To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

McDougall Lathe

Joined
Sep 30, 2013
Messages
20
So my uncle wanted to get this lathe out of his garage since he needed parking for his boat & doesn't use it a bunch anymore.

Long story short - this was my Uncle Bob's father's lathe that he had purchased second hand a long long time ago. It's a Canadian made McDougall lathe, likely built in the 1940's or early 1950's, 16" x 60" size, 3hp belt drive to a gear reduction box. Among the smaller McDougall lathes, it's around 9' in length & approximately 2500lbs...... THe model appears to be DT-50, however the only reference to that I've managed to find on the web was for a much smaller lathe, so not too sure about it (granted when looking for Canadian built items from companies that have been out of business for decades you don't tend to find a lot of information.....)

My uncle had repainted it "when he was young" in his words, he's well into his 70's now, so it's been around a while. His father was still machining parts on it until he was 89 years old (had retired from a mill at 65 and kept working on projects out of his home machine shop) a pretty cool piece of equipment. There's a ton of fixtures & tooling with it, much of it was probably built for specific tasks that I'll never know about.

It's way to big for any intelligent people to put in their garage, and way to slow for any working machine shop. So perfect at my place 1f606.png Now I just have to learn how to use the damn thing. (yes, I know the safety aspects, I have used a lathe before, just not in 25 years or so and nothing this big)

Anyone know any more history on McDougall lathes?
 

Attachments

  • 20221001_113207.jpg
    20221001_113207.jpg
    243.6 KB · Views: 83
  • 20221001_175422.jpg
    20221001_175422.jpg
    468.1 KB · Views: 87
  • 20221001_210504.jpg
    20221001_210504.jpg
    450.3 KB · Views: 83
  • 20221001_175029.jpg
    20221001_175029.jpg
    620.3 KB · Views: 75
  • 20221001_175034.jpg
    20221001_175034.jpg
    603.3 KB · Views: 68
  • 20221001_175057.jpg
    20221001_175057.jpg
    419.2 KB · Views: 68
  • 20221001_175404.jpg
    20221001_175404.jpg
    346.3 KB · Views: 74
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
C
Joined
Sep 30, 2013
Messages
20
Thanks - I had found that bit of history earlier. This lathe appears to be from the UBJ years of selling McDougall designs before starting to use the VDF components - at least as far as I can tell anyhow.

It has DT-50 cast into it in two locations, but the only "DT-50" info I could find is some photos on bid sites that show a lathe that is quite a bit smaller.

Regardless - the lathe is in great condition, definitely well used, but also very well maintained for the ~70 years or so it's been around. Lots of tooling & fixtures (and micrometers/calipers etc) so I guess it's time to turn scrap pieces of metal into shavings and try to figure out how to use everything (and watching some youtube videos.....)
 
OP
C
Joined
Sep 30, 2013
Messages
20
Thanks - I had found that bit of history earlier. This lathe appears to be from the UBJ years of selling McDougall designs before starting to use the VDF components - at least as far as I can tell anyhow.

It has DT-50 cast into it in two locations, but the only "DT-50" info I could find is some photos on bid sites that show a lathe that is quite a bit smaller.

Regardless - the lathe is in great condition, definitely well used, but also very well maintained for the ~70 years or so it's been around. Lots of tooling & fixtures (and micrometers/calipers etc) so I guess it's time to turn scrap pieces of metal into shavings and try to figure out how to use everything (and watching some youtube videos.....)

I guess the DT50 maybe had different bed lengths available, that might explain the different sizes
 

RoninB4

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2020
Messages
3,590
Location
Under My House
Can't offer any info beyond the Lathes UK website. Looks like it's in decent shape for the age. Slow to be sure but still works just fine for lots of jobs/projects where time isn't a priority. Very cool that it was in the family and now the baton has been passed to you. Inspect gears in headstock (especially back/bull gear) run through all the speeds/feeds to determine any problems, I always do initial check by hand power. Get it leveled with a precision machine level, get any twist out of the bed, check alignment of headstock to bed-way to tailstock, proper flush/lube of headstock and you're ready to go. Plenty of small tools you can make to get familiar again with using it. Congratulations.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
C
Joined
Sep 30, 2013
Messages
20
Can't offer any info beyond the Lathes UK website. Looks like it's in decent shape for the age. Slow to be sure but still works just fine for lots of jobs/projects where time isn't a priority. Very cool that it was in the family and now the baton has been passed to you. Inspect gears in headstock (especially back/bull gear) run through all the speeds/feeds to determine any problems, I always do initial check by hand power. Get it leveled with a precision machine level, get any twist out of the bed, check alignment of headstock to bed-way to tailstock, proper flush/lube of headstock and you're ready to go. Plenty of small tools you can make to get familiar again with using it. Congratulations.
Everything is in good working order thankfully (it was still being used by my uncle on occasion, he had it for about 20 years or so). We ran it through all the gears etc. before moving it, I'll be sure to check everything again before powering it up. I did get it levelled, no twist etc (one of the tools included with it is an old precision level - along with a collection of old calipers, dial bore indicator, etc - basically everything that was involved with using the lathe and a metal shaper that my uncle's father had) My uncle only kept a few of the fixtures that were for specific items his father built for a hydraulic control system he produced for mills (I think he had a patent on the control system). He had buckets and buckets of brass stock and steel stock pieces that I can use to get familiar with all the cutters, reamers, knurling tools etc. that came with it. Really lucky to get this one I think, basically all the tooling I would likely ever need is there. Now I just need to think up some projects to cut on it lol
 

RoninB4

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2020
Messages
3,590
Location
Under My House
Now I just need to think up some projects to cut on it lol
Well it sounds like you're all set to go after inspection, a terrific addition to your home shop. As for starter projects, a few brass (non-marring) hammers with knurled handles and a couple of knurled brass drifts ought to get you started. Anything with sloppy fitting wheels can be improved with new bushings. Perhaps a set of transfer punches, spotter pins, transfer screws, etc. Not knowing what sort of work you do I can only suggest using your imagination to fit your needs. You got a great start with that lathe, enjoy it.
 
OP
C
Joined
Sep 30, 2013
Messages
20
Well it sounds like you're all set to go after inspection, a terrific addition to your home shop. As for starter projects, a few brass (non-marring) hammers with knurled handles and a couple of knurled brass drifts ought to get you started. Anything with sloppy fitting wheels can be improved with new bushings. Perhaps a set of transfer punches, spotter pins, transfer screws, etc. Not knowing what sort of work you do I can only suggest using your imagination to fit your needs. You got a great start with that lathe, enjoy it.
Well, I've found a few things to practice on (still no idea what I'm doing, but figuring things out slowly)
A mini baseball bat/fish bonker/road rage stopper
20221228_004451.jpg


Some shock spacers for my sons S10 drag truck -
IMG_20221128_232042_619.jpg

A simple scribe
20221222_225229.jpg

and some tea lights
20221226_220724.jpg


Nothing fancy, just real basic learning stuff. I'll eventually get to useful items lol
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom