Thread: Another home made lathe

Good morning members,just a note about the flat belting line shaft issue.I recently bought a SBW Lathe [Smith Barker Willson ] quoted by a long standing employee of SBW ''we make naught but lathes''] from a deceased garage owner's widow not far from here.She told me it was removed to their home after the garage employed an apprentice.It was by order of the O H S as it had a flat belt drive.Impossible to guard safely they said.[what ########].That lathe was well used and judging by the bits and pieces that came with it churned out mighty fine work.
In these rural communities its always the local garage or workshop where some interesting challenges for the repair of some obscure part or fabrication of a new bit occurs. I did see on e bay recently a camel back drill flat belt drive with a birdcage frame guarding the belt drive ex Batman College of TAFE. I do ask the foolish question Taken out by Work cover?
Am sure sensible options like lock out switches fitted to the machines to allow them to be used by people who do know how to use them and not just turned on accidently. Prime example of these is the Douglas shaper that many forum members own with their mesh guard and a nice rotary guillotine happening just through it on the primary drive.
A bonus for us metal workers is that it enables us to enhance our own facilities or they get shipped to foreign lands or fall into the hands of green eyed weight conscious scrappies. FYI and comment. John.