Thanks: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 22
-
12th May 2013, 07:01 AM #1New Member
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Posts
- 8
Macson lathe - can anyone identify it?
The NZ Vintage Machinery Club has a Macson metalworking lathe and I would like to find out more about it. I cannot find a nameplate but here is a photo of it:
P1030957.jpg
It was driven with a line shaft so that would make it at least 80-90 years old? There is a 1936 Macson catalogue in the Aussie National Library. Would that have any info on it?
-
12th May 2013 07:01 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
12th May 2013, 07:37 AM #2SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Sep 2011
- Location
- Ballarat
- Age
- 65
- Posts
- 2,659
Macson lathe - can anyone identify it?
Hi Alan,
Have you tried lathes.co.uk. I know they have info on the Macson lathe. I would include the link but I am on my phone and have no idea how to do that from here.
Phil
-
12th May 2013, 07:44 AM #3SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Sep 2011
- Location
- Ballarat
- Age
- 65
- Posts
- 2,659
Macson lathe - can anyone identify it?
Hi Alan,
I may have worked out how.
Try this
http://www.lathes.co.uk/purcell/
Phil
-
12th May 2013, 08:03 AM #4New Member
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Posts
- 8
Thanks for the prompt reply Phil. Macson lathes were made by McPherson's Limited so I don't think they had anything to do with Purcell.
Cheers
-
12th May 2013, 10:12 AM #5SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Location
- SA
- Posts
- 1,478
My Bro in law has a big old belt driven MacPhersons lathe
The early ones have oilers on the spindle. That one looks like it has roller bearings.
The early MacPhersons lathes were marked as Macpherson, and only later on became Macson brand (as I understand it).
If it's marked Macson then that would probably put it in the 1950;s or later.
Cheers
Rob
-
12th May 2013, 10:22 AM #6SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Sep 2011
- Location
- Ballarat
- Age
- 65
- Posts
- 2,659
-
12th May 2013, 10:33 AM #7New Member
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Posts
- 8
This one has solid bearings. Here is another photo:
P1030959.jpg
-
12th May 2013, 11:38 AM #8
pre 1949
I had a look in my 1949 MacPhersons catalogue
Their 1949 range of MACSON brand ,was all geared head lathes , no belt driven models that I can see . They were agents for Hercus 9 lathes at the time as the Hercus is in the book . That lathe you have might be a 1946-48 model or earlier , maybe even late 1930's or WW2 era .
They also sold a MACSON shaper and many other machines , the book is over 1" thick .
Mike
-
12th May 2013, 12:28 PM #9Senior Member
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Newstead Victoria
- Posts
- 459
Hi would date that around the 1930-40's My late father and I tendered for a similar lathe 41/2hollow spindle was line shaft driven from School of Mines bendigo sold for 106 dollars We tendered 101dollars.that was about 1967 .At that time was huge pressure being applied from the O F B ordnance factory Bendigo as they were getting heat from the apprentices there having to work on dinosaurs.they were working on the state of the art precision tool room lathes putting out hi tolerance work.The majority of fitter turner apprentices were Vic Railways and Ordnance factory.Facility was used by hobby classes as well as diploma students.
In relation to Purcell they made New Visby models and I bought one at auction with some of my hard earned apprentice salary of 21 dollars per week.160 dollars, was well used but still did accurate work and was semi refurbished by us.Still got it and now ready for a restoration and further use.
A days work on one of those Macsons is hard toil.We had a John Lang with 5'' hollow spindle too same size as the macson.To bring the tailstock up to the chuck end one had to chain the t stock to the saddle and wind the whole lot together. we got smart and put a cortina gearbox off the power feed shaft to drive the saddle up and down the bed we fitted a clutch to the 10 hp motor to stop blowing fuses and a spindle brake. that lathe would cut a thou .001'' never seen such an old accurate machine was ex Vic Railways.C heers John.
-
12th May 2013, 01:00 PM #10New Member
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Posts
- 8
-
12th May 2013, 01:46 PM #11Senior Member
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Newstead Victoria
- Posts
- 459
Yes Alan Macson did badge engineer some of their machine tools lots of jobbing foundries around in those days as well as machine shops.From what i was told they were assembled by them Mc Phersons but lot farmed out.
They were one of the major machine tool suppliers in their day.
Imagine being taken to their showroom as a boy from the bush by a toolaholic father with limited funds but always left with a good quality tool of some sort to start me off in the same addiction,affliction persuasion my late old man had.He too as a boy haunted those places when in ''the big smoke'' told by my grandfather ''you are going to make that boy tool mad like you''. But good tools will last a life time as some of mine have lasted over 50 yrs.John.
-
12th May 2013, 01:47 PM #12SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Location
- SA
- Posts
- 1,478
Ok that is a better photo.
Those oilers don't look right for such a big lathe. The MacPherson my bro in law has is fitted with fairly large brass pot type drip oilers similar type to a Myford.
Seeing as it is a plain bearing spindle I would say yes, it would be pre 50's.
I've only seen big MacPherson and Macson lathes. I've never seen a Hercus type/size lathe from them. But that dose not mean to say they never made small stuff.
Cheers
Rob
-
12th May 2013, 02:32 PM #13.
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
- Location
- Perth WA
- Age
- 71
- Posts
- 5,650
They did make a tiddler, Hercus sized lathe - https://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/mc...tml#post772067
Bob.
-
12th May 2013, 03:30 PM #14SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Location
- SA
- Posts
- 1,478
Interesting.
I went through some of my old Australasian Engineers Society Handbooks to see if I could find a McPherson advert, I have seen them, but they must be elsewhere in my stuff.
But what struck me was just how many of the engineering companies, manufacturers and retailers, (in South Australia) from the 1950's have closed down and disappeared.
It's shocking really. Big and small they've all but disappeared. Only a few like Southcotts are still around.
Rob
-
12th May 2013, 04:25 PM #15
Yes
The 1949 catalogue has pics of their factories..it was a very big company with factories all over the place
The casting plant was in Tottenham , Melbourne .
AJAX pump factory was in Tottenham as well
The bolt factory was in Richmond, melbourne and in NSW at ALEXANDRIA
The main machine tool plant was in Kensington,Melbourne where the lathes were made as well as milling machines and many other machine tools
They were agents for many hardware items and tools like Black & Decker electric tools , Kelso wheel barrows and myriad tools , even nylex hose , the list goes on and on
Similar Threads
-
Small Macson lathe?
By neksmerj in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 10Last Post: 18th July 2011, 05:07 PM -
Macson lathe tail stock
By britannia in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 0Last Post: 2nd April 2008, 08:16 PM -
Macson Metal Lathe
By DJ’s Timber in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 3Last Post: 5th December 2007, 06:30 AM -
My new lathe - but can you help identify tools?
By mobrien in forum WOODTURNING - GENERALReplies: 50Last Post: 28th April 2007, 08:03 PM -
Identify a Lathe
By Sterob in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 8Last Post: 9th January 2007, 07:38 PM