Barnes Velocipede Metal Lathe - input please

[BrianInVA]

Hi folks,
Thanks for the ad!

I’ve been searching for an affordable foot powered wood lathe for about six months to use for hobby and display purposes.

Today a listing on Marketplace popped up for an “antique metal lathe.”

From the phots it appears to be a Barnes Velocipede Metal Lathe. The seller said it was in the basement of the house he bought 14 years ago. He is now selling that house and didn’t want to leave this antique lathe behind. He knows nothing about it whatsoever beyond the photos he provided.

I’m tentatively scheduled to pick it up Tuesday evening for $400. That seems quite reasonable.

Can you offer any input as to it’s possible age, model, and could it be modified (not permanently!) to be used as a wood lathe?

This may seem like an outside chance, but if it would be better not to use it as a wood lathe, what are the chances of trading it for a Barnes Velocipede Wood Lathe?

Thanks!
Brian

 

[BrianInVA]

A motor had been added in the past but it doesn’t look like it would take much to restore it to original.

 

[maynah]

Looks good. $400 is a very good price. The treadle parts would cost more than that.
Could that wooden box on the floor next to it have tooling in it?
It would be too much to hope the change gears were in there too.

 

[BrianInVA]

Looks good. $400 is a very good price. The treadle parts would cost more than that.
Could that wooden box on the floor next to it have tooling in it?
It would be too much to hope the change gears were in there too.

Yes, it has a wooden box next to it with accessories but I don’t yet know it’s contents.

Any idea which model this might be, or it’s actual worth?

 

[maynah]

I had a 4 1/2 (I think), and it had the number at the top of the thread chart.
Which I think is right about where that power switch is attached.
Take a peek behind that for a brass plate.
Value? Depends how much someone wants it. More than $400, less than $1000.
It's worth more in parts than whole. Barnes is probably the most common foot powered lathe we see here.

 

[markwesti]

Barnes Lathes

www.lathes.co.uk

If it were me , I would restore it and keep it . Looks like most of the parts are there , I love the saddle . Wood lathe ? Depends on what you want to make , my thought is it wouldn't turn fast enough .
If nothing else clean it up get it running and sell it . Like @maynah says more than 400 , less than 1K but you never know .
Mark .

 

[spaeth]

Brian,
I always thought the Barnes wood lathe was the same as the metal lathe but without carriage, lead screw and gearing. Certainly the treadle and drive mechanisms were similar. So the rpm would be the same for wood or metal. The velocipede setup was probably way better than any other treadle powered wood lathe. I would mount a tool rest on the compound and make some wood shavings. I have a Barnes lathe and a Carroll-Jamieson 9 x 25 treadle lathe but no pedals or flywheels. My plan is to someday use a 10 speed bike setup, put ball bearings in the head stock and a large heavy flywheel to drive the spindle. That would allow the flywheel to spin while the pedals coasted. For sure you got a nice deal on nice antique lathe.
spaeth

 

[jim rozen]

Buy this. Bring cash.

 

[BrianInVA]

Buy this. Bring cash.

I have the cash, they’re expecting me and they took down the listing after it was only up 2 hours based on my word I’d be there. I’m going Tuesday evening. It’s a three hour drive there and three hours back and I’ll have to rent a decent trailer, but it’s definitely worth the time and the trip to me.

Is there anything about getting these in running condition I should know?

I’m planning on getting a cheap Harbor Freight adjustable v belt until I can find a decent leather belt for it.

I’m also going to try to adapt a modern wood lathe adjustable tool rest to set in the compound.

 

[BrianInVA]

Think one of those adjustable Harbor Freight v belts might substitute for a flat leather belt until I can find one?

 

[maynah]

That lathe will break down into a few manageable parts and fit in most any car very easily.

 

[BrianInVA]

That lathe will break down into a few manageable parts and fit in most any car very easily.

Oh, that’s great to know, thank you!

 

[maynah]

That HF belt should work.
The legs are held on by 3, (I think), bolts each from underneath. Then the bed and everything attached to it will lift off. If you have the room In your vehicle I would leave the legs and drive parts as one. If not just start taking parts off as needed. Take the seat and bracket off no matter how you move it.
Just label fasteners in plastic bags or put them back in their prospective positions after disassembly. Take pictures to help with reassembly.

 

[BrianInVA]

That HF belt should work.
The legs are held on by 3, (I think), bolts each from underneath. Then the bed and everything attached to it will lift off. If you have the room In your vehicle I would leave the legs and drive parts as one. If not just start taking parts off as needed. Take the seat and bracket off no matter how you move it.
Just label fasteners in plastic bags or put them back in their prospective positions after disassembly. Take pictures to help with reassembly.

I’m probably going to go ahead and take a trailer so I don’t need to worry about getting hundred year old flat head screws loose. (UHaul motorcycle trailers are only $15 a day and have an easy to load low deck with plenty of tie down points for ratchet straps.)

I just watched a video of two Barnes no. 5 lathes being refurbished and they struggled with a number of the screws and bolts, even using a hammer impact screwdriver.

I assume the seat should still be removed even if I put this on a trailer?

 

[maynah]

I would if you can. It's fragile cast iron, remove the seat bracket too, together they're some of the most expensive parts to replace. You're lucky it's still there. Usually it and all the foot parts are gone after they put a motor on.
$15 for the trailer won't break the bank.

 

[Frank R]

Take a hand truck to help get it up the basement stairs. Maybe some boards to put on the hand truck that are wider than the legs.
Most important: take a friend to help move it. Don't expect the seller to help; oftentimes they are not in any shape to help.
Lock the tailstock down or remove it. They can slide off when moving or it gets tilted.
Get it running and use it for several months before getting anxious to sell it. You can use a metal-turning lathe to turn wood easily, but you can only use a wood-turning lathe to do the most basic metal turning actions.

 

[jim rozen]

Again, break it down to smaller bite-sized chunks if at ALL possible. This machine can be moved by one person, no moving aids at all this way. Toughest part is unbolting the legs. If you do both at once and lift the bed off, they'll fall over and break. Best is a helper for *this* operation. Unbolt one leg, Helper holds up the end of the bed while you carefully set the leg aside, and block up the end of the bed. Have a sturdy chair or bench handy for that. Repeat for other leg, except when the leg is aside you both move the bed to the floor.

One person can do this but it's a bit of a fire drill and you need to have all the tools and supports RIGHT where you'll need them.

 

[BrianInVA]

Take a hand truck to help get it up the basement stairs. Maybe some boards to put on the hand truck that are wider than the legs.
Most important: take a friend to help move it. Don't expect the seller to help; oftentimes they are not in any shape to help.
Lock the tailstock down or remove it. They can slide off when moving or it gets tilted.
Get it running and use it for several months before getting anxious to sell it. You can use a metal-turning lathe to turn wood easily, but you can only use a wood-turning lathe to do the most basic metal turning actions.

Fortunately the seller already moved it up from his basement. It’s in his garage on a wheeled platform and he will have four other guys there tomorrow evening to help load it.

I’m going to rent a UHaul motorcycle trailer to move it. They’re low and easy to access with the drop down ramp, and a day’s rental is only $15.

I have no plans to sell it. I hope to actually use it regularly and may use it to display foot powered wood lathe work. I’m thinking of building some kind of platform on wheels for it to make it possible to take it to shows.

 

[Frank R]

Fortunately the seller already moved it up from his basement. It’s in his garage on a wheeled platform and he will have four other guys there tomorrow evening to help load it.

I’m going to rent a UHaul motorcycle trailer to move it. They’re low and easy to access with the drop down ramp, and a day’s rental is only $15.

I have no plans to sell it. I hope to actually use it regularly and may use it to display foot powered wood lathe work. I’m thinking of building some kind of platform on wheels for it to make it possible to take it to shows.

You are very fortunate that he already moved it for you.

I have rented the same trailer to move machinery.

Buy yourself one gallon of Mobil Velocite and use it for the drip cups. Remember to add oil every time you use the lathe. You may find a nice oil can in that pile of tooling.

I remember Roy Underhill used a similar lathe on an episode of the Woodwright's Shop. https://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-shop-screw-cuttin-lathe/

With your machine you can turn wood and also light metal like brass, aluminum, and soft steel. Wood and brass Christmas ornaments would be a great seller.

BTW: Please post pictures of all the goodies you find in that toolbox. We love to see pictures.

 

[BrianInVA]

I remember Roy Underhill used a similar lathe on an episode of the Woodwright's Shop. https://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-shop-screw-cuttin-lathe/
BTW: Please post pictures of all the goodies you find in that toolbox. We love to see pictures.

I’ve been talking to Ed Hobbs over on the OWWM forum. He’s the one who found this lathe for Roy Underhill. Ed is an incredible wealth of knowledge. I assume he posts here too?

I’ll post lots of photos once I get it home.