pre 1900 lathe tail stock spindle handle feed direction

[rustyironism]

I posted this in the Watertown lathe thread because of the square center discussion, but thought my question deserved it's own thread, to not hijack the other.

I tried to eject the center from the tailstock quill by turning the handle to withdraw the quill into the tailstock, but it did not easily pop the center from it's assumed taper.
I'll try to remove it later when I find time,

But my question comes from when I turned the handwheel counterclockwise to withdraw the quill, it instead fed outward.
To withdraw the quill into the tailstock body, I have to turn the handwheel clockwise, opposite any lathe I have used.

My question is
How common is this counterclockwise feed?

If uncommon, perhaps it could add direction to identifying this still unknown manufacturer.

Thanks.

Mike

 

[johnoder]

It has a right hand thread. All the lathes you have run had a left hand thread

Your tailstock looks similar to a Putnam. Attachments have TS with similar appearance

 

[John Garner]

It's also possible that the original screw and nut were replaced with "homemade" parts that had wrong-hand threads.

Correct-hand threads can be right- or left-hand, depending on whether the nut is fixed to the quill or tailstock casting.

 

[maynah]

I’ve had a few older lathes like that.
The older the lathe the more likely to have a tail stock like that.

 

[rustyironism]

Yes, I've seen old lathes with similar looking tailstocks, as they were all in the early stages and learning from each other.

There are several points that do look Putnam.
I'll have to research very early Putnam.
I wonder which way they turn their handle to advance?

It doesn't appear to have been butchered through the 150 plus years, but nothing is certain.

Thanks
Mike

 

[Robert Lang]

I tried to eject the center from the tailstock quill by turning the handle to withdraw the quill into the tailstock, but it did not easily pop the center from it's assumed taper.

How common is this counterclockwise feed?

Try removing the quill from the tail stock and see if there is a knockout slot, which is common for early lathes.
Early lathes did not always use the screw to knock out the center.
Here is the quill from Tom Stockton's early lathe, which I think is an S.C, Combs lathe.
This is before I removed the welded on live center that some idiot welded on.
You say you think the taper in the quill is square. I can't tell from the picture.
If it is not square and there is no knockout slot, then try a wrench on the outer square end of the center and give it a twist.
Some early lathes did not have a knockout slot and used the outer square end of the center to remove it.
You will find round taper centers with square ends on them. That is what the square end is for.

For early lathes, counterclockwise feed was common.

Rob

 

[Robert Lang]

I don't think the tail stock looks like a Putnam.

Rob