a bad spot.)

Reply to
Ecnerwal

Dave

When this situation comes up I do this. I ask the seller to set a price they are comfortable with so I can take the item and they will have no regrets. Only once have I declined in the last 40 years fo buying and selling. Yes sometimes it is too high and sometimes it is too low but I have never lost any friendships over it and this is the most important. Should you decline they will have the chance to reconsider and that will be OK also. Most of the time in estate sales there is someone grieving and you will find this out while dealing with the family. You will regret forever taking a person while they are down.

Also sitting down and talking with the family is perhaps what they really want. In this case perhaps they want the lathe to go to a good place and not to a buyer who could care less about the lathe and the family.

Bob AZ

Reply to
Bob AZ

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.