More Turret Stuff - Warner and Swasey's No 5

[Anorak Bob]

Only a brochure. I don't reckon I could fit one of these in the shed. There is something about these machines that I find wondrous.

BT
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=175098&stc=1&d=1309741422

[Ropetangler]

Thanks again Bob, I couldn't agree more, they came from an age of great machines. I have combined your PDFs into one, and it makes the experience of viewing so much more enjoyable. If anyone wants the combined version, I am happy to e-mail it, as long as your ISP has no issues with files of 8 Meg+. It would be best if you are thinking that you would like the combined copy, if I could put everyone on the list, so that I only had to upload it once, for all to get it. Regards,
Rob

[Stustoys]

"Even women can now" hehe
Thanks BT
I think the shaper slotter mill drill still wins :)

Stuart

[Anorak Bob]

This time from Warner and Swasey's 1940 edition of the Turret Lathe Operator's Manual. They must have dragged a few of the nicely groomed office boys down for the photo shoot.

[Ropetangler]

Thanks again BT, I have also recombined these pages into one document of 5Mb file size, if anyone would like it I would be happy to send it providing your ISP is good for this size downloads.
Bob, your library must nearly be the size of your workshop, and of commensurate quality.
Rob

[Anorak Bob]

Back when I first discovered Ebay, I racked up my score buying catalogues and spent too much money in the process. Still, I do have some neat publications. Of all the machinist's tool catalogues that I have, I reckon those produced in the 40's and 50's by Brown and Sharpe are the best. Large format with superb images. Came in real handy when I was buying measuring gear.

Some of the other treasures that I have would be a couple of small Warner and Swasey turret tooling catalogues. They are spiral bound with embossed covers, veritable works of graphic art. I will take a couple of photos to show what I'm talking about. Yes Rob, I do have a few shelves crammed with this stuff.

The shed is a midden. Too small with too much junk though some of it's nice junk.

Bob.

[Anorak Bob]

Here are some samples from the two Warner and Swasey catalogues I mentioned previously.

[Abratool]

Only a brochure. I don't reckon I could fit one of these in the shed. There is something about these machines that I find wondrous.

BT
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=175098&stc=1&d=1309741422

Bob
I agree there is something wondrous about these machines.
While looking at the pictures you portrayed I had a flash back to the Turret Shop at AWA Ashfield NSW where I was Apprenticed 52 yrs ago.
They had Herbert Lathes, Ward Lathes, Warner & Swasey Lathes, perhaps 15 to 20 of them, all operating when the factory horn sounded at 7 30 am.
A fair bit of noise with bar stock rattling, air operated collets working, coolant running & operators machining precision parts in quantity. Yes real repetitive precision.
I still believe there is a nitch for these marvellous machines!
regards
Bruce
ABRATOOL:)

[RayG]

Here's a youtube video of a guy using a Hardinge Turret to make some plastic parts.

Amazingly fast.

YouTube - ‪Hardinge Turret Lathe‬‏


Regards
Ray

[Dave J]

I have a full size Ward turret lathe down the back, it is in running order but I have never run it myself as I don't have enough room in the shed for it.
It was given to me of a mates father when I bought his Cyber tig 300. He is still going as a machinist and had gone right through it and installed 75mm risers right through out to give it a bigger swing.
He lives about 3km away, and boy did we get some looks bringing it home on a old 6x4 box trailer (all I had at the time he offered it) with timber blocks between the springs a chassis to stop it bottoming out. LOL

Dave

[Woodlee]

The place where I did my apprentice ship had 100's of ward capstan lathes ,they made brass hose fittings and impact sprinklers amongst other things as part of thier product range.
The hose fitting line was a messy place , they used soluble oil on the brass as a lube and also to stop the swarf from flying every where.Most of the operators were women ,they had muscles in thier arms and shoulders like body builders from the repitition of operating the lathes .Us maintenance people always hated working in that section because we would end up being covered in soluble oil and brass swarf , wipe your hands down your overalls an get a skin full of brass swarf splinters .
The brass swarf was collected from the trays of the machines and put into a centrifuge to spin the oil out and then it was taken back to the foundry to be recycled in to brass bar for the machine shop .
I recall stripping the spindle heads of a few of these ward lathes to do repairs on them , most of the lathes were left over from war production and were pretty well used ,we were always repairing the bloody things . Best thing I ever did was leave that job.
Simpson Pope are probably still using the bloody things .

Kev.

[Anorak Bob]

I have a full size Ward turret lathe down the back, it is in running order but I have never run it myself as I don't have enough room in the shed for it.
It was given to me of a mates father when I bought his Cyber tig 300. He is still going as a machinist and had gone right through it and installed 75mm risers right through out to give it a bigger swing.
He lives about 3km away, and boy did we get some looks bringing it home on a old 6x4 box trailer (all I had at the time he offered it) with timber blocks between the springs a chassis to stop it bottoming out. LOL

Dave

Some photos would be nice Dave.

BT

[Anorak Bob]

The place where I did my apprentice ship had 100's of ward capstan lathes ,they made brass hose fittings and impact sprinklers amongst other things as part of thier product range.
The hose fitting line was a messy place , they used soluble oil on the brass as a lube and also to stop the swarf from flying every where.Most of the operators were women ,they had muscles in thier arms and shoulders like body builders from the repitition of operating the lathes .Us maintenance people always hated working in that section because we would end up being covered in soluble oil and brass swarf , wipe your hands down your overalls an get a skin full of brass swarf splinters .
The brass swarf was collected from the trays of the machines and put into a centrifuge to spin the oil out and then it was taken back to the foundry to be recycled in to brass bar for the machine shop .
I recall stripping the spindle heads of a few of these ward lathes to do repairs on them , most of the lathes were left over from war production and were pretty well used ,we were always repairing the bloody things . Best thing I ever did was leave that job.
Simpson Pope are probably still using the bloody things .

Kev.


Kev,

We, the romanticists, view these machines through rose coloured glasses.
For the realist, they were a means too an end and would be replaced when something more efficient became available and affordable. As hobbyists, we can pour over and polish machines that were abandoned by industry many years ago.

Romance doesn't have much place when it comes to earning a living.:no:

Bob.

[Dave J]

Some photos would be nice Dave.

BT


Hi Bob,
As soon as I get a chance to get at it and get the tarp off, I will take some photos for you. It was in the shed but got moved out when the Alba came along. I would like to get it back in but think it will have to wait until the new shed is up, as it takes up a lot of room.

Dave