Just picked up two old Pratt&Whitney lathes. A 1925 {last patent date}, 20X48, and another smaller 16X48 which seems a little older still. Question is: Does anybody out there have a complete taper attachment? Seems both of mine are missing the piece that tracks the taper if that makes any sense. It looks like what ever is missing will be easy to fabricate, but I don't know if it is a round or square piece that rides in the track. Dave Lathrop had the same problem with an old Leblond last week. Any help would be apprecated. Thanks, John.

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Ah, one of the early jet powered experimental lathes.

BTW, just figured out why I was scratching my head over the taper on the LeBlond - the pivot pin had worked its way up into the sliding block. Just finished fabricating a new clamp and it is about ready to go if Enco would get my 3 jaw to me....... I splurged on the Phase II quick change tool post too.

From your inquiry it sounds like the block which slides in the taper track is missing? It isn't difficult to make one. On the South Bends and LeBlonds I have used, and on the Atlas / Craftsman I have a tool catalog for, it is a rectangular block with an adjustable gib so it can be made to slide easily but without wiggle in the pivoting track. You might mill down a solid block to just fit to experiment with, and then complicate it with the adjustment when you have what seems to work well figured out.

These old machine tools are wonderfully overbuilt, robust and forgiving, much like the locomotives we make parts for on them.

dave

Thanks for the help. I figured it was probably a square or rectangle piece that slides in the track {kind of a "U" shaped track}. There is a box of misc tooling and odds and ends at the place in Kenosha, I will ask to look through it again. Maybe I will recognise it now that I realize it is missing.

I was surprised to get a really neat fitted box of gears with the smaller he 14"lathe. It has a quick change gear box so I didn't think it would come with more gears. Usually that is for the smaller bench lathes. I will need to find a book on the smaller lathe. I guess the thrill is in the hunt. Cheers, John.

Kenosha? Resource in yor back yard - just run over to North Lake and visit with Steven Butler - no doubt he has several old lathes with taper attatchments on them to look at in his collection.

Of course, he might draft you to help him assemble WPY 69 in exchange....

dave

That would be fine with me. I am so busy with 60hrs a week at work, plus school that I can't do much more. I finish school for the summer in a couple of weeks. Steve invited me down there a couple of times now, but I just don't get down that way. I really wanted to see the project before it leaves.

I can about imagine his toys. We went for a stroll through a really great scrap yard in upper Michigan a last spring. He is as bad as me for being attracted to large, heavy, rusty machinery. The only difference is he knows how to operate most of them and I don't. If I bring home a Bullard, then I know I have crossed over the line. Till then I can haul 10,000 lbs at a time. Your right on about this old machinery being equal to the machines we try to restore/keep running.

Did you check out that web site Kelly Anderson offered {Thank-you} ? A whole bunch of wacko's like us. Pet names for there shapers and lathes. Just too cool! Cheers, John.