Macson literature

[burraboy]

I have a manual for a MACSON 26" SWING LATHE and also a sales brochure for a MACSON 18" & 21" SWING LATHE. Anybody use them?

[.RC.]

I don't use them but I would be interested in them, I have an interest in Aussie made machinery....I can scan them and turn them into a PDF for anyone to download...

[burraboy]

In lieu of anyone actually with a macson wanting them, they're yours! Send a pm with your address and I'll put them in the mail.

[.RC.]

Thanks to burraboy I have received the literature...I have scanned in the brochure and is available here...How many would fit a 21" Macson in their workshop??? :D:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure12.jpg

[Uncle Arthur]

RC I have a large Macson lathe and while it seems to be a bit more of an antique than the one in the brochure I would like to have a copy of that manual if you could paste into a .pdf file. I have been looking for a service manual for my lathe for ages and this may assist. Thanks in advance

[.RC.]

Hi Uncle Arthur, The manual is for a much older lathe than the brochure is for, in fact the manual is for a flat bed machine..It runs to what looks like 80 pages but it is in a ring binder so scanning won't be too hard..Then it might be easier for me to put it on a disc and post to you..

[Uncle Arthur]

RC, I can't find any model or serial numbers on my Macson but I do have a 1960 McPherson's catalogue and it looks a bit older than anything in that so at a guess
I'd say it may be from the mid to late 1950's. I'll try to attach a couple of photo's here & very kind of you to offer to scan for me. Does the manual give you a date of manufacture or perhaps you could post a photo of the lathe before you go to all the effort?

[.RC.]

The manual I have is for a more modern design...I have seen a picture of a Macson lathe being built during WW2 and it is similar to yours with the round head...

[Uncle Arthur]

RC, Thanks for checking. I'll post a good shot of the headstock next week .. just in case anyone does come across any appropriate manuals or can work out the age of my lathe. Cheers!

[.RC.]

Does yours look like this???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/macsonbeingbuilt-1.jpg

[britannia]

I have a 1930's model Macson with 7" centre height (14" swing) & am also interested in all old machinery. I obtained a copy of the 1936 McPherson & Macson lathe catalogue from Library Australia, call number
684.0830294 M172. it indicates that my lathe is of earlier vintage, I would be happy to send you a copy but i tried copying for a freind & they loose much detail, My copy cost only $13 by inter library request so if you are interested that is the best way to go.
I intend to restore my lathe when I find time, I have already restored my
1925 6" centre height BRITANNIA & still use it when I can.
I would of course be interested to obtain a copy of your Macson info if you would tell me how.
CHEERS BARRY.

[britannia]

The model you have looks similar to the 1936 (see my reply to R.C.)
my 1930? model has only two bed plates where yours has three. I posted a photo of mine in my post in BUY SELL"N" SWAP, in all other respects it is similar to yours. I am missing a tailstock for mine & have been looking for a replacement for some time if you know of any I would be greatfull for any info. I can not find any number on mine either but did find the inspectors ID on the far right hand end of the bed, that seems to be a common place on many lathes & even the HERLESS lathes I am refurbishing are marked there.
There are quite a few images of macson's being used during the war on PICTURE AUSTRALIA in the LIBRARY AUSTRALIA web site. If you are interested put macson lathes in or just lathes if you have plenty of time. I hope this is of help.
CHEERS BARRY.

[Watergates]

Thanks to burraboy I have received the literature...I have scanned in the brochure and is available here...How many would fit a 21" Macson in their workshop??? :D:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/OzRinger/Macson%20catalogue/Macsonbrochure12.jpg
.R.C

We've just been given a 18" Mascon but with no manual. It's so hard to find any literature on these. Would love to have a copy of what you have and would appreciate if you could go to the trouble.
email: [email protected]

Thanks,

Mark

[Uncle Arthur]

Britannia, thanks for your post. Here are a couple of shots of the headstock of my Macson. They may give you be a bit more of a clue as to the age of the lathe. They are a bit dark and I can redo as needed. Let me know your thoughts.
thanks.. Uncle Arthur

[britannia]

UNCLE ARTHUR.
I have tried to load a page of the 1936 catalogue that shows a macson similar to yours but the system tells me it is invalid, too large ect.
where do I find help?

CHEERS BARRY.

[.RC.]

It means the picture is too large and needs resizing...you can email it to me and I will resize and post it...I will send you a private message with my email address..

[Sterob]

There's a windows 'power toy' called 'image resizer'. That produces a copy of the original pic that is less than 100k in about 2 seconds. Do a search, down load it and install it and right click on the pic to use it. Easy.

[burraboy]

Hi Uncle,
the style of your lathe looks very similar to my own. Mine has a "Ministry of Munitions" badge so I suppose we're looking at the 39/40's period. I wish mine had that gap bed!

[.RC.]

As promised I have scanned the manual in and can be downloaded here --->>> http://users.beagle.com.au/lathefan/Macson%2025%20inch%20swing%20lathe%20manual001.pdf

Be aware that it is 29Mb in size, and does not include the general arrangement drawings (i scanned them to a higher resolution and they are over 30Mb in size and I have not uploaded them yet)...

[Camelgeselle]

Guys,

I wept tears of joy when I saw the Macson 21" lathe brochure. I've got one! I bought it last year from a mate (also got an Edison Shaper) and it's in great nick. I've been trying to find information on it all over the web with no luck.

The PDF manual for the 26" Macson is also an absolute gem and will help me a lot.

If anyone has a manual for the 21" Macson please share it with me!

So thank you! Thank you all!

Camel

[.RC.]

We want pictures of this 21" Macson...lots of pictures please...:)

I will try to upload the general arrangement drawings tonight..I have to find a place to upload them to first...I am only supposed to have 10Mb web storage on my ISP's server but I have uploaded 45 so far and I don't want to push my luck...

Edit: OK have taken a punt and have uploaded the next pdf to the web server...

downloadable here ----->>>>> http://users.beagle.com.au/lathefan/Macson%2025%20inch%20swing%20lathe%20manual005.pdf

[britannia]

I have downloaded a resizing programme for my imac & reduced the photo to 88 kb's (450) wide but the upload still fails.
Even at 450 the photo is small, what is the answer?

[.RC.]

Good question, I know nothing about mac's...It is a firewall problem blocking the upload???

I personally use photobucket to host all my pictures (I have done for years)..It has photo editing built into it if you need to use it..It can resize and do lots of other stuff to your picture all online..

http://photobucket.com/

[burraboy]

I have a manual for a MACSON 26" SWING LATHE and also a sales brochure for a MACSON 18" & 21" SWING LATHE. Anybody use them?
I've just come across the operators manual for this lathe too, under a layer of dust on the bottom of my tool trolley. It is also a fairly thick tome, mainly lots of diagrams which are probably in the other book, but also some specific instructions which may be of use. How can interested parties get the best use from it? Same as before?

[.RC.]

Is it the same manual that I posted here???? If it is different you could post it to me and I can scan and put it online somewhere....

[.RC.]

I have discovered a website that has parts of some McPherson's catalogues for download

http://www.titaniumstudios.com/tooljunkie/paper.html

[Camelgeselle]

Sorry I haven't replied before now, been globetrotting, still in Asia at the moment. I did however manage to get some photos of my Macson and Elliott shaper. I bought them off a mate at the right price but they're still sitting in his workshop and need to be out by Christmas.

So, with the help of another mate we cleared and levelled a 7x9m patch on my block right next to my existing workshop. Yerp, I'm extending it. When I get home later this month another mate is giving me a hand to build a plinth as per the design in the Macson manual I downloaded from here.

I can't wait to get it running!

Cheers,

Camel

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Macson/Macson2103.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Macson/Macson2107.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Macson/Macson2109.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Macson/Macson2112.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Macson/Macson2111.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Macson/Macson2105.jpg

[Camelgeselle]

And here's my Elliott shaper (not Edison as I mentioned earlier).

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Macson/ElliottShaper.jpg

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. It scares the bejesus out of me when running!

Anyone seen a manual on the beast? I'd love to know how to drive it without losing limbs, fingers, eyesight etc while learning the hard way....

Cheers,

Camel

[burraboy]

Is it the same manual that I posted here???? If it is different you could post it to me and I can scan and put it online somewhere....
Same lathe but different manual, this one is for the user rather than the set up although some of the stuff may be duplicated. If you can pm me your address again please RC, I'll post it up to you.

[Camelgeselle]

Burraboy,

that's what I'm after! The user manual!

Camel

[.RC.]

And here's my Elliott shaper (not Edison as I mentioned earlier).



I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. It scares the bejesus out of me when running!

Anyone seen a manual on the beast? I'd love to know how to drive it without losing limbs, fingers, eyesight etc while learning the hard way....

Cheers,

Camel

A manual for it should not be too hard to track down, I own a smaller brother to it a 14M (14" stroke), yours looks to be an 18MR (18 inch stroke and rotating table)

You could get a manual for it from here -->> http://www.lathes.co.uk/manuals/ MI500/ME218B Invicta Shaper Models: MR2, MR4, MR5 & MR6 and INVICTA Series 2M. 4M, 5M, 6M, 14M, 18M, 24M, 30M (14" to 30" inch stroke) Operating & Maintenance Manual & Parts Manual as Photographs. £25 US$44

But it is expensive by the time you get it posted here although the quality of his scans is superb...Elliott bought out Invicta and simply continued on making the same models under a different name.. I have not bothered getting a manual as shapers seem to be pretty easy to operate and quite safe so long as you keep your attachments away from it while it is operating.. Here is a video of my shaper in operation YouTube - Elliott 14M shaper

There is a great thread on shapers from all over the world here -->> http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showthread.php?t=152439

I also just noticed your Macson lathe has a very rare and expensive style of 3 jaw chuck http://www.lathes.co.uk/taylor/page6.html

[Camelgeselle]

.R.C.What can I say? Thanks! What an education I've had today. I'm a bit gobsmacked by it all. I had no idea of the Elliott's potential until I started chasing down all the threads on shapers. I've also downloaded the manuals I've found throughout the web, those at http://neme-s.org/ are fantastic. I'll be poring over those tonight.I've also gained a lot more respect for the beast since I've seen what others are paying for their shapers. Th mate I bought mine from owns a business and oftens says (in general) "It's not what you think its worth, its what people are prepared to pay". That has now bitten him firmly on the bum. At the time I bought my Macson he was also trying to sell the Elliott. I wasn't interested in the shaper..... so he threw it in for nix!Mind you, I only got one bit for it. You seemed to received all of the Rocky railway yards collection!Cheers,Camel

[.RC.]

OK thanks to burraboy the operators manual has turned up in the mail today and covers both the 18 and 21" swing lathe like Camelgeselle has..I will scan and find a place to host it in the coming days...

[.RC.]

Here is half the manual for the Macson 18" & 21" lathe..The other half contains all the assemble drawings.

http://users.beagle.com.au/lathefan/Macson%2018%20and%2021%20inch%20lathe001.pdf

22MB in size..

Is there anyone out there who could host the assemble drawings...They came in at 44MB and I am already over my ISP's hosting limit by 400%

[Camelgeselle]

RC,

what do I need to do to host the beastie?

[.RC.]

Usually your ISP gives you a certain amount of hosting space but I know of a US metal machining web site that lets users upload manuals..I might see if I can upload them all to there...Don't know when I will get around to it though as I have been roped into being a wharfie for the next couple of days (but from the job description I was given no brains are required)

[bollie7]

.R.C.What can I say? Thanks! What an education I've had today. I'm a bit gobsmacked by it all. I had no idea of the Elliott's potential until I started chasing down all the threads on shapers. I've also downloaded the manuals I've found throughout the web, those at http://neme-s.org/ are fantastic. I'll be poring over those tonight.I've also gained a lot more respect for the beast since I've seen what others are paying for their shapers. Th mate I bought mine from owns a business and oftens says (in general) "It's not what you think its worth, its what people are prepared to pay". That has now bitten him firmly on the bum. At the time I bought my Macson he was also trying to sell the Elliott. I wasn't interested in the shaper..... so he threw it in for nix!Mind you, I only got one bit for it. You seemed to received all of the Rocky railway yards collection!Cheers,Camel
You are a lucky bloke aren't you? Shapers have been out of fashion for some time now. ( I get a bit sad when I think of how many must have been scrapped) "A vertical mill will do everything a shaper will but quicker" Yeah right. They might be a bit slow for a production workshop but for the home workshop one would be very handy. I have seen one in a small workshop where the business owner/operator used it for machining truck heads (among other things) He had it set up with an adjustable limit switch on the table cross travel. Once he had it set up and running with a cut on he could walk away and do something else. When it hit the limit switch it would shut down.
Don't be too worried about only getting one tool with it. You can use HSS lathe tool holders. A word of warning when using it. They can be a bit hypnotic when you are watching them.

You will be able to turn that Macson into a nice machine with a bit of a clean up. Just in case you don't know, the gauge in the end console is an amp meter. Thats how they used to tell if the machine was running to capacity. If it wasn't "in the red" you were not working hard enough. or so we were told when I was an apprentice. Mind you to get it "in the red" on one of these you were really pulling a cut.
best of luck with it.

bollie7

[.RC.]

Keep an eye here for both sections of the 18-21"manual.. http://www.bbssystem.com/viewforum.php?f=12

I have uploaded them to here just waiting on the administrator to put them up for public download..

[Camelgeselle]

Thanks for that Bollie and RC, I'm pretty keen to get into it. I've got until Christmas to move it from my mates workshop (he's building a new one) and before then I need to demolish the old shed, finish the plinth, lay the slab and get a roof over it! That's besides working while there's still money around and not getting bumped off in the meantime. I just missed (by 30 minutes) being locked down at Bangkok airport this week, and am praying hard for thanks after losing out on a job based in Mumbai! I would have been in one of those hotels this week! Nearly as bad as being chased by civvies with AK47s from tank scrapyards in Georgia (its amazing how fast you can run when you have to).

Before I flew out a mate gave me a hand to dig the footings and hole for the plinth as per instructions in the Macson manual I got from this thread. Hopefully I can get the concrete slab down and dry before I move the Macson and shaper. Fortunately, (sort of) there's good availability on building materials in Perth.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t20/camel_geselle/Plinth.jpg

Cheers,

Camel

[Camelgeselle]

Keep an eye here for both sections of the 18-21"manual.. http://www.bbssystem.com/viewforum.php?f=12

I have uploaded them to here just waiting on the administrator to put them up for public download..

RC

Hmmm when I try to access the link from within metalillness.com it asks me to log on. I've registered with the site and activated my membership but the ftp log on keeps coming up asking for a username and password.....

any suggestions on where I might be going wrong?

Cheers,

Camel

[.RC.]

Username: manuals

password: password

It uses the ftp protocol (file transfer protocol)...The admin was supposed to make it so that it is easily downloadable without having to log in or anything but he seems to have gone missing in action..

[Camelgeselle]

[quote=.RC.;852805]Username: manuals

password: password
quote]

GOT IT!

I had to save to folder, it took a while (hey, c'mon, I'm on the Ho Chi Mihn trail at the moment!) and I've printed them out. Fantastic, they came out beautifully. Unbelievable detail. AND MADE IN AUSTRALIA!

Now to knock off, go back to my donger and read it.

Thanks RC and Burraboy.

Camel