how do you tell how old a wood lathe is?
I want to sell an old lathe in my garage but I need to find out how old it is, its mostly cast iron and is powered via a pulley system which indicates work in a water mill.
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Cut into it and count the rings.
Har de har har, Rick.
Look carefully all over the lathe for any kind of manufacturer’s mark or stamp. If you can find one, do some internet research to attempt to locate the company. If they’re still around, send them a photo of the lathe, and they should be able to date it for you.
Good luck!
if there is a patent number on it you can use it to find the date at the us patent site.
http://www.uspto.gov/
Belt driven lathes use a wide 4″ pulley with a camber to hold the belt. These went out of fashion over 90 years ago !
If you are selling it – just state makers name – size, throat – maximum between- centres size – and let the buyer do the researching.
If it can’t be plugged in – you may get a lower price for it.
Steam engine enthusiasts may be interested in belt driven machinery.