Photo Index - Egan Co. - Egan Co. Lathe

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Egan Co.
Cincinnati, OH

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Lathe, Wood
Machine Size:
Submitted By:	Randy Wilson

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Egan Co. Lathe
Date of Manufacturer:
Serial Number:
Last Updated	10/2/2003 12:00:00 AM

Comments:

I acquired this lathe around 1989 in it's original state, without the speed cone on the headstock. It was covered with heavy black machine paint. The party I bought it from had it advertised in our locate "trader" which is all classified adds. The owner at that time, Arthur Middaugh told me a number of folk had came out and looked at it but when they saw it was flat belt it scared them away. I ask Arthur before buying it about it's history. He advised me that he acquired it from a family owned Lumber yard and mill in Redkey Indiana. It seems he had bought a lot of material from this company while fixing up an old house. During his trips to the lumber yard he had noticed this lathe attached to a make shift bed of large framing stock attached to a wall. Odd and ends were piled on or about it. Finally Arthur ask the owner if they ever used the lathe. Now this conversation would have taken place in the late 1940's. The Lumber yard owner advised him that it had been sitting idle for about 30 years or so. And that he vaguely remembered his Grandfather turning a post or two on it when he was a lad. Eventually the lumber yard owner gave the lathe to Arthur but advised him he could take all the parts but not the bed as it was going to be made into a workbench. So Art got the headstock, tailstock, three tool rest (one very long), several nice faceplates and two big heavy tool rest holders.

Within a few years Art obtained employment in Indianapolis as a tool and die maker at the Allison div. of GM. Hence he had to relocate. He brought the lathe to Speedway Indiana and stored it up overhead in his small one car garage for about 35 years. It was his goal to make this a retirement project putting it together and turning a little.

I believe around the time he retired, unfortunately Arthur developed heart trouble and had to get a new value for his heart. His Doctor told him "no heavy lifting". So with that he put it up for sale and I bought it with all it's accessories and Arthur also threw in a 1hp. 3phase motor which was old but never had been used, all for two hundred dollars. I stripped the head stock with chemical stripper. Bead blasted some of the smaller parts. The babbitt bearing chambers are in excellent condition. I painted it with rustolem primer and bright red and hand painted the embellishments. In addition I had a few pieces chrome plated and added the two drip oilers on the headstock. Plus I turned down the end brass knob which is tied into the trust bearing, which is nothing more that a flat copper washer which spins in a little grease. Also I acquired a speed cone pulley for the head stock. The headstock as it is weighs 110lbs or so and the tailstock 62lbs.

Although it seems large the Egan company made about 4 or 5 lathes larger than this one. As soon as I add onto my garage I hope to set it up as I also have a countershaft assembly also. My bed will be made of two large walnut beams mounted on some old cast iron lathe legs from an old Porter Cable turret lathe. It is possible that this Egan lathe has been idle for 80 to 90 years or so. I was able to take it back and show it to Arthur after I did all the work on it. He was tickled to see it all nice and shinny. I dedicate this post to Arthur as he has since passed away a few years ago. Arthur was a very nice gentleman.

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