Barnes Velocipede Metal Lathe - input please

[jim rozen]

Blocks of Babbit metal in there?

 

[BrianInVA]

Blocks of Babbit metal in there?

Yes, 11 small ingots.

 

[BrianInVA]

The spindle does seem to be 7/8” x 10tpi:

 

[BrianInVA]

Blocks of Babbit metal in there?

Twelve 1 pound ingots, two 5 pound ingots.

I’ll never use them. Any value?

 

[BrianInVA]

I did figure out how to mount a wood lathe tool rest banjo.

 

[animal12]

To find a late that old that still has the change gears & the steady , you really need to go buy a lottery ticket !!!!! Tats a cute lil 3 jaw chuck .How's the spindle bore look ? That taper to thread adapter looks someone/thing has been knawing on it for some time . I seem to think that Lyman sold ingot molds at one time , they could be led or babbit ?
thanks for sharing
animal

 

[BrianInVA]

To find a late that old that still has the change gears & the steady , you really need to go buy a lottery ticket !!!!! Tats a cute lil 3 jaw chuck .How's the spindle bore look ? That taper to thread adapter looks someone/thing has been knawing on it for some time . I seem to think that Lyman sold ingot molds at one time , they could be led or babbit ?
thanks for sharing
animal

I just had the headstock apart tonight and removed the spindle and belt pulley assembly.Everything is clean smooth and shiny, no deep scratches pits or rust.

It has very finely machined hard steel bearings that fit very closely around the front spindle shaft annd lay inside a pillow bearing type assembly that removes with two large screws. The rear of the spindle rests inside a long threaded finely machined steel tube, which screws into a solid pillow block.

The shaft and the bearing races were all clean and smooth, with no rust, pits etc. There’s a small hole at the top of each pillow block for oil.

There were no Babbitt or ball bearings. I wonder if this was an intermediate step between Babbitt bearings and modern ball bearings? It is only a slow speed bearing as it’s only pedal powered and doesn’t develop high rpm.

However a number of these have seized up over the years when they were converted to electric motor drives so steel on steel ain’t a great bearing lol.

Here’s a picture of the two steel sides of the bearing races under the pillow block at the front of the spindle.

 

[jim rozen]

Ha! This is classic. These lathes were designed so the spindle bearing clearance was 'adjustable' on the fly by tightening or slacking those bearing cap screws. Th former owner wanted to set the clearance by shimming under the cap with material - in this case what appears to be fabric of some kind. In my case (seneca falls 9" lathe I used brass shim. You can also fit drip feed oilers if you want. This machine will probably work well for wood turning, just set the other tooling aside in a clean dry space (oiling is a good idea) so if you ever come across a better machine for you, the tooling increases the resale value for this one a grat deal.

 

[Frank R]

You will deeply regret selling this machine. You can always get another treadle lathe just for wood. But this one will do both.

 

[BrianInVA]

This machine will probably work well for wood turning, just set the other tooling aside in a clean dry space (oiling is a good idea) so if you ever come across a better machine for you, the tooling increases the resale value for this one a grat deal.

You will deeply regret selling this machine. You can always get another treadle lathe just for wood. But this one will do both.

I’m very quickly “growing attached” to this lathe. The more I work on cleaning it up and getting it going, the more I really appreciate it. It’s an incredibly well engineered design.

I’ve already set aside the tool carrier so I can mount a wood lathe type tool rest banjo. I’ll make that out of a piece of ash. As well as the small gear that links the spindle to the change gears to reduce any drag from those. I’m keeping everything in the wooden box that was included with the lathe.

The chain seemed too long when I brought it home, so I took three links out of it earlier today. After cleaning and oiling the pedals, sprocket and flywheel axle, I was turning the pedals with my foot and the chain abruptly jumped off the lower large sprocket. On examination the lower sprocket was way out of alignment with the upper sprocket on the flywheel.

I realized the left and right extension bars that hold the pedal crank were way out of alignment too, so I loosened them up at the frame legs, added the three chain links back into the chain, let the lower sprocket and pedal assembly hang tight in the chain off the upper flywheel sprocket, then re-tightened the arms that hold the crank. Now the entire pedal and flywheel assembly is spinning freely and smoothly.



Time to pick up one of those Harbor Freight segmented belts tomorrow and see if I can get it humming. I’ve read numerous comments online now about successfully replacing these old 1” leather flat belts with the link belts.

 

[BrianInVA]

Ha! This is classic. These lathes were designed so the spindle bearing clearance was 'adjustable' on the fly by tightening or slacking those bearing cap screws. Th former owner wanted to set the clearance by shimming under the cap with material - in this case what appears to be fabric of some kind. In my case (seneca falls 9" lathe I used brass shim.

Those screws were the only screws that looked like they had been adjusted numerous times! I tightened them until I felt resistance to spinning the spindle then backed them off just enough so it would spin freely.

The little red piece of fabric he shimmed it with had “1955” boldly printed across it. I don’t know if that was the last year he took it apart or if it was just a convenient piece of cloth.

 

[Frank R]

Think how it would look if you could show items that you turned, like a brass item with threads. Maybe an ebony ring box with brass threads.

 

[jim rozen]

Ideally you want flat leather belting between the flywheel and the cone pulley at the spindle. You can splice and glue the belt or lace it with monofilament line. How wide are the steps on the cone pulley? I have some one inch leather belting I could gift you, but it might be too wide for that machine.

 

[BrianInVA]

Progress:

 

[BrianInVA]

Think how it would look if you could show items that you turned, like a brass item with threads. Maybe an ebony ring box with brass threads.

I am going to use it but I’m only a wood turner. So I’ll make wooden items like the kitchen scoops I’ve been making:

 

[BrianInVA]

Ideally you want flat leather belting between the flywheel and the cone pulley at the spindle. You can splice and glue the belt or lace it with monofilament line. How wide are the steps on the cone pulley? I have some one inch leather belting I could gift you, but it might be too wide for that machine.

Eventually I’ll do that. The pulleys are about 1 1/8” wide so I’m assuming it originally used a 1” leather flat belt.

 

[Frank R]

I am going to use it but I’m only a wood turner. So I’ll make wooden items like the kitchen scoops I’ve been making:

If Roy Underhill can turn threads in half and hour, so can you.

The point is, you can grow into the capabilities of your machine.

 

[jim rozen]

Send me a note to jrr0 (at) us (dot) ibm (dot) com

where that's a zero in the address, not an oh, and give me your address for the belting.

 

[cyanidekid]

well hot damn! congrats, one lucky haul.. sounds like its found a good home, warms an old iron loving heart.

 

[BrianInVA]

Send me a note to jrr0 (at) us (dot) ibm (dot) com

where that's a zero in the address, not an oh, and give me your address for the belting.

Will do tonight, thanks!