Chucks V collets (Little Lorch lathe)

[Alan Douglas]

Lathes are an endless source of fun, and sometimes even useful. My latest project was turning a new handle for the "commutator" of a 10" Marconi spark coil, circa 1912, a gift from my old boss who had retrieved it from a storeroom at the Midland, Ontario Marconi station in 1950. I've had to make a number of parts including the entire spark gap assembly, and now am working on the coil's outer casing which is badly cracked.

The original handle was ivory but a friend also restoring a Marconi coil sent me a piece of bone, which is a very good match.