RAIL TRACK 16x?? LATHE $700.00 OBO

[KeeponDragon]

Antique metal lathe made from railway track.
Track has 1928 stamped on it.
Most likely made during the railway days.
700$ obo.
Located on Quadra island

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Doesn't look like it's in bad shape. But the lack of thread cutting capability is a bummer.
A friend of mine suspects it may have been a kit, that was shipped by boat. Possibly for use in a mine or sawmill camp.
The tail stock base looks like it was made from rail as well...
I just thought it was cool.

I really should get to work...but I'm kinda bored.

 

[Ironman]

I have seen a Doukhobor Russian guy in the Slocan valley BC that had built one like that with heavy angle iron ways. This was a labor of love obviously and I suspect it was shop built in a mine or government shop when he was on nightshift fixing other things.

 

[KeeponDragon]

See, I was wondering that too.
Instead of a milling machine...Wouldn't it be possible to grind the ways?
Say with a surface grinder?
Or would a shaper be more suited ?

 

[140mower]

See, I was wondering that too.
Instead of a milling machine...Wouldn't it be possible to grind the ways?
Say with a surface grinder?
Or would a shaper be more suited ?

A planer would be perfect for the application. The stroke on all but the biggest shapers would fall a little bit short. Once I get my act together and build a suitable shop, would love to find a planer with a 6-8 foot bed. No real reason, I just want one..... Kind of the same way five lathes, two shapers, two milling machines, a tool and cutter grinder and a die filer found their way here I suppose........ My kids are so screwed when I am gone... Lol

 

[Ironman]

See, I was wondering that too.
Instead of a milling machine...Wouldn't it be possible to grind the ways?
Say with a surface grinder?
Or would a shaper be more suited ?

Back when people were much poorer and built their own lathes, a shaper was more common than a mill, and what mills there were were horizontal. I did not ask that guy how he did the ways. The poorest today have more money and greater expectations than we ever did.

 

[KeeponDragon]

My kids are so screwed when I am gone... Lol

What little I have in the shop has already been itemized and priced in a spreadsheet...My family's medical history isn't the most positive...So rather than leave the better 3/4's to scratch her head at what the junk is worth...I took it out of her hands to worry about...
I've left instructions that the shop can be gutted for cash, or, IF my kid / grandkids are so inclined...learn about the craft...take the equipment and make things with it...

 

[140mower]

I figure that once I am gone, my fear of the wife finding out how much I have spent on tools over the years should diminish slightly..... However, the money that I have saved by having them far outweighs their cost.
As far as the kids go, early morning hockey practices and late night ER visits etc. come with a certain cost later in life.
My dad has a pretty extensive wood working shop, he doesn't get out there nearly as much as he once did, but I wouldn't dream of asking him to downsize it or worry about what is to happen with it when he's gone, that is my job. His job is to enjoy still being able to do as he pleases for as long as he can, he's earned that......

 

[Former Member]

Shapers where the choice of machinists because once setup produced and very flat surface, horizontal mills came next as they where lighter, but shapers where still called upon as they produced a flatter (straighter) surface.

The advent and adaptation of the Vertical (Bridgeport Style) mill began the change as it could do almost everything the horizontal could and the shaper could while stilling being lighter and cheaper to manufacture.

Ultimately it bacame the mill of choice except for those few that use the true advantages of the horizontal mill or shaper to its fullest fair exceeding what any vertical mill can do even under the best machinists hands.

With only a couple of exceptions, CNC vertical style machines can do everything better with the controls and positioning we have today. Hobby CNC machine match what good machinist used to be able to do with very little skill of the operator, just punch in the numbers, insert material and press go.

 

[JustaDB]

I figure that once I am gone, my fear of the wife finding out how much I have spent on tools over the years should diminish slightly.....

Have a buddy who always tells his wife, "After I'm gone, don't you dare sell anything for what I told you I paid."

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I really don't own anything of great value, and all what what I DO have was almost all bought for good deals for little money. She knows what I bought everything for. She's been there for all the road trips, and "can you believe I only paid this much for that?" Stories..... She and the kids can keep whatever they want, and call the auctioneer for the rest. What's left is worth what it weighs.......

She has as many knitting machines as I have machine tools, so it goes both ways.....

 

[140mower]

I really don't own anything of great value, and all what what I DO have was almost all bought for good deals for little money. She knows what I bought everything for. She's been there for all the road trips, and "can you believe I only paid this much for that?" Stories..... She and the kids can keep whatever they want, and call the auctioneer for the rest. What's left is worth what it weighs.......

She has as many knitting machines as I have machine tools, so it goes both ways.....

My shop has been built up in a similar manner, often as not, the cost of retrieving my finds usually out weighs the actual purchase price.
And my wife likes going on the road trips....... Who wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity?

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Yep, same. We used to love those weekend adventures. Life changed a lot with kids, but we still have them, just not as frequently.

I actually got thinking about most of my tools since my last post, and I think I got pretty much all for well under market value, and think she'd probably do ok selling them if she wanted the hassle of doing so. Best case is that the kids want them, have a need for them, and a space for them. Or they just stay here and they come and use them whenever they come to visit Mom. In all likelihood I'll be the one to go first, simply due to genetics, and dumb decisions .

If she goes first, there will be even MORE tools for the kids to figure out what to do with .

 

[PaulL]

But the lack of thread cutting capability is a bummer.

Sure looks like it would be a fun project to refit the apron with a screw and electronic gearing.

 

[140mower]

In all likelihood I'll be the one to go first, simply due to genetics, and dumb decisions .

..... which brings us to, Why do husbands usually die before the wives? ..... because we want to.

 

[Susquatch]

..... which brings us to, Why do husbands usually die before the wives? ..... because we want to.

On a serious note......

I read a medical research paper the other day which claimed that all this nonsense about women living longer than men is pure crap. They charted life expectancy against height and discovered that both men and women have the same life expectancy for any given height.

Unfortunately, I'm 16 inches taller than my bride......

 

[140mower]

Unfortunately, I'm 16 inches taller than my bride

I have +/- 15" over my wife as well.....

 

[Tom O]

According to my math I’m 11’ 10 “ over mine.

 

[jorogi]

Life changed a lot with kids, but we still have them, just not as frequently.

I'd highly recommend not having any more at all rather than just reducing frequency.

John

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I'd highly recommend not having any more at all rather than just reducing frequency.

John

2 is enough. We maintain that level by reducing frequency.... .