Surfing Craigslist has done it to me again. I have wanted a lathe and mill for a while but have everything to learn about operating them. I spied this dalton combo machine from the mid 1920's and bought it. I love old equipment. Maybe I could have made a better choice but kinda fell in love with it once I researched them and saw it. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Nice!!! First thing I'd do is bolt it down to something a lot less flimsy than that plate. Better machining always starts with a firm foundation. Then make some chips!! Cosmo
Looks like it is primarily an engine lathe design with a light duty vertical mill attached. Does the quill have an internal taper and drawbar? How about a taper in the back end of the lathe headstock so it could be used as a horizontal mill also? Sure would look nice in my shop!
I've worked in lots of machine shops a long time and I have never seen a combo like that. Very cool. Not a bad thing to learn on, cuz it probably won't run too fast and get you into trouble. Once you get a feel for what you can do, you'll wonder how you ever got along without a lathe and mill.
It appears that the spindle extends through the mill to mount a cutter or something. Did it come with some arbors to use as a horizontal mill? Looks like a really neet machine.
LOOKIN' GOOOD MAANN !!!!!!!!! I would love to have something like that.... Good LUCK with it and learn well..... LW
Pretty trick machine all you need is a fresh coat of paint - little polish and some dual think & thin pinstripes, and you will be styling big time Back in the day a lot of machines were striped from the factory's
You are right about it being set up for a horizontal attachment too, unfortunately it has been lost over the years. I doubt I will ever find another one for it as rare as they are. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
IIRC, specs for a machine shop START with 8" of reinforced concrete. With that in mind, 1" of steel IS flimsy. Cosmo
As a 45+ yr. exp. machinist I call BS on this comment. If this was a modern, high speed, high powered lathe using carbide tooling and you expected to reach precise dimensions with no light "sneak up on finish size" cuts that are a hallmark today in production shops where they want to finish with a heavy cut to a precise dimension? maybe so. But this is an old machine, likely not too powerful and never intended for today's super fast speeds and feeds. Set that machine up on that 1" plate, making sure that you have NO twist in the plate or the machine and all is level is all you need to do on a standard 4" concrete floor. The macine most likely will do anything you want to do setup that way, or ar at least all it is capable of doing. Good score! Just leave the carbide tooling for those in the business and having high speed, high powered lathes and mills.
I have a Dalton Combo machine like yours. Mine is the short bed version. I have most of the tooling for it, the change gears, taper attachment, chucks, two faceplates, center rests, carriage steady, mill cutter shaft, tool post grinder, etc. I am not a machinist and have tried to teach myself to use it. So far, so good. The Dalton Combos are rare machines. The Dalton Group on Yahoo only knows of three or four in existence.
Not much to get excited about tooling wise. Drill chuck is in the mill and a 3 jaw is on the lathe Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Just ran across this thread. Did you get the Combo going? I have one and it was missing the horizontal support but someone made a dandy replacement. Great old machine. PK Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App![/QUOTE]
I also say do not bolt it down to the floor. I have owned a industrial machine shop for 30 years. You never bolt a machine down especially a lathe. You level it with leveling bolts. The longer the lath the more twist you will put in the bed if you bolt / pull it down to a uneven concrete floor. JC
In older shops with wood floors, steel plates were used to give machinery more rigidity. But I see mounting feet all over it. It looks heavy enough that you can get by with standard leveling pads under it.
Mine was built between 1925&1929, The gear box was an option. They built the Combo from 1913 to 1929. In the Dalton registry there are only six listed. I can see from this thread more are hiding out there!
[/QUOTE] I just saw some new replies in this thread. I did get mine going. Hooked up a vfd and its humming along. I have not thrown any chips yet since I don't have any tooling yet. I also would like to come up with a set of change gears for mine at some point.
The Jalopy Journal
