Photo Index - Oliver Machinery Co. - Oliver 20C Pattern Lathe

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Manufactured/Badged by:
Oliver Machinery Co.
Grand Rapids, MI

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Lathe, Wood
Machine Size:	24" over bed, 20"over carriage,106" c-to-c
Submitted By:	Brian Weick

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Oliver 20C Pattern Lathe
Date of Manufacturer:	1909
Serial Number:	#890 (View SN Registry Entry)
Last Updated	11/1/2007 7:41:23 PM

Comments:

UP DATE: I acquired this lathe from RIT in Rochester NY, February 20, 2006. Got it off of Ebay- won the lathe with 2 seconds to go-whew! It weighs approximately 4500lbs. The carriage works flawlessly and everything on this lathe is in very good shape! Jarred, from RIT, was in charge of the lathe and was extremely helpful with everything-great guy! I would definitely like to get more information about this lathe if anyone has any - please e-mail me! The only thing I don't have, that didn't come with the lathe, is the tool post cutter- not the post itself, but the cutter that you use to cut the material. Looking for that? UPDATE: found several cutting tools that work very well and can design my own as well. I want to convert/purchase ball bearing headstock for this lathe- The Babbitt bearings are good, but tend to get a little hot and I would like to remove the noisy "drive all" and put a stepped cone pulley assembly bellow mounted on a separate shaft;UPDATE~ The drive all was completely refurbished and is working like a charm now, the 4th gear is still a little noisy but that is normal after consulting Allen Fredrick. I have updated the pulley system to an SK dbl belt drive and added a Yaskawa 7hp VFD with all the bells and whistles. I am looking for a headstock with ball bearing/thrust assembly to replace the Babbitt headstock.
UPDATED:
After talking with this man I have decided to go with modernizing the headstock. I am working with Allen Frederick, he owns a generational machine shop, The Company is "Frederic's Machinery" His father started the company way back in the early 1940's, and Allen took over the shop back in the 70's I think. His father used to work on the old Oliver wood working machinery ~ all of them, saws, mills, planners, boring machines/band saws, etc, etc, , including the large lathes. #18/#20 ~ A, B,C, D built back in the early 1900's and probably some other's I am forgetting. I wanted to work with him because of his familiarity with these old lathes. I was at 7 different machinist shops and 3 didn't want to touch it, 2 told me to lop the ears off and go with pillow block, and one that didn't comprehend what I was tiring to explain to him- he just kept saying -"there Babbitt bearings" yea- no kidding, he was a little touched in the head that one. Then I talked with a large Machinery equipment owner- "O'Connell Machinery" and referred me to Allen. He even stopped over my shop to see the lathe, I explained what I wanted down to the code# and brand on the bearings, I just needed to know if it was a feasible- I am not a machinist, I am a Wood craftsman, so he took the measurements, and there will be no "milling off the Babbitt housing" , I was considering milling the "ears-(Babbitt housing) but after doing some research I found that I can use a totally sealed bearing (used for large electric motors) for the spindle shaft (4-total) 2 for the inboard side and 2 for the outboard side. The Headstock is there know (with the tail stock-for alignment purposes) being bored out on a horizontal milling machine-. The Babbitt housing is being bored out to 3.167 to accept the outside diameter of the new sealed bearings. The shaft is being shaved down a hair over 1/8" approximately from 2.250 to 1.9867 to accept the inside diameter of the new bearings, maximum speed allowance, 5400 rpm, static load capacity 1400 lbs per bearing giving me a total static load (down force) of 5,600. I don't think there will be any problems with whatever will fit on her. There are also 2 concealed thrust bearings with a lateral force maximum load of 1400 lbs in both directions. I have completely stripped the lathe down, (headstock/tail stock ~ at the machinist, carriage ~ everything disassembled, Carriage race (front side of bed) removed /legs removed /motor removed/transmission box removed/motor and transmission bed removed) Everything is being stripped down to bare cast iron. All the parts are being stripped and cleaned as well. There were 3 coats of paint, including the primer, first color was a very light green, the second a deep, navy blue, and that was it. The Stripeez 15 min solution made shredded wheat out of the paint, the primer was a little more difficult, but it did come off- just a little gummy- I think it was a lead base paint, considering when the lathe was made. The legs on the feet and the upper portion rim are being ground smooth/ sanded (4 stages 60,100/180/220) and then grey Buffing rouge applied. Same process on the bottom rim lip of the bed. The top of the bed ways have been sanded in a 6 stage process- starting with 100,150,180,220,300,and ending with 400 grit and then a final rouge buff (grey stick) ~ Hunter green is going to be the color with Yellow highlight for "The Oliver" name tag on the end of the legs/the tail stock ,and the headstock. I am also redoing the drive assembly bed- different design ~ everything will be in line with the spindle headstock from top to bottom. The setup will be like the later model (release lever for belt change); this will be set up for both the transmission and the motor. I am definitely keeping the transmission box-(after consulting Allen)very smooth setup and incredibly strong. When this is completed ~ if you were to look at the lathe from the top view only, the headstock side, you will see the spindle w/dbl pulley, write below that the transmission box and directly under that, the motor, turned opposite to hook up to the inlet shaft of the transmission. The belt drive from the motor to the transmission will be a S&K 3 step pulley to get even more options as far as speed, even though I have a Yaskawa VFD , I don't want to strain, or over work any mechanics ~ electrical or mechanical, on the lathe. The inside of the lathe bed is being cleaned as well. This was the only area that never saw a drop of paint since it was produced back in the 1900's. Just some minor surface rust, very little and naked cast iron. This is the first stage of modernizing this beautiful lathe. The next setup is to have the carriage linked up to the headstock spindle so I can make a twisted rope on columns or whatever is desired for that project. It is coming back with a 360 degree index plate mounted write in the spindle and will lock into the lathe bed in 5 degree increments, so I can do flutes and be creative with the router attachment to the carriage. It is an awful lot of work- let me tell you, just dirty and grimy ~ that's the only thing I don't like- I'll have to clean my whole shop, then it's time for that project a paint job - it never stops. My thought was that for those of you that are thinking about refurbishing you're lathes and modernizing it up to todays technology will be able to get some ideas from my project and some information about retrofitting an older Lathe with a lot of potential.
Happy turning,
Brian
UPDATE: most of the lathe is complete ~ waiting for the parts from Fredric's and then I will do the same refurbishment with them.

Update: finally completed- received my parts last week and the Headstock and tail stock were finished August 27th for the final job completion.

Update : Completed the Router carriage plate assembly -(picture removed) works like a charm.
End shot of lathe- working on retrofitting the carriage and spindle with step-motors and cnc programing for helical turnings.

Photo 1:

Comments: the original Oliver 20C lathe RIT
Source: digital camara

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Photo 2:

Comments: End view of Oliver 20C
Source: Z712 IS Digital camara

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Photo 3:

Comments: Full view
Source: Z712 IS digital camara

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