In the 1920s and '30, Watson Manufacturing Co. manufactured a small lathe for metal and wood working, and a small benchtop drill press. The drill is exceedingly uncommon and not too many of the rather cheaply-made lathes have survived. Watson also made small and inexpensive 4-jaw lathe chucks, and many more of those have survived. The chucks were, for a time, sold by Sears Roebuck.
Information Sources
- The lathes.co.uk site has a page on the Baby Grand Lathe made by this firm.
- The January 1922 Popular Mechanics has an ad for the Baby Grand lathe from Watson Mfg. Co.; this is the earliest ad for this company that we have found. The same ad appeared intermittently in Popular Mechanics until at least 1926.