Sheldon Machine Co., Inc. manufactured metal-working lathes and accessories.
In 1910, it was announced that "The Carlson Machine Co., 619 West Washington Boulevard, Chicago, has increased its capitalization from $5000 to $15,000 and changed its name to the Sheldon Machine Co."
In 1944, Sheldon Machine Co., Inc. acquired the Vernon line of machine tools from Machinery Manufacturing Co.
A 1949 Popular Science publication listed their address as 4266 N. Knox Ave., Chicago 41, Illinois.
In 1953, "Cincinnati Metalcrafts, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, announces the sale of its Sebastian Lathe Division [Sebastian Lathe Co.] to the Sheldon Machine Co., Chicago, Ill. All manufacturing operations are being moved to the Chicago plant of the Sheldon Machine Co." These were sold as "Sheldon-built Sebastian lathes."
According to Tony Griffith's Lathe web site, some Sheldon lathes were modified and sold by Lempco Products, Inc.; Sheldon made these lathes with the Lemco name cast into them.
Information Sources
- Industry Week, V63, 14 Nov 1918, pg. 1148
- Iron Age, Vol. 154, 1944, Page 110, Google Books snippet view
- Machinery, Vol. 59, 1953, Pg. 140, Google Books snippet view
- From a Hobby-Machinist.com forum discussion:
...I have the Serial Number Reference Book 9th edition... [For Sheldon Machine Co., the] book lists Tool Room Lathes and Sebastian Lathes. The Sebastian were built from 1936 thru 1946, the year the Sebastian Division was phased out. All listed Sebastian used a 6 digit serial #. Book notes that some Sebastian parts are still available (as of 1983 when this book was printed).
The Tool Room Lathes are listed as series "R". The first year of production is shown as 1945 w/ ser.# beginning w/ 0680; in 1952 the ser.# began w/ 11008, in 1955 began ser.#16955. Serial # 22568 started the production for 1956. In 1962 the serial #'s began with 25700.
Note: All listed Sheldon & Sebastian serial numbers do not show any letter prefix or suffix...