Howdy from Iowa

[Cameron]

Hello Horologists,

Always liked watching watch repair on youtube, which is as far as my horologist ambitions are likely to take me.  Curiously, I just picked up a C&E Marshall Little Giant plus some bits and pieces for $9.00 at an estate sale and here I am.  My ambition at this point is to get it running to just see if I can grind off some shavings.  The question mark is can I do it for less than just buying a lathe off of ebay.   I guess the first step is to figure out what I've got, what I'm going to need, and what exactly am I going to use it for.  Seems like a great community for discovering/asking such questions.

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by Cameron

[Klassiker]

Hello Cameron, and thanks for the introduction. I suppose the obvious description of what you have there us "bargain of the century". To start doing any meaningful work you are going to need a motor, a belt, some spindle oil and a selection of gravers, plus some stones for sharpening. And of course some brass and steel stock to practice with. Fairly soon you are going to want to fill in the gaps in your range of collets. That's where it will start to get expensive, although with your luck...

[nickelsilver]

That's quite a nice lathe, and it has the very desirable and rather rare collet holding tailstock. I agree with everything Klassiker said above; to get to a point where any sort of real work can be done you will need to invest probaly several multiples of your initial layout, but rest assured when and if you ever sell it, the bare lathe itself minus the collets etc. will bring several hundred bucks.

[Neverenoughwatches]

20 hours ago, Cameron said:

just picked up a C&E Marshall Little Giant plus some bits and pieces for $9.00

Thats amazing luck and should have cost more like 40x that amount. A bit of saving up now for the other accessories. 

[RedVitus]

Welcome! That's a nice lathe and kit you got there. I think I see a jeweled pivot gauge in the box as well - those are great to have.

[Nucejoe]

Hi Cameron and welcome. 

Pay you 10 bucks for it. 

Rgds

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, Nucejoe said:

Hi Cameron and welcome. 

Pay you 10 bucks for it. 

Rgds

Haha still a profit. 

[Cameron]

Wow what a great community.  I must admit that I was leaning towards sending it into the Ebay, but the enthusiasm of this forum has given me the gumption to at least get it spinning.  I guess a trip to the local sewing machine repair shop for a motor is in order.  In regards to the jeweled pivot gauge, I noticed the pink but thought it was some sort of left over cleaning fluid and almost took a pin to ream out the holes.  Sooooo much to learn.  

[oldhippy]

Thank you for your introduction and welcome to this friendly forum.

We all look forward to your contributions and continued involvement. 

 

What an absolute bargain you got.  

[Cameron]

Well I think I'm up to sundial level of horology.  I'll move over to the lathe forum, but I thought I'd put this here just to finish things off.  Only ran it for a couple seconds as I still have to figure out how to lubricate the head stock and the fish tank tubing isn't much of a belt.

Lathe in action... sort of