An Older LeBlond lathe Comes Home

[Alan Bowen]

Howdy Folks,
I just was given an old LeBlond lathe.
Does anyone have one like this with a patent number on it?
I sure would like to know what the patent number is.
This one just says the pat. has been applied for.
So,, I guess it was built between the date the pat. was applied for and around the time when the pat. was issued.
I sure would like to find info about this lathe.
Are there manual copies available anywhere?

Here are six pictures I just took.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rustah....jpg&.src=mail

Thank you,
Alan Bowen

[Alan Bowen]

Another bit of info,
As you can see in one of the pictures when it was removed from the line shaft someone installed a Detriot 4-speed gear-box.

It came to me free, but the P.O. took his motor off it.
No problem,, I have a 1-phase, 3 H.P. 3450 RPM motor for it.
Any advise as to how fast this thing should turn?
I need to learn what size of double pulley I should be looking for.

Alan Bowen

[ListerDiesel]

Tony Griffiths' site is a huge resource for anything machine tool related, there is a section for LeBlond:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/leblond/index.html

Manuals for certain LeBlond models are also mentioned on this page.

Peter

[KeithW]

Originally Posted by Alan B

Another bit of info,
As you can see in one of the pictures when it was removed from the line shaft someone installed a Detriot 4-speed gear-box.

It came to me free, but the P.O. took his motor off it.
No problem,, I have a 1-phase, 3 H.P. 3450 RPM motor for it.
Any advise as to how fast this thing should turn?
I need to learn what size of double pulley I should be looking for.

Alan Bowen

For a High Speed Steel tool you want about 100 feet per minute surface speed. This is about 200 RPM on a 2 inch diameter work piece. Work your way back through whatever pulleys and gears are there to figure what the motor needs.

keithw

[Alan Bowen]

Keith,
Thanks for the info. I can easily take it from there.
The four speed gearbox is
1- 4 to 1
2- 3 to 1
3- 2 to 1
4- direct drive
I will shoot 200 RPM in 4th gear then have a lot of slower speeds available.
It is a good place to start anyway. If I need to change the double pulley later that is always an option.

Peter,
Thanks for the site.
I didn't see anything like my lathe there though. The ones he shows just are not old enough. The ones shown with the open line shaft pulleys don't have a five step pulley like mine does. Plus,,, the back gear on mine is just a straight shaft with out that two speed shifter on it. It also looks like it operates differently.

There must be someone reading this that has a really old LeBlond lathe like mine with a patent number on it. I need to see one like mine with a known patent number so I can look up the patent and see when it was filed and when it was granted. This lathe must have been built between those dates.

Alan Bowen

[Alan Bowen]

Ok Folks,

I called the LeBlond company.

The Tech. guy told me where to look for the serial number.

What I found suprised them, but not me.



Lot 2 No. 4

Then a stamped date of 1 1897

We are in agreement. That is the date it was built.

From talking to them I believe the very first 14 inch lathes were Lot 1.

They started building them in 1892 when LeBlond got his first patent.

Before then they were building lathes for other companys.

Then this 16 or 17 inch lathe was called Lot 2.

This lathe would be under a different patent number probably with a reference to the earlier one. Mine was built after they applied for the patent, but before it was granted.

This old machine was the 4th lathe built in the 2nd lot.

Later they went on to a lot of different lot numbers and built 12 of each lot.

Then in 1905 they quit using lot numbers and started using serial numbers that started with a letter or two.

I guess there might not be any manual that covers this old girl.

Direct quote from the leBlond web site.
"Then in 1997, LeBlond Lathe Parts was founded to focus on the service and support of all LeBlond lathe equipment manufactured since 1887."

I guess that is not actually true. 8>)))

Alan Bowen