Photo Index - Peter A. Frasse & Co. - Foot powered lathe

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Peter A. Frasse & Co.
New York, NY

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Lathe, Wood
Machine Size:	8 in swing x 16 between centers
Submitted By:	Ed Hobbs

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Foot powered lathe
Date of Manufacturer:	around 1885 or so
Serial Number:	None
Last Updated	11/26/2018 4:20:45 PM

Comments:

According to their ads, Frasse & Company were "Proprietors of the Leader and Briggs Lathes." The one pictured here had a broken treadle which I had cast from the original that was filled in with wood and Bondo. In addition the lathe was missing the tailstock. Fortunately I was able to find another complete lathe after many years of looking (no foot powered parts) and get a tailstock I could use. The wood table was also in bad shape so it was replaced with a new one and a new leather belt was made and installed along with repainting the full lathe back to the original black. It is a very nice, easy running lathe and comes apart easily to transport. While this one did not come with a compound, compounds could be ordered that could be used for some basic metal turning. Hope to get a video done and posted on my website www.footpoweredmachinery.com in the near future.

Another version of this lathe is marked with the Frasse name that I will post shortly. It is the same size and same legs except it does not have "The Leader" cast in it and has "V" ways and a slightly different style headstock. From my limited research to date, think these could have been made by Baldwin as it looks like their Babbit line.

There is a video on YouTube of The Leader Lathe running. Would love to hear from anyone who knows more about or has one of these or perhaps a complete Briggs #1 lathe.

Photo 1:

Comments: Treadle and legs before restoring. Rusty treadle to left was the newly cast one.
Source: My camera

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Photo 2:

Comments: Second lathe i found that provided the tailstock.
Source: My camera

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Photo 3:

Comments: Restored lathe with turning in process
Source: my camera

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Photo 4:

Comments: Closeup of The Leader name in bed
Source: my camera

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Photo 5:

Comments: Original broken treadle
Source: my camera

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Photo 6:

Comments: Closeup of treadle and drive arm
Source: my camera

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