Mini Lathe

[Richard Cranium]

I got this Mini Lathe, Don't know any thing about it. It has what looks like a sewing machine motor on it, With a variable speed controller. The drive belt is missing, but there is some bulk drive belt in the drawer, Also there is some tools in the drawer. Please tell me any thing you can about this and what it is worth, If you like it more than me, I would sell it... Rich.....

 

[an0nymous]

Oh, wow. Ain't that a Pultra watchmakers lathe?
That's quite a find, if so. Be a few gunsmiths or horologists that would be interested. They look like toys sop apparently they were regularly thrown out. Old precision kit.
Pultra stuff is pretty clearly marked, but that sure looks like a 10.
http://www.lathes.co.uk/pultra/page10.html

 

[Richard Cranium]

I was told by an neighbor that he thought it was a watch makers lathe, but I know nothing about it.

 

[an0nymous]

PM sent.

 

[Kevin54]

Wow Richard......I don't know what it is, but it look unique and it looks like it has been taken good care of.

An0nymouse might be on to it though. With all of the collets, I would have guessed a Jewelers Lathe. I've never heard of a Pultra, so I'm going to have to Bing it and see what I can find.

What are your intentions with it? I know that you're not going to hog out any large pieces, but it looks like it would be a cool lathe to make something like pens with. Hopefully you got it for a good price. It may not be a lathe that gets used a lot, but it's small enough, and cool enough, just to have it on the bench as a conversation piece. If it were me, I'd polish what can be polished, paint what can be painted, and use it when you can. With the selection of collets, it would also be a good thing to have to polish shafts and such.

Richard....here is a site that caters to the pen making crowd, www.pennstateind.com

And if you polish and paint it, paint it something out of the ordinary. Bright red, orange, yellow maybe. Something that really makes it pop


.

 

[zkling]

Looks like anonymous nailed it.

It's a watch making lathe, completly different than a standard metal working lathe. They are more along the lines of a wood working lathe. Looks like you have the collets, but are missing the other tooling, like chuck and all.

As for value? What did you pay for it? The target audience is going to pretty limited. $100 would be a fair selling value. Given it's condition and lack of accessories.

 

[an0nymous]

It's going to be almost too small except for very fine work. Think model trains, working engineering models, amateur watchmaking, maybe some gunsmithing. Leeetle teeny things.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I want to thank every one who responded, Wow 4 min. and people have told me about it, provided me a pic of it, and made me an offer. Thanks Guys Rich...

 

[porschedude996TT]

Yup, Watchmakers or Jewelers Lathe. I have one that my Dad gave me. Any idea what they are worth?

 

[zkling]

Yup, Watchmakers or Jewelers Lathe. I have one that my Dad gave me. Any idea what they are worth?

Heavily dependent, on brand, condition, accessories, location, etc. They have a pretty limited buyer audience.

 

[an0nymous]

Porschedude: Post some pics? There are some very desirable models, completeness, originality, and condition would all factor in, of course. More information would get you a better response.
I know of a local sale pultra 1750 with just the headstock ,bed, base, motor, most of the fiddly bits, and case, but missing the tailstock; asking 450$ He's been trying for months.
Now if you have a guilloche/turning/ornamental/rose/lathe/engine, well, that's a whole different ball of wax.

 

[Dave455]

There are a whole variety of Pultra lathes! That does look like the one in the brochure, but it's not a version I've ever seen!

Some Pultras do go for serious money, but if you look at the valuable ones you can see why - they have loads of features, basically a well appointed engineers lathe in miniature, and are incredibly well made!

The reason they are so desirable is that they were made to handle small 'general engineering' jobs rather than just watchmaking, and are seriously useful!

The machine here is much simpler with just a tool rest, and It looks like this was specifically a watchmakers lathe! Not quite as valuable or useful, but still really nice! Accessories are easily avsilable in the U.K.!

 

[Richard Cranium]

I also posted a pic of the stuff in the drawer...

 

[Hafen_Kafer]

So now that The Garage Journal has done the work for you, how much are you going to sell it for?

 

[zkling]

More importantly, what did you pay for it?

 

[Richard Cranium]

I had an "quote-unquote" low ball offer made with in the first 4 mins. of this post. I just have not made up my mind on what to do with this. I offered to give it to my father in law, but have not heard back from him yet. So I guess that is the big hang up at this time... Rich..

 

[zkling]

What do you want for it / think it is worth?

 

[Richard Cranium]

I really don't know. I put this on here 5 1/2 hours ago, and I have received 3 offers plus one if I shipped it to him, he would pay for shipping only... offer, I am still waiting to hear from my father in law, I offered to give it to him first. So he has first chance at it. One of my offers was from a guy who lives less than 30 min. from me, which would make it much easier than trying to package it and ship it. Rich... Thanks again...

 

[rsanter]

Those have a limited number of people that want them but from what I know those that want or need them don't mind paying for them if they are in good shape.
A lot of the money is in the accessories for them and you have some but not all.
If I had it and wanted to sell it I would be asking around $400 and would not want to take less that $200.
$300 to $350 would make me very happy

Bob

 

[Richard Cranium]

I found a name stamped it to the unit, It is a Moseley

 

[GrantCee]

(Former watchmaker here...) The Moseley WW-pattern lathes were quite popular in this country at one time and had a huge accessory line - moreso than any brand, with the possible exception of their direct competitor Levin. Today there are more Levin collectors than Moseley, largely because Levin is still in business (though they no longer produce WW pattern machines.)

The bad news: the condition of this one will hold values way down; they have to be in perfect shape to draw anywhere near top money (think "laboratory instrument", and you've got the general idea.) The rust on the bed will probably relegate it to parts machine status for any collector or user.

Luckily the collets are in good shape, but the brand affects their value - Hardinge collets are generally the most sought after by users, while Moseley collets would be more interesting to a collector.

 

[R.Anderson]

I really don't know. I put this on here 5 1/2 hours ago, and I have received 3 offers plus one if I shipped it to him, he would pay for shipping only... offer, I am still waiting to hear from my father in law, I offered to give it to him first. So he has first chance at it. One of my offers was from a guy who lives less than 30 min. from me, which would make it much easier than trying to package it and ship it. Rich... Thanks again...

Those have a limited number of people that want them but from what I know those that want or need them don't mind paying for them if they are in good shape.
A lot of the money is in the accessories for them and you have some but not all.
If I had it and wanted to sell it I would be asking around $400 and would not want to take less that $200.
$300 to $350 would make me very happy

Bob

I would never thought that this would be wanted by so many.
3 offers in 5 1/2hrs of posting don't really sound like a limited number of people wanting them. I for one am surprised.

Can't believe the low ball offer of "I'll pay shipping only" offer; WTF, did he at least have the courtesy of asking you to bend over in that offer.
Some people

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have email each of the people whom made offers and advised them of the brand name, no one has emailed me back, every one must be working today. Except on shipping only guy, I didn't email him back, I think he was serious with his offer or just an "a" hole... Rich

 

[cinco]

Yep, as an occasional watchmaker myself I can certainly confirm what the others have said about it being a watchmaker's lathe. They're quite useful in the garage, though, as I've recently used mine to cut a new pair of needles for the twin SU carburetors on my car so depending on the direction your mechanical hobbies lean you might give it some thought before accepting one of your offers. If you keep it (or if another forum member ends up with it) I can post a link about evaluation and refurbishment. By the way, mine is an American Watch Tool Co. (who developed that style of lathe) and dates to sometime within about a decade of when they went out of business in 1918. After a little bit of fiddling it still works like the day it was new.

 

[Richard Cranium]

thank you for your info and welcome to GJ. Happy to see this brought you out for your first post....Rich...

 

[Alchymist]

Looks like anonymous nailed it.

It's a watch making lathe, completly different than a standard metal working lathe. They are more along the lines of a wood working lathe. Looks like you have the collets, but are missing the other tooling, like chuck and all.

As for value? What did you pay for it? The target audience is going to pretty limited. $100 would be a fair selling value. Given it's condition and lack of accessories.

Lack of accessories? There's probably a couple hundred dollars worth of collets there.

 

[Richard Cranium]

look on ebay at what collets have sold for, not what they are asking for them what the sets have sold for, count the number of them in the sets and then count the number in my set. Rich...

 

[larry_g]

I found a name stamped it to the unit, It is a Moseley

Well Richard after reading your posts for awhile I finally understand your moniker.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Alchymist]

Next question - 6MM or 8mm collets?

 

[Richard Cranium]

where do I measure to find out.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Larry G. not sure or not sure I want to understand what you are trying to say? That you just figured out what it said or you are calling me one? lol Rich....

 

[larry_g]

Larry G. not sure or not sure I want to understand what you are trying to say? That you just figured out what it said or you are calling me one? lol Rich....

I should have said that I have enjoyed a lot of your posts but it just struck me now the meaning of your moniker. I got a great laugh at the understanding.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Richard Cranium]

Kevin this is the mini that I spoke to you about...Rich

 

[Richard Cranium]

to the top for kevin54

 

[Kevin54]

Richard....PM sent your way. Thanks!!!!

 

[Richard Cranium]

Kevin, I put it in the mail today. I will pm you the tracking number. Richie

 

[Richard Cranium]

Well I gave this little lathe to kevin, all I asked for was for the shipping. I know I could of sold it on here, but Kevin has always been a stand up guy, I didn't have a whole lot of money in it. So I hope he can get some use out of it. Some time it just feels better to give some thing to some one than to make a couple of bucks off of some thing. Maybe he will post pics on here of some of the stuff he makes with it, after he cleans it up and hopefully he will be able to bring the old gal back to life....Best of luck....Richie