|
|
| LeBlond 31" x 25' lathe |
|
|
| LeBlond 31" x 25' lathe |
|
|
| LeBlond 31" x 25' lathe |
|
|
| LeBlond 31" x 25' lathe |
|
|
| Apron |
|
|
| Lead Screw |
|
|
| 5 steady rests |
|
|
| LeBlond Compound |
|
|
| LeBlond Bed |
|
|
| The Gear Head |
|
| LeBlond Gear Train |
Presented here is one that got away. This is a rather remarkable example of a Leblond Gear head lathe which has been around for a while. The Headstock has 27" cast on it, but is blocked up with a 2" block giving it additional swing. It measures around 32" of swing. the chuck shown is a 28" diameter chuck. That lathe is powered by a 20 HP 3 phase motor.
Spindle speeds of 8 to 300 RPM are provided. The lead screw is of a 1 thread per inch design and as you can see from the photo is not a classic Acme. The spindle on the land appears to be 4.25" with a 3 TPI thread. I found this beauty at auction, and while she was interesting, at the time I had purchased another large lathe only a few weeks before, and it frankly would not fit in my shop, so this lathe has moved on to a hopefully happy home elsewhere.
This lathe is thought to be fairly old, but somethings appeared not so old, as the zerk fitting in the gear train on the head stock. Similarly, the 20 HP 3 phase motor was in a modern frame. The flip lid on the side of the gear head for an oil level and filler is quaint by todays standards though, and contains an admonition to use quality machine oil.