Do these lathes look used?

Check this out. I bought these two lathes from the US Army at Rock Island Arsenal. I bought them sight unseen.

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I can see copious rust on one and significant rust on another.

However, I do not see telltale signs of having been actually used, such as beat up paint near where the headstock meets the chuck.

Comments?

i
Reply to
Ignoramus25323
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Same question applies to this radial drill:

http://ricklev> Check this out. I bought these two lathes from the US Army at Rock

Reply to
Ignoramus25323

"Ignoramus25323" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com...

We took Khrushchev's bluster very seriously:

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"In the drawdown following the war, the Army began to stockpile these tools to be held in reserve status to be used in the event of another national mobilization."

"At its peak, a private contractor was responsible for maintaining more than 5,000 machine tools in the reserve facility."

I remember some being released for sale in the 1970's. I bought some equipment that had reputedly been stored in a cave in New Mexico.

-jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Amazing story.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus16121

Used but well maintained until they were abandoned in some storage lot.

Reply to
Pete C.

OK, we will see soon. I have low expectations and I bought them at below-scrap prices.

That same auction had a couple of similar brand new machines that were inside, not rusted. The interesting thing is, they were in similar crates.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus16121

If nothing else the TEFC motors can probably sell separate along with a few other bits and pieces and the rest is a heavy pile of scrap.

Reply to
Pete C.

Since it's from an arsenal, they're probably not clapped out. I'll bet you can get a much prettier penny for them that you paid, especially since you'll have one of your guys shine 'em up with 0000 steel wool and slick 'em up with way oil.

How much did they end up going for?

Reply to
Larry Jaques

That Arsenal had two brand new looking shapers just like that that just sold (not to me).

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ttp://ricklevin.nextlot.com/public/lot/15505338

My understanding is that shapers are sold strictly for their nostalgic value, and are commercially useless.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus16121

Check these out:

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The whole auction is here:

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I bought lots: 4,10,11,14,16,17,18,21,24,28,31,36, 39,57,68,71,76,79,81,86,89,100,118, 125,127,128,139,187,197,198,208,212, 216,221,222

Lot 187 (generator) has only 37 hours on it.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus16121

Almost. The only commercial use I've seen in the past 15 years is squaring mold bases for injection-molding tools.

There is an argument that they impose less internal stress on the workpiece than milling does. But I think the real reason is that they had the machine laying around, and that was all they could do with it that made sense.

Reply to
Ed Huntress

"Ignoramus16121" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com...

Isn't that generally true of all manual machine tools?

-jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Not really, say, we use a manual mill and a manual lathe a lot for maintenance/repairs etc.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus16121

Dayum, you bought out the store! #212, is that a porta-power setup?

Good deal, as usual.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I have no idea, I will let you know.

Thanks, we'll see. I once bought a similar (to lot 187) looking welder from them. It had 3 hours on it. (!!!)

i
Reply to
Ignoramus16121

Very handy machine. Makes it easy to cut non-standard dovetails inside a small hole. Once upon a time i hung a dumore tool post grinder on the end of a shaper, worked great. Also makes a great horizontal power fed die filer.

Best Regards Tom.

Reply to
Howard Beal

Ig was asking about their commercial use. Small ones sell to hobbyists, and a few small shops, mostly onesie-twosie jobbers and repair shops, hang on to their old ones or pick one up cheap at an old-shop auction.

There is no real commercial market for them anymore, especially in medium or larger sizes.

Reply to
Ed Huntress

Got any 6" treadle shapers, mon?

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Har!

Hmm, are the Gingery books on that drive you gave me?

Nah, I was just thinking out loud about after the Fall...

Reply to
Larry Jaques

And if they are would you please send me a copy of the shaper one? My set went to Australia a few years back with another member of the castinghobby email list . I wonder how many times they've circled the continent , they were supposed to be shared with all the hobby casters there . And I need a shaper often enough to build one . Shaving keyways manually on the lathe or mill ain't much fun .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

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