Featured Technical Picked up a lathe...

The man himself. Curt Schlueter. 81 years young and still in the wind. Passed earlier this year. 20 years ago I worked at a v twin/ machine shop with some smart mfkrs. When we had some trick shit, or some cast iron we didn't wanna fk up we called Curt. He'd come in low key as fk and take on whatevr. We all know guys like this, or moreover, a guy like this. One.

I been in this shit 30 years and wouldn't even know where to begin. I got some of his homemade manually machined aluminum cope/ drags thatd knock ur socks off. No bullshit. Respect

 

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad, CA. Founded by the owner of Sherline Products (modeling lathes and milling machines).

Home - The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum

It includes this 1932 Duesenberg at 1/6 scales and incredible detail that took 15,000 hrs to perfect: "The Duesenberg is not just a model—it is a complete car in miniature. In March of 2010, the engine was successfully run for the first time, and just about every feature that worked on the real car also works on Lou’s miniature version."

Louis Chenot - The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum

 

Congratulations! That’s a neat little machine. Get yourself a simple “How To Run A Lathe” book and have fun. Having a lathe in the shop has gotten me in and out of a lot of trouble.

 

Thank u for that...

 

My first experience was my boss showing me where the feed levers were and how they worked, 20 minutes later I had a gun barrel blank in the lathe and turning it down, it had 5 spots on it that had to be different diameters and 3 of those spots had to be press fit. Talk about pressure on a first project ! With less than 20 minutes time on a lathe.

Cool thing was I hit all my numbers on that barrel. Boss was really surprised I hit them all, especially when I did it all on my own, after hours and the only one there. I had no plan B but that's what makes life fun !!

..

 

After I got my lathe, I started watching a YT channel called Blondihacks. She had lots of good info for beginners.

 

https://practicalmachinist.com/foru...ssessment-multiple-photos.113622/#post-421481
Practical Machinist if a good resource. Turcite is a good material to shim an old machine. You have to learn to "hand scrape" though. It is handy skill for lots of stuff. There are also some liquid materials that are cast-in-place for shimming. http://www.itw-philadelphia.equip4ship.com/

 

I just recently snagged one too, mines older and bigger but works fine for what I do and came with 2k at least in tooling!
Ill tell ya though...she was a b1tch to move!

 

Damn!!! Love the look. Barbaric!?! Killer Castings. Im infatuated with castings. Big, small, simple, complex. Threw mine in the trunk

 

As already shown, the tube can be an amazing resource. I like Inheritance Machining, there's another guy that refurbishes old equipment. Plenty of beginners guides, and other refurbishment sites too.
https://www.youtube.com/@InheritanceMachining/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@SalvageWorkshop/videos

Try to track down the manuals, of course. Also get hard copies of speeds and feeds, threading info, good mics and other measuring stuff. I'll mention the Pocket Ref book again.
https://sequoiapublishing.com/

 

I’m lucky to have my grandfather’s South Bend lathe he purchased new in 1936! Still have receipt, that’s right with financing it set him back $93.50 …
Lots of memories watching him work as kid, left hand planted on headstock, cigarette in his mouth and right hand doing the work. Paint worn right off long ago where his hand would sit … Funny thing is find my hand planted in the same spot when I’m working as well - lol
Love lathe work, barely know what I’m doing but it sure is fun!
Have fun with the new toy it’s a beauty

 

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/dalton-lathe-model-question.328445/

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...ix-type-b-4-bench-lathe-for-my-office.115212/

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/dalton-metal-lathe.377966/

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=2756

https://www.polytechforum.com/metalworking/dalton-lathes-308297-.htm

https://groups.io/g/DaltonLathes/topic/89005945

 

I don't know about the mechanism in the 4th pic, but the tube with the handwheel is probably your drawbar for the collet chuck.

Gary

 

I don't know, either, but I suspect that if you do a Google search using the manufacturer's mark and that number on the end casting, you might find a few clues.

Roger

 

Early 90s I gave my Dalton to a neighbor after I got my Nardini, decided I didnt need 2 lathes. He gave it to an engineer he worked with, some guy named Pela who was making diesel trucks go fast. My father-in-law has an older belt drive Dalton like the ones pictured here, still works great. If you dont get answers here I can visit, ask questions, take pics.

I recommend looking for a tech school near you, learn from experts. Doesnt matter if you are older than the kids. I was a degreed engineer working in aerospace for years before taking my first machine shop class, well worth it to learn from those with experience, and you get to play with all the big tools without buying them. In class we learned all the tools in the shop then had to pick a project, make a thing. I had a SC/CR 5spd gearbox with half the teeth stripped off reverse, the teacher set me up on a horizontal mill and taught me how to use the dividing head, my class project was copying the old gear, made a new one. At the end of the class he took my new gear to where he worked and had his company harden it for me.

 

In case you don't know, and I don't want to seem that I'm "talking down" to you.
Your 4-jaw chuck is independent jaws which means you can turn an eccentric on that lathe. If you want to use it to turn something centered-round, you'll have to dial it in by adjusting the chuck jaws until it runs true on your indicator.
Those jaws on that chuck are reversible, allowing you to grip a larger something on the outer diameter.

And speaking of chucks......I noticed a spare jaw in that box with the collets. Might you have a full set of three? If so, those will probably be the other jaws for your 3-jaw scroll chuck. Most self-centering chucks come with a set of outside grip, and a set of inside grip jaws. They are numbered BTW, and go in a specific groove on your chuck.

Roger

 

Again.....I don't live up between your ears with you, so I don't know what you know, so..........
This is used in conjunction with those collets you mentioned. The collets allow you to insert a milling bit in the headstock spindle, (without the chuck),and you clamp your raw stock to that table, in place of your cross-slide and tool post. (Think a keyway in a shaft.)

Roger

 

I'm clueless, too, but I'd bet there's a Youtube video out there that can help you out.

If it cuts true, that's great.........BUT......You sir, are moving it to a different floor that may set the table off-kilter one direction or the other. That can induce a twist in the iron bed of the lathe, and your turnings might end with with an ever-so-slight taper to them.
I suggest a precision toolroom level, and set the table/bench level first, then check the lathe.
Sorry, but a toolroom level is a bit pricey. Depending on what kind of precision you need, you might want to hold off until you really NEED to get it that accurate.

Roger

 

Sonora Phonograph motor, spring driven.

 

Thank u

 

Thanks. Read a couple posts. Been running a mill 20 years. My questions are machine specific but I thank u for ur response.

 

Thank u. Ive spun pins for 20 years but the 4 jaw will take a little time. Haven't done that since school. Been 25 to 30 years since ive been running one daily, and the weren't anything like this. We had a 40s monster in the back of the shop when i was at fastenal that I watched my mentor cut a 4" diameter 15' - 20' lead screw when I was 23. Diechemed it up and spen a week on the fkr. Id's, keyway/ drive end, pressed in bronze bushings he made, 100% from rough bar to perfection. Eyes opened. Thank u.

 

Ahhh... yesss. Thank u for this.

 

I dont know what that means... care to elaborate? Or u want me to boring ass google it?

 

Im still connected to my friend that runs a pattern shop. I have access to a toolroom level. Didn't know it was that important. I was going to relax, $200 level, shim and bolt it down. I figured thatll be enough to run a couple long turns and mic out. No?

 

Pretty cool. I’ve never seen it done before.

 

The older machines, were built to last a lifetime, and if they were cared for, they did last a life time!

​

 

I didn't wanna hit em all in the comments but thx for all the links. I only knew 2 of those so my plate is full. Love this place. 24 hours and im rich. I thank u all.

 

Nice contact to have.....that way, you don't have to shell out the coin for something you might use 8 times in your remaining lifespan.

Yeah, I'd say run with it, if you have some raw stock you can spare.

A little something else.....hunt up a video on using a drive dog. I remember seeing a couple face plates and at least one drive dog in your trinkets.

Roger