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Antique Lathe -- thoughts?

PWR

By PWR
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PWR Member

PWR

Posted
Posted

found this very cool antique lathe in my Father's stuff...he and his father ran a large watch repair shop in Phila since 1929.....wondering what I should do with it...ideas?

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

Posted
Posted

My first thought is that it is a wheel cutter but I do not see a indexing plate. A antique for sure and eBay will be best for selling it. 

Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

Posted
Posted (edited)
 

My first thought is that it is a wheel cutter but I do not see a indexing plate. A antique for sure and eBay will be best for selling it. 

This is a Topping Tool.

The cutters are split and shaped in such a way that they self index to the next tooth by screw action.  The initial cutting of the teeth are usually made on on a lathe fitted with an index plate.  Once all the teeth are cut, the wheel is transferred to this "Topping Tool" for shaping the tops of the teeth.

PWR if I was you I'd sell it in a specialist auction or on eBay.  Going by the condition of the tool, you should get upwards of £1000.

Edited by Geo
  • Like 2
Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

Posted
Posted
 

 I put my mistake down to a senior moment.:D

 

You've still got a couple of years to catch up on me..............now what were we talking about???

oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

Posted
Posted

If you don't want to sell it then keep it. Things like this can only increases in value.

 

You've still got a couple of years to catch up on me..............now what were we talking about???

The stroke I had didn't help. Geo I thought I was the oldest on here. :biggrin:

PWR Member

PWR

Posted
  • Author
Posted
 

That is a wheel cutting lathe.

See here.

 

nice photos of this lathe -- wishing there was a video demonstration of making a gear with it!!!!

 

Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

Posted
Posted

Here's a close up.  The cutter both indexes the wheel and shapes the top profile of the gear teeth.

 

  • Like 2
Lambchop Member

Lambchop

Posted
Posted

Never really known any watchmaker to actually use these things... they usually end up sat in a cabinet -bought by non-watchmakers- as an ornament because they are shiny or look 'interesting'..

 

 

PWR Member

PWR

Posted
  • Author
Posted
 

Never really known any watchmaker to actually use these things... they usually end up sat in a cabinet -bought by non-watchmakers- as an ornament because they are shiny or look 'interesting'..

 

 

Actually my grandfather did use this!!!!   Of course that was 1930s into the 1950's......but there is no rust and little dust so perhaps my Dad did use it when I wasn't looking!

jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

Posted
Posted
 

Actually my grandfather did use this!!!!   Of course that was 1930s into the 1950's......but there is no rust and little dust so perhaps my Dad did use it when I wasn't looking!

In the past, making new parts was quite normal and taught in schools. Now even watchmakers with an high reputation when confronted with the need of turning an cutting a wheel won't do it. 

oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

Posted
Posted

Under my apprenticeship, I was trained how to make parts, such as balance staffs, stems and making bushings out of brass. It was quite easy to go from that to making parts for clocks.

  • 1 year later...
david WRT Addict

david

Posted
Posted

That looks like a ROUNDING UP TOOL.  Before modern motorized  high precision machinery was available to small shops, gear teeth would be cut and would not be concentric with the center hole of the gear. I suspect that watch repair shops did not even have electricity in those days, let alone machinery powered by motors. The cutters are actually rotary files with an offset guide to force the gear teeth into the cutter. The process is  similar to the way gear hobs cut gears  today. The gear hob cutter has the teeth positioned on a helix and the cutter forces its way through the gear blank with a threading action. Due to the way a hob cuts, indexing the gear blank to cut each tooth individually is not necessary.  

The cutters on a Rounding Up Tool  work the same way. A watch gear could actually have the teeth rough cut by hand with a saw and hand file  and then formed to the final shape with a  Rounding Up Tool. 

Here is a video of the tool in action:

https://youtu.be/Pej-FQBR1ss

david

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