Sheraton Lathe information?

[Greg Q]

Hello again...

Thanks to Bodgy, I have discovered a Sheraton Challenger lathe for sale but can find no information on the internet (including lathes.uk). There was a mention of Rodger's Lathe Spares in Bayswater in a 2005 thread, but his phone is disconnected.

It's a biggish thing of about 13" X 40" or so, and has a very beefy looking headstock, inverted vee ways and a single lead screw. It has no manuals or tooling beyond the basic chucks etc.

Any information or suggested contacts greatly appreciated.

Greg

[Grahame Collins]

It seems that every time I have heard a fitter who has mentioned a Sheraton lathe lathe nice things have been said about it.

Grahame

[Woodlee]

Hello again...

Thanks to Bodgy, I have discovered a Sheraton Challenger lathe for sale but can find no information on the internet (including lathes.uk). There was a mention of Rodger's Lathe Spares in Bayswater in a 2005 thread, but his phone is disconnected.

It's a biggish thing of about 13" X 40" or so, and has a very beefy looking headstock, inverted vee ways and a single lead screw. It has no manuals or tooling beyond the basic chucks etc.

Any information or suggested contacts greatly appreciated.

Greg

Greg,

I was surfing google tonight and came across this link
http://www.tttg.org.au/php/tttg_Page.php?n=08
Now I dont know if this will help but there is an email link to a John Bates (second article )seeking info on George Sheraton who I beleive is the maker of your lathe ,from my understanding they were Australian made, or at least an Australin company .
Maybe this John Bates has some info useful to you.
cheers and good luck
Kev.


OOps just checked again the page was last updated Jan 1970 ,well maybe you should give it a try anyway ,maybe by now he'll have all the info you want?
I don't remember the internet in 1970 though.

[Greg Q]

Greg,

OOps just checked again the page was last updated Jan 1970 ,well maybe you should give it a try anyway ,maybe by now he'll have all the info you want?
I don't remember the internet in 1970 though.

Thanks Kev, I emailed him and already got a response..he's got some good leads. That 1970 thing surprised me too, ...I don't recall getting any hot stock tips back then either.

Cheers

Greg

[Grahame Collins]

re sheraton info
heres some info from our own forum

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=17814

woops!
It seems he now longer is at that address.sorry!

Grahame

[kats1719]

Hi this ma help it mry not but try a company A&R Transmissions in north coborb used to be run by Roy Gross i think he has past away .He made replacement parts for hurcue southbend and sheraton lathes he was a retired tool maker made very nice parts. the bisines may have been sold .I will pm you the contact detales

[Greg Q]

I had a long conversation with the shop manager from the school of physics at u.w.a.. They had two Sheraton lathes until recently...a Cub and a Challenger. He reports they are good sturdy machines, but have a max rpm of 1500, and either imperial or metric threading, but not both. to change involves finding a non-existent gearbox and leadscrew among other things.

The lathes are able to deliver a fine standard of accuracy when properly maintained and cared for. The example that I was considering has had 35+ years in trade schools, with all that entails for better or worse.

The Challenger apparently has a unique chuck mounting...somehow threaded on to an adapter plate which is bolted to a flat on the spindle (!). Apparently the price is $2000.00 each for Burnard or Pratt chucks...(?!):oo:

The shorter bed Cub sports a D1-3 camlock chuck.

It is interesting that in a demanding shop like his, with serious components for high vacuum and cryogenics equipment being fabricated, that they replaced the Sheraton with an H & F CL series lathe with which they're well pleased. (they also operate a couple of small Schaublins at over $100K each)
(more :oo: ).

If I discover more I shall report back.

Greg

[Sterob]

Hi Greg,
I sounds like it might be a double edged sword. It might be a nice lathe, but it might be difficult/ expense/ impossible to get accessories for it. Think carefully before you commit to buy.

[Greg Q]

I have decided to let this one through to the keeper. The seller is unsure if there are steadies included, and in fact the machines are still in Burnie, but being sold from Devonport. I am sure by now that this might be an OK lathe, but there's no way of knowing, and no way out when it breaks.

Oh well, back to the current offerings from Standaco (which look very nice, and appear to be a notch better than the H & F machines in the 320 X 1000 size.

...and to think I started out looking for a unimat.:?

[Greg Q]

And for the record in case another intrepid Challenger buyer finds this via Google, here's a photo of the lathe:

[Sterob]

Jeez, you'd think there would be more info on these lathes on the Net? Nice looking lathes....they must be good.:)

[nexusone]

Yes - I too would like to find out more info about Sheraton lathes.

I have just purchased a Sheraton Conquest. It is a 1975 model, fully geared head and similar to hercus 260. Have only ever seen 2 and both were made for the army.

The dealer I got it from also had a Sheraton Challenger and Cadet, but these were much bigger machines and imperial (mine is metric, with D1-3 spindle etc).

Have also seen Sheraton Cub, Sheraton Diploma/Diplomat also 9" similar to southbend. They also made surface grinders, drills etc. Would love to find out more of the company. The Rodgers guy has retired I beleive.

Steve

[nexusone]

PS if anyone could help me find a user manual for said Sheraton CONQUEST Lathe that would be fantastic also.

Steve

[Greg Q]

I don't think that lathes of that size ever had user's manuals as such, or at least that's what I have been told. I might (stress might) get a parts list for the Challenger from one of the people that I spoke with last week. I gather that the trade school taught turners of the day knew everything they needed to be ble to operate one of these with minimal guidance from a book.

Good luck with the lathe.

Greg

[Sheraton]

Hi Everyone
Oldish thread but I'm sure someone is still hanging out for info. I am the John bates referred to earlier.

I got a copy of the parts manual for my Sheraton Conquest (1977 metric model - also ex-Army) from 600 Machinery, 2 Holker Street, NEWINGTON NSW 2127 (PO Box 6505 SILVERWATER DC NSW 1811) p.02-9748-1964. Its been invaluable to me.

Have also obtained parts such as cogged drive belt, half nuts, gears, cross-slde screws & nuts, etc from 600 Machinery at quite reasonable prices. I believe that 600 sold and serviced the whole range of Sheratons and have just releasd a new training lathe under the Sheraton brand! Nice people to deal with esp John Frame if he is still there - been a while since I called.:2tsup:

Very fine lathe in my opinion. Just saw an extra nice Sheraton T&C grinder go on ebay :C if only I had the money!!

Happy to help other owners in any way I can - I can copy my parts manual if needed. The D1-3 tooling is not as easy to get as D1-4 but it comes up from time to time and some Boxford, SB, Hercus etc stuff will fit too. But the Conquest centre height is 5 rather than 4.1/2 inch on the others. With a top speed of 2500 rpm you can use carbide tooling to advantage as well.

Cheers all
JB

[Woodlee]

Hi Everyone
Oldish thread but I'm sure someone is still hanging out for info. I am the John bates referred to earlier.

I got a copy of the parts manual for my Sheraton Conquest (1977 metric model - also ex-Army) from 600 Machinery, 2 Holker Street, NEWINGTON NSW 2127 (PO Box 6505 SILVERWATER DC NSW 1811) p.02-9748-1964. Its been invaluable to me.

Have also obtained parts such as cogged drive belt, half nuts, gears, cross-slde screws & nuts, etc from 600 Machinery at quite reasonable prices. I believe that 600 sold and serviced the whole range of Sheratons and have just releasd a new training lathe under the Sheraton brand! Nice people to deal with esp John Frame if he is still there - been a while since I called.:2tsup:

Very fine lathe in my opinion. Just saw an extra nice Sheraton T&C grinder go on ebay :C if only I had the money!!

Happy to help other owners in any way I can - I can copy my parts manual if needed. The D1-3 tooling is not as easy to get as D1-4 but it comes up from time to time and some Boxford, SB, Hercus etc stuff will fit too. But the Conquest centre height is 5 rather than 4.1/2 inch on the others. With a top speed of 2500 rpm you can use carbide tooling to advantage as well.

Cheers all
JB

Hi there John and welcome to the forums.


Kev.

[nexusone]

Hello Sheraton - good to meet a fellow conquest owner! I would be very interested in the parts manual. Is it a copy or original? Did 600 machinery charge you for it? I have a parts manual for for the non geared head version of the same vintage if anyone interested.

My lathe came with all accessories incl fixed and following rests, faceplate, catch plate, imperial change gears, dial chasers. Pratt buernard 3 and 4 jaw chucks and I also have a full set of pratt buenard multisize collet chucks.

Let me know if you need any info. Also D1-3 backplates can be sourced at much lower cost from the US if you look at sites like TRAVERS and ENCO who both have great online catalogues.

The only history I have for 600/Sheraton is as per the lathes.co.uk website

"The Sheraton was another Australian South Bend copy, made in Bayswater, Melbourne, from the early 1950s until 1981 - spares for these machines might be available from Robbie Rogers of 36, Sydney Road, Bayswater, Melbourne. The Sheraton "Conquest" was a geared-head version of the South Bend 10-inch whilst other, smaller lathes of a different design, the Cub and Cadet for example, were also manufactured. Sheraton had, apparently, a very close relationship with Demco and leased most of their (usually Czechoslovakian TOS) machine tools from them; in turn Demco (the import agents for TOS) acted as agents for Sheraton lathes. Reports from Australia suggest that one of the reasons for the demise of Sheraton was its move from what was described as a "...dingy, brick rabbit-warren old factory.." on Heidelberg Road to new premises some distance away. Many skilled workers, being unwilling to travel so far, took redundancy compensation and the company lost several key personnel. At some point the Sheraton concern was purchased by the English-based 600 machine-tool group who also handled, through their Selson Company, the import of TOS lathes into the UK - as well as many other world-wide machinery interests"

Cheers - Steve

[Sheraton]

Hi Steve
My parts manual is a copy but fairly good quality so it should reproduce OK - 600 gave it to me for nothing which I thought was rather generous. But I am sure they have had their money back many times over from my purchases.

Actually Brobo-Waldown in Melbourne recently sent me a copy of the parts manual fro my Waldown toolpost grinder for nix too. Good to see some businesses know how to treat a prospective customer. Happy to share that with the group too - covers Models C0, C1 etc.

My Sheraton lathe also came with all accessories -coolant (made by Colchester lathes - part of the 600 Group), splash guard, worklight, follower and fixed steadies, faceplate, catch plate, imperial change gears, dial chasers, Pratt-Burnerd 3 and 4 jaw chucks and Pratt-Burnerdcollet chuck with a set of pratt multisize collets 1/16 to 1 inch capacity. I love using these, the TIR accuracy is incredible.

Anyway if you woudl like a copy ping me you address offline and I'll post it to you.
:D
Cheers
John

[email protected]

[piney]

Just a few lines about Sheraton Lathes, they were made in West Heidelberg Victoria (not far from the Sidchrome factory!) by George Sheraton and Co. I am lead to believe that some of their design was copied from Southbend of America. They are certainly a solid and accurate machine, used extensively in schools,TAFE colleges and defence force training workshops around Australia. While production ceased many years ago some spares are avaiable through 600 machinery (last time I checked with their Melbourne branch) who are the Australian agents for the English Colchester and Harrison Lathes. If you can find one in good order they are, in my opinion a better option than some of the lighter Asian equivalents - for about the same money. Due to their weight and bulk they are far less prone to chatter when taking heavy cuts or working tougher steels etc.