Lathe with 3 Ford transmissions in Iowa

[Yoyodyne]

I've seen all sorts of transmission lashups for powering old lineshaft machines. This one caught my eye because it was done well and has 3 transmissions in series.
Thought this would be interesting here. Can you identify the transmissions?

It's in Iowa, and can be had for the removal. Here's a link to more photos -https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-and-history/large-older-lodge-shipley-available-378904/

[FlatheadTed]

Interesting rig looks like Ford boxes ,

[Tinker]

Bring a forklift. I'd like to have an old mill. Have the room. Cool post.

[Kurt in NJ]

Looks like 60Hp transmissions

[cas3]

thats pretty cool!! i have a very old, big lodge&shipley , 16x60 that went thru my fire in 2010. it was my first lathe, in about 1980 or so. wore out and broken handles from being tipped over in a move, but by golly i was somebody having a lathe. made lots of stuff, learned a lot, and therefore did not have the heart to scrap it after the fire. i'll post a pic tomorrow

[V8COOPMAN]

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Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ

Looks like 60Hp transmissions

The one on the right, next to the motor, looks like a "60". DD

[frnkeore]

In 1976, I bought a 16 x 30 Lodge & Shipley, "tool Room" lathe. The 16, is deceiving. It would actually chuck a little over 18 1/2". It came with a collet chuck and collets, had a taper attachment and a special device, you set for the number of threads you want to cut. With that, you didn't have to line the threading dial up, before you engaged the half nuts. Although it was a flat belt drive, with a Lima Drive, it was a excellent lathe.

I sold it about 1989 but, as I remember it, this lathe looks a lot like a Lodge & Shipley. I look forward to seeing Cas3's pictures.

[Mart]

I love that setup. A real piece of history. The job looks to be very well done. The front trans does appear to be smaller, so one would assume V8-60 as stated above. 3rd trans in the train has a slanted top so 32-36 (is it 36?) middle one looks like big trans with upright shifter so probably 37 up.

It's a big old machine. If it were closer and I had the space I'd be on my way already.

[Ol' Ron]

WOW!!! My old Flather 18" lathe had a Dodge truck trans on it. Drove the lathe fron the emergengy brake drum.
Gramps

[fordwife]

How many speeds ahead of the cone pulley? I figure 28. 3x3x3 equals 27, plus any 2 put in reverse would give you a very slow forward speed. Are there more combinations?

[Mart]

The ratios depend if the 1st and 2nd gears in all 3 have the same ratios. They probably don't as the first trans is smaller so probably lower first gear.

Some ratios may be duplicated so probably not 28 different ratios. Probably a good ratio spread between all 3 in low and all 3 in top.

[corvette8n]

I remember my Uncle having a doodlebug with 2 transmissions, I think it was built on a model "A" frame, he used it for a large garden.

[cas3]

here's my big ol' lodge & shipley. it has no numbers on the dials, only hash marks. i was told that dates it to pre ww1. made for a line shaft but i built the "tower of power" i called it to mount the motor. it was a lot of work and really a failure of sort. something was out of balance on the upper shaft and the whole tower would wiggle a bit sometimes showing up in the part you were working on. included is a pic of my burned up grinder station. reason is, that is what the big lathe will become. i have in my new shop a metal chop saw, a radial arm saw, and a wood chop saw all mounted in a row in that order that when built all the back stops and table tops were all set perfectly square and level. as the years have passed, they have settled and moved so they no longer line up. plan is to mount them all on the bed of the lathe which will not move, with room left for a grinder station too. and lastly, my old shop, now known as "the bomb crater". this was an old car wash i got for taking it down. put it up and added on to it, all steel, even made a third truss to extend the length. spray foam insulated for minnesota winters. i had quite the shop for a young man in his 20's, but i was a go getter back then, not so much any more. i retired this spring, so my new job is to clean up this mess so i can move out of the frozen swamp

[D. Jones]

I've run several lathes and a radial drill press that used transmissions to change speed but that one beats anything I've seen. I tried to post a picture of a 32"x 144" Lodge & Shipley that I've put quite a few hours on but the picture wont upload. It uses a very large electric motor with an attached transmission. Looks like it must be some sort of factory unit that was made to adapt the old line shaft flat belt drive. It's a little big for watch repair but does yeoman service in the railroad shop.

Thanks to member (Frnkeore) I can post the picture now. I don't know how old this Lodge & Shipley is but you can see the flat belt cones. I was intent on getting a picture of my helper Bob rather than the transmission electric motor drive. The lathe resides in the back shop of the Sumpter Valley Railroad near Baker City, Oregon.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by cas3

here's my big ol' lodge & shipley. it has no numbers on the dials, only hash marks. i was told that dates it to pre ww1. made for a line shaft but i built the "tower of power" i called it to mount the motor. it was a lot of work and really a failure of sort. something was out of balance on the upper shaft and the whole tower would wiggle a bit sometimes showing up in the part you were working on. included is a pic of my burned up grinder station. reason is, that is what the big lathe will become. i have in my new shop a metal chop saw, a radial arm saw, and a wood chop saw all mounted in a row in that order that when built all the back stops and table tops were all set perfectly square and level. as the years have passed, they have settled and moved so they no longer line up. plan is to mount them all on the bed of the lathe which will not move, with room left for a grinder station too. and lastly, my old shop, now known as "the bomb crater". this was an old car wash i got for taking it down. put it up and added on to it, all steel, even made a third truss to extend the length. spray foam insulated for minnesota winters. i had quite the shop for a young man in his 20's, but i was a go getter back then, not so much any more. i retired this spring, so my new job is to clean up this mess so i can move out of the frozen swamp

neat stuff. It'd be fun to save this one.

[50fordcoupeman]

Originally Posted by fordwife

How many speeds ahead of the cone pulley? I figure 28. 3x3x3 equals 27, plus any 2 put in reverse would give you a very slow forward speed. Are there more combinations?

Hmmmm........I think there are more like 48.

[TagMan]

Couple of pics of a small Brainerd horizontal mill (ca. 1905-1915) I had up to a few years ago when I donated it to the Transportation Museum in Rochester, NY. Someone in the past had nicely added a Model A transmission which was used as a speed changer. Worked quite well.

mill2 by TagMan, on Flickr
mill1 by TagMan, on Flickr
mill3 by TagMan, on Flickr

[NealinCA]

Originally Posted by TagMan

Couple of pics of a small Brainerd horizontal mill (ca. 1905-1915) I had up to a few years ago when I donated it to the Transportation Museum in Rochester, NY. Someone in the past had nicely added a Model A transmission which was used as a speed changer. Worked quite well.

That's one of the cleanest transmission conversions that I've seen on a machine tool. Looks like it belonged there.

Back to the lathe with 3 transmissions. Are those large brake drums that they used as bellhousing adapters on the second two transmissions?

[Mart]

Hi Neal, I wondered if they were brake drums but I can't figure how they got those bolts around the outside. Not sure.

mart.

[frnkeore]

cas3, the head stock and basic size and shape of the carriage looks like the Lodge that I had but, mine must have been newer. It had a actual hand wheel for the carriage not a crank and a quick change box for threading, as well as the tool room features.

D.Jones, send your pictures to [email protected] and I'll post them for you. I'd like to see it.

I have a antique Warner Swasey turret lathe. I think it comes from the early 1900's. I bought it at a auction. I was told that it has a Model A trans on it. It's a little unique and has the trans mounted under the bed. I'll take some pictures, this afternoon and post them.