Love of lathes.

[Alan Douglas]

Do you know if the motor is straight repulsion, or repulsion-start/induction-run? In other words is there a mechanism for shorting the commutator at speed? That type of motor here typically has a ring of copper segments under the commutator which expands from centrifugal force. I'm just thinking that if the segments are at all dirty they won't contact the commutator properly, and the motor will be running as a partial squirrel-cage, and I imagine that would be quite noisy.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for asking Gary and a very good question because so many avoid 3 phase machines for a home workshop. As you know I have the big home made 3 phase transformer installed but I'll not use this; instead I intend to buy another single to 3 phase VFD for use on this Lorch; I already have a couple of motors but would like to pick up a cast iron 3 phase motor if cheap enough. By converting to 3 phase via a new VFD I will in fact add a lot of value to this already most desirable lathe because the lathe will still run from single phase 240V but give full variable speed etc. I've recently done this with my fully restored Graduate lathe and the Graduate is a joy to own and use; it purrs at 1,500 revs running very smoothly indeed. Any electrical upgrade I carry out Gary will be easily reversible but as you suggested yes this is a lathe for me to keep; it's a lovely lathe and of a size I can use in anger unlike my Clarke lathe which I regard as a toy.

I don't want to play around wasting lots of time Refugee with this old unusual motor; I can afford to upgrade adopting the new drive mentioned above; I had hoped the new bearings would quieten this motor right down but it's disappointing me; it's not the original motor so it's not as though I'm being a vandal. Thanks for your suggestion though and perhaps I will play with this motor assuming I ever get any free time? Regarding the flat drive belts Refugee; yes only one pre-jointed belt can be installed but I'll be looking into how to joint the second belt; I certainly don't want to hear metal clips tapping on the three pulleys; I have some suitable brand new leather belting which I could joint on the lathe using hot hide glue or stitching the old way with waxed cord?

Thanks for asking Alan D; I haven't a clue as to what type this old motor is because I've never come across one like it previously; it's half horse power and single speed but it is reversible by pulling the lever. I'll possibly use this motor on another project because it is so unusual and in working order. I've cleaned everything I could see that would affect performance; given it's size it's a bit small to what I'm used to; I have a 1.1Kw motor installed in my Graduate so it's never short of power for roughing cuts; I'd like to build the same performance into this Lorch.

Dinner time coming up rapidly so got to go; thanks though for asking all the questions.

Kind regards, Col.

[Retired]

Hi,

Today's update. I've had a brilliant day today working on this Lorch. First job was to attach the top slide and whilst doing this I also polished the tool clamp; polishing the tool clamp sounds easy enough but took an hours work although I don't begrudge this because the result was worth it.

After dinner I installed the two drive shafts; one the lead-screw the other the plain shaft with the full length key-way.

I hope the pictures below explain more clearly what these two shafts do and how they are arranged. The top shaft is obviously the lead-screw this running through the carriage and the drive being picked up by the half nuts. The lower shaft though was the mystery shaft to me at first. This too runs through the carriage but drive is picked up by a worm gear the worm gear having a key secured with two countersunk machine screws; when the gear is engaged it revolves with the shaft but because of the long key-way it also traverses along the bed; a very neat arrangement indeed. To the left hand end of this shaft can be seen a collar with a square headed machine screw. This too puzzled me at first but now I understand this collar to be an adjustable stop; it can be positioned along the drive shaft and locked in position by the square headed machine screw; I've got a feeling this will be invaluable especially when working in a blind hole with a boring bar; once the depth of the bar cutter is set then the collar can be adjusted; further cuts are arrested as the carriage abuts the collar allowing the sensitive cone clutch to disengage the drive?

Assembling the parts is easy and quick enough; its getting the parts ready for assembly which is taking a lot of time. Just restoring the Lorch nameplate was time consuming and although the carriage is just about finished it still needs it's hand-wheel restoring and fitting but I'm pleased the carriage is now restored because I think this was the hardest part?

There is still plenty of work ahead but the results so far are encouraging.

Kind regards, Col.

                               

[Radio Fixer]

Too good to use. Keep the workshop heated 24/7 ! Cant let any rust get on it.

Gary

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Gary; once this Lorch is fully restored I think I'll make a decent cover for it to keep it clean.

You could always keep your Coral Draw and A3 printer Gary so why not spoil yourself and buy a lathe? My four lathes are a joy to own and use; I would never be without a couple of lathes because they are so therapeutic to use and very useful. Since David restored his Lorch watchmakers lathe he is using it more and more for turning small components.

I'm currently negotiating over a new Brook Motors Gryphon motor this being 3/4hp and single phase 4 pole; if I don't get it at my maximum price then I'll possibly go the VFD route and install a 3 phase motor. It's strange now to be chasing a Gryphon motor because whilst working at Brooks I handled many thousands of these thinking little of it.

I can't get into the garage today until this afternoon but hopefully I'll be able to spend more time on this restoration over the next few days.

Kind regards, Col.

[Radio Fixer]

No! lathe Colin. Many reasons but include no room and too big a learning curve and I would only use it now an then to make a part for the mainstream hobby. Fortunately, I have a very skilled ex toolmaker friend with every piece of kit you can imagine (he used to have a business doing engine refurbishing). He does me the odd thing if I cant find a way around without bothering him.

Gary

[Nick]

... once this Lorch is fully restored I think I'll make a decent cover for it to keep it clean...

You'll never use it - its a work of art - just polish it every day and make the cover out of polycarbonate so that everyone can revel in its wonderfulness

I'm just so impressed at how its coming up like new - the green? I know its a "true" colour, but its a bit like mushy peas, both in colour and likeability - you love 'em or you don't

Now, British Racing Green - there's a colour for a lathe!

[AlanBeckett]

A couple of years ago there was a really attractive small Bench-top Lathe on ebay. It was beautifully polished, a real work of art. The Seller said he's got it from an Antique Shop and I could well believe it. He was asking a very ambitious price and I don't think it ever sold. I couldn't imagine it ever being used in anger. I'm sure Col's won't finish up like that.

Yes, I find the colour a bit of a 'surprise', but each to his own. It's a lot better than the standard dark green or red Hammerite which people are prone to slapping on.

When you've finished it you'll have to contact Tony Griffiths and give him some pictures. He'll really appreciate that. You could even invite him over to see it as he's not far away.

Alan

[Retired]

Hi,

Yes Gary; space is always a problem and in buying a lathe the lathe really needs to be used although once a lathe is owned it does tend to get used. The learning curve is quite steep on an engineering lathe but a wood turning lathe is much more forgiving especially if you learn to duck quickly?

Thanks Nick for your kind comments; yes I actually agree about the green colour; it looks a bit fierce in the pictures but in reality it isn't so much in your face and I'm warming to it; I'm colour blind anyway but it looks good to me and will brighten up the corner of the garage. I just liked the look of this green colour on the "YouTube" Lorch I posted earlier; it's different anyway.

Yes a nice clear cover would be good similar to a glass display case but then I intend to use the Lorch but at least I'll be starting off with a nice clean lathe which make a refreshing change?

Very true Big Al, my Lorch will get used. When I started to tidy this Lorch up I didn't intend to go over the top but as I started to reveal its true beauty and began to realize what I could make of it well it just took over my life as so many of my projects do. This Lorch takes me back many years to steam engines like the winding engine we had installed at the Caphouse Colliery where I worked with shiny steel and brass which were regularly gone over with an oil rag.

I have already emailed Tony at "Lathes" Alan to let him know I have this Lorch sending him pictures but I didn't receive a reply? I thought Tony lived near you Alan somewhere in the midlands?

A bit of good news; my offer for the Brook Gryphon motor has been accepted and this motor is brand new having been stored in a home garage for a couple of years. Being single phase it will save me lots of extra work converting to 3 phase and VFD. I don't need a fully variable speed engineering lathe for the kind of turning I do and I know these Gryphon motors are the best in their class. Once the motor arrives I'll check it's amps to see if this old dash pot style starter will be suitable because a modern Brook starter in its plastic enclosure might look a bit out of place?

My only regret so far with this restoration is that I went with cellulose paint for speed. Had I known the lathe would respond so well to my TLC I would have used Paragon machinery enamel applying the paint by brush. Using cellulose was quicker but certainly wasn't a pleasure given the conditions I was working under and I must admit I'm not a fan of doing lots of masking or having to wear a respirator misting my glasses and ear defenders against a very noisy compressor.

Kind regards, Col.

[Yorkie]

A couple of years ago there was a really attractive small Bench-top Lathe on ebay. It was beautifully polished, a real work of art.
Alan

A chap contacted me a few months back as he'd learnt that I had a little Lorch lathe. He sent me a couple of pics of his, for which he has a host of accessories. Pristine condition, and you'd think from the pics, and from its indoor location that it never gets used, but in fact it does. I may have posted the pics before - if so, sorry about that. The 'bench' that it's one was made for him by a neighbour who is a retired cabinet-maker who has obviously not lost his skills.

The one I have, which came to me as bits rusty in a box and stayed like that ignored under the bench for five years or so till Colin tipped me off about what it was, only has a few traces of black paint on it, so whether it ever was painted, I know not. The most useful feature is the ability to use collets in the headstock (with the chuck removed) and in the tailstock. This makes for accurate concentric drilling when making such things as spindle couplers, or when tapping threads in little items. I was very lucky in that it came with a set of collets, which aren't easy to come by, and consequently are very expensive when found.