Photo Index - Oliver Machinery Co. - No. 20-B w/12" bed

Machinery Photo Index

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

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Lathe, Wood
Machine Size:	22/24" swing
Submitted By:	Jeff McVey

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	No. 20-B w/12" bed
Date of Manufacturer:	1912
Serial Number:	8980 (View SN Registry Entry)
Last Updated	12/5/2008 6:55:31 PM

Comments:

Owner Bill Adams comments: I bought an Oliver 20C lathe off eBay a few weeks ago. I trailered it from Saint Louis to Denver and had it up and running in 3 days. It has the original motor (3 phase), bearings, and much of the original tooling. Someone added a 2" thick solid aluminum spacer to the head and tailstock to increase its swing from 20" to 24" It is the 20-B model with 108" between centers. For my work I build architectural items and have mounted a router on the carriage to quickly rough out long columns and do fluting, etc. For fun I will turn bowls and other projects.

Per the digital readout on the crane that picked it up it weighed 2360lbs without the tailstock and with the legs removed from the tailstock end. My guess is about 2700lbs total, not including the floor stand, banjo and tool rests, and all the face plates. I trailered it on a small 8' single axel trailer with the bed hanging 4' out the back, not recommended! I used a chain hoist to lift it off the trailer and used my pipe clamp pipes and an automotive floor jack to roll it into position in my shop. With a 24" swing inboard I don’t plan on turning anything on the outboard end and so I jammed it into a corner. My shop isn't that big.

I have spent a lot of time reading up on people who have modernized their machines with sealed bearings, new motors etc. I have decided to leave everything as stock as possible, at least for now or until something breaks. It took about 6 sheets of scotchbrite and as many cans of WD-40 but everything is now clean and moves effortlessly. The tolerances and fit are amazing. I am not going to detail this machine; I like the multitude of tool marks and dings that took 96 years to create.

After cleaning and oiling I let it run for 2 hours and checked for "hot bearings" every 10 minutes or so. The outer headstock bearing didn't use as much oil as the inner one and was a little warmer so I re-cleaned and blew everything out and now both bearings use about the same amount of oil and run luke-warm after 20-30 minutes constant use. I am using SAE 30 non detergent oil. I am looking for bigger drip oilers. The existing ones hold about 1/4oz. each and need to be refilled every 25-30 minutes. Yes it does spray a small amount of oil out of the bearings but I have plenty of sawdust to soak it up and from what I've read there is no substitute for the load carrying ability of the old Babbitt bearings.

It has a #4 MT at each end but came with 4/2 reducers so that modern centers work fine. I have also ordered an adaptor to convert the 1 3/4" X 6 inboard threads to 1 1/4" X 8 so that I can use a standard Vicmark bowl chuck on it. The outboard threads are 2 1/4" X 6.

I have a 15hp phase converter that is rated to supply 8hp in 3 phase for my 32" band saw. I don't know the hp of the lathe motor but I hooked it up and it runs great. I have no idea of the turning RPM's. The slowest speed looks to be in the 300-400 range but it would be nice to know for sure. It was supplied with a Western Electric Co. 405v motor per the original invoice but I can't find a motor plate.

It has a single 4 step cone on the headstock and motor. The outboard end of the cone on the motor has a Babbitt bearing with a grease fitting that ran very hot. I took it apart and cleaned and re-greased it but I still have to leave the bolts that hold it together hand-tight or it drags and gets warm. Since the load is up it doesn't seem to be a problem but this will probably be my first try at pouring a new bearing at some future date. I thought the motor bearings were wrecked at first because there was what looked like an oversize washer that was loose and occasionally spun and wobbled. After some study I discovered that they are ring bearings and the loose ring picks up oil from a reservoir and carries it up into the bearings.

Overall, I got into this deal because I had a job that required a bunch of 6' columns. My original search was for any lathe that had the capacity I needed and I originally bought an Oliver 51E that was destroyed by FedEx in shipment. A quick check on eBay turned up this 20-B and I bought it immediately. It wasn't until after I had purchased the Oliver that I discovered what an incredible machine it was and that thier was an entire community of people dedicated to preserving and using these old machines. I hadn't planned on a crash course in bearings, leather belts, and more bearings but it has all been worth it.

With luck it will outlast me and be used by the next generation of turners. (And I hope to be dead and buried so that someone else has to move it!)

Bill Adams

Photo 1:

Comments: No. 20-B
Source: Owner Bill Adams

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