This is an old American lathe dating from before the Second World War. I am not sure of the exact date of manufacture. It's possible that the lathe came to the UK for use by the army (perhaps as early as the First World War?) as some of the lathe was originally painted a rather military matt khaki colour. More information on the specification and history of Dalton lathes is available. American lathes are sized by the fulll Diameter of the swing, in this case 7 inches, whereas in the UK lathes are sized by the Radius of the swing, in this case 3.5 inches.
The lathe has seen a lot of use in its time and there's a lot of wear to the controls and signs of various abuse over the years. I'd guess that the lathe was used (and abused) by its operators and patched up by the toolroom, as for every sign of misuse there is a corresponding careful repair. I cleaned the muck and old paint from the lathe and applied a coat of black paint which improved its appearance, but I have not carried out any mechanical repairs or refurbishment. Visit my photographic history showing the cleaning process and the condition of the lathe.
The lathe came compete with:
below are some general pictures of the lathe.
Side view of lathe.
Side view of lathe and stand.
Rear view of headstock.
Countershaft and various accessories, change wheels, etc.
Close up view of fixed steady.
