Was having a look around varmint Als' mini-lathe site and read the pageabout his dad.Mine had a lathe etcetera in the basement.How many of yours did?

mine has an atlas down in the basement. he and mom bought a beaver coat andthe lathe, mom got bumped by a car (just knocked her down and ruined thecoat) but dad still has his lathe. seems like the lathe was the better dealand the lathe is 50+ years old.did my final for my machine shop class on that lathe. had to set the changegears for feed rate on the cutting but learned alot from running themachine.

My dad only had screwdrivers and hammers, being a trust officer at thebank his whole life, he never needed more. When I became interested injewelry making and machining my dad told me some interesting historyabout my family. My grandfather sold engines for Pratt&Whitney andhung out with machinists a lot, worked out several patents (a rope skitow being his one success) and was generally mechanically inclined. Hedied before I was born.My great great grandfather had apprenticed as a jeweler at 14, andbuilt up to having a factory in Newark NJ, when that city was thecapitol of the american jewelry industry. His factory was the first toinstall a steam engine for jewelry manufacture. Newark's historicalsociety put out a neat book about the industry and showed the variousdies used for manufacturing the jewelry, as well as some pictures ofhis plant and items made by it.Now that I have a son (finally!), he will grow up knowing all aboutmanufacturing and have a pretty nice shop to learn in....

Did your dads own a lathe?

Oct 06, 2003 22 Replies

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Nicholas Carter 22 years ago

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Abrasha 22 years ago

My dad didn't even own that. It's a miracle that I ended up in a profession where I work with my hands and tools and make things every day.

Abrasha

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Brian Lawson 22 years ago

Hey Larry,

Heart-warming gab with a very unhappy ending. Condolences to you and your fine Dad.

Take care.

Brian Laws>>

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