Barnes drill co. Lathe

[Dmoen]

I hate to start another thread on lathes, but I passed on one a few weeks back, as per advice on here. Here's another that has popped up for sale kinda local.

Says it worked when they took the motor off to move. Says there is a little bit of extra stuff with it in a box, but has no idea what any of it is. It is being sold for his grandfather. I want something I can clean up and keep for personal garage duty. This thing looks sweet also! It needs a lot of clean up, and lube. But under that dirt and grime may be a gem!

Looking online, I find almost no info on the company, and even less on the lathes themselves. I have no idea on a year, or its capabilities. Can it thread? I'd mAinl use it for random stuff. Maybe make some shift knobs for a few buddies. Or build a few bearing and seal drivers I refuse to pay $200 for. Or punches, or turn down a socket. A few random things I can think of.

Well here's a few pictures. He wants $950, and may be negotiable. Opinions, advice. Trying to find a mill or lathe around here has been very tough pickings.

 

[454ragtop]

Very old lathe, early 1900's, maybe earlier. Wouldn't be worth anything even vaguely resembling $950 to me around here. If lathes are that hard to come by where you are it might be worth $2-300 to play around with. It has no quick change gear box, a BIG detraction for me, so any threading would have to be done by swapping gears, assuming it has the change gears. The same problem arises when trying to change the power feed rate. Carriage seems short for that size lathe, be real surprised if it doesn't have significant bed wear. Actually just looked again, looks like the entire feed geartrain has been replaced with a flat belt, won't be threading on this. I think this lathe would be best as a parts lathe or a lawn ornament.
HTH, JIm

 

[Dmoen]

454, do me a huge favor, DONT LAUGH AT ME! Why do you need to change gears on a lathe? What is the carriage? How do I check the bed for wear? And what are you referring to as the gear train being swapped and a flat belt? From the VERY little I could find online, they originally had a flat belt, and some have swapped to a v belt. I'm probably wrong on that but who knows. Threading is not a huge issue for me. My biggest issue, is the size. I really only want something with. Bed a 24-30 inches long. Possibly even a bench top unit. But I can't find much. And would rather have something quality and old, then new and HF quality

 

[woody 73]

If my wood lathe had that much cast Iron I would be in heaven. today they come more in sheet metal form although the very best come in heavy cast steel/Iron.

 

[larry_g]

Can you give us a nearby city so WE can check what may be available to you?

As Jim says that is an OLD lathe and no where near the asking price.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[woody 73]

I sent you a pm in your mail box hope it helps you out.

 

[Dmoen]

Can you give us a nearby city so WE can check what may be available to you?

As Jim says that is an OLD lathe and no where near the asking price.

lg
no neat sig line

I wouldn't give near the asking price, I'd offer 400- maybe 500.

I'm in central northdakota. thanks for the offer for help too!

 

[xxaler]

It's definitely a cool piece, and someone could put it to use, but not for a beginner. Changing belts every time to shift gears ***** ***.

 

[Dmoen]

It's definitely a cool piece, and someone could put it to use, but not for a beginner. Changing belts every time to shift gears ***** ***.

Why do you change gears? Different material?

 

[Fretters]

Dmoen, it's worth having a read of these sections on the lathes site to give you a general idea of the basics.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/latheparts/
http://www.lathes.co.uk/page2.html

By no means comprehensive, but it'll give you a start on the basics.

 

[larry_g]

http://fargo.craigslist.org/tls/5190794631.html

Boy howdy lathes on craigslist in that country are at least 2x the price of what I would expect to pay around here. For example the lathe in the link above I paid $800 for a few years back. Good luck. I would recommend the lathe in the link, Sheldons are good machines and that one looks to be in good shape.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[xxaler]

Why do you change gears? Different material?

Different material, different size stock, different tooling, different operation. Sometimes you have to adjust speed until you feel it cutting just right. That would be fine if you were banging out the same operation over and over e.g. sanding similar items, repeating a cutting operation on similar stock, you would be fine.

If you need to face, cut, knurl, drill, all in one operation without re-chucking the piece to move to the next, you will spend more time changing belts than you will working on the material.

 

[Dmoen]

Yes I'd love to have one of them on my local craigslist, but cannot justify that kinda $$$ on my first lathe. I don't know how often it will be used. Looking for so,etching around 1k or less.

 

[Dmoen]

Different material, different size stock, different tooling, different operation. Sometimes you have to adjust speed until you feel it cutting just right. That would be fine if you were banging out the same operation over and over e.g. sanding similar items, repeating a cutting operation on similar stock, you would be fine.

If you need to face, cut, knurl, drill, all in one operation without re-chucking the piece to move to the next, you will spend more time changing belts than you will working on the material.

Thank you for explaining. Sounds like a quick change setup is a must now.

 

[454ragtop]

454, do me a huge favor, DONT LAUGH AT ME! Why do you need to change gears on a lathe? What is the carriage? How do I check the bed for wear? And what are you referring to as the gear train being swapped and a flat belt? From the VERY little I could find online, they originally had a flat belt, and some have swapped to a v belt. I'm probably wrong on that but who knows. Threading is not a huge issue for me. My biggest issue, is the size. I really only want something with. Bed a 24-30 inches long. Possibly even a bench top unit. But I can't find much. And would rather have something quality and old, then new and HF quality

Not laughing, never even considered it. I knew you were a lathe newb, nobody is born knowing about these things, got to start somewhere. Many lathes are belt drive to the spindle, as this one is, but in your second pic, see that little belt to the left side of the headstock on the 3 step pulley? Usually there is a gear train there timing the lead screw on the front of the lathe to the spindle, not a belt. This is important when threading, as any slippage of the belt would ruin a thread, not that it would even be possible to thread like this. The change gears affect the ratio of how many times the lead screw turns compared to the spindle. This ratio is what forms a thread pitch, as in how many turns to move 1 inch, or TPI, with an SAE thread.
BRB, Jim

 

[454ragtop]

Take a look at this http://www.mermac.com/advicenew.html Might want to get a lathe manual of some type to familiarize yourself and study the basics. The Atlas lathe manual, South Bend's "How To Run A Lathe" , or "Shop Theory" from the Henry Ford trade school are all excellent to help a beginner get started.
HTH, Jim

 

[rsanter]

If it was me I would give $200 for,and use it as a wood lathe.
As a metal I think you need to keep looking

Bob

 

[Warrenator]

Roy Underhill did an episode on a screw cuttin' lathe, which I think was a Barnes, on his PBS show The Woodwrights's Shop. A really old pedal driven one.

A new lathe user would enjoy that, I think, and be able to see what a really old lathe is all about.

 

[My Old Tools]

That Sheldon is a sister to mine. It has a flame hardened bed, ball bearing headstock, and likely a 5C spindle hole. Sheldon is a step up from South Bend. That said, if you want one to play with and learn on, find a old South Bend 9A. Parts are readily available and it usually won't break the bank.

Barnes was most known for their treadle foot powered machines.

 

[Dmoen]

Well guys found another lathe locLly! I'm an not interested at all, just gotta say wow! That's one big mofo!!!

https://nd.craigslist.org/tls/5230538398.html

 

[JoeFin]

Well guys found another lathe locLly! I'm an not interested at all, just gotta say wow! That's one big mofo!!!

https://nd.craigslist.org/tls/5230538398.html

That one is only worth scrap metal value - Head stock is torn apart and the spindle is missing