Why a Manual Machine Shop Needs a Turret Lathe

[@prvt8pyle]

This video inspired me to buy a ward no 7 capstan lathe. I bought it local the seller only wanted scrap money for it, I got it back to my shop installed it works great.

[@joelalleman9591]

that is a truly beautiful machine , overengineered , overdesigned , and built to last "lifetimes " when properly cared for !!!! Thanks for sharing this historical piece of craftsmanship designed and built by people motivated by an excellent spirit not by people motivated by the "love of money " !!!!!

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Yes we have all the tools you mentioned that are not required but we do not currently have a turret lathe. Thanks for sharing the details on how you use this machine

[@TopperMachineLLC]

When are you going to do machine shop video? I'd like to see what you have.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

@@TopperMachineLLC We will but not yet. At the moment our workshop is also our machine shop and a store for our working tractors and our filming area. It is not a good place to work but improvements are on the way

[@TopperMachineLLC]

@@GardenTractorBoy I completely understand. I look forward to seeing it. Eventually.

[@consciouscoma85]

i have worked on a mini brown &sharp turret lathe , screw machine .back in 1979

[@williampugh6699]

My first job in 1974 was in s machine shop with four turret lathes. They built and refurbished oil well pumps.

[@ptonfire1]

Appreciate u taking time out your WORK & life to help us out man,its greatly appreciated & needed. Yur a gentleman and a scholar.

[@bostedtap8399]

Many companies don't like them in their shops, just because they look old-fashioned, always have large horse power motors, designed for 24/7 operation. The Burnishing Box was a great feature on them. Thanks for sharing.

[@TopperMachineLLC]

I'd be lost without it. Just for roughing and miscellaneous stuff it's been a work horse.

[@bostedtap8399]

@@TopperMachineLLC Do you call them "Capstan Lathes" as well, or just Turret?. I think a "Capstan" has a collet chuck only, with auto rotation as soon as the collet is closed?. Here in the UK we have "Herbert" and "Ward" manufacters, still very popular, as you state a lot less than a centre lathe to purchase.

[@TopperMachineLLC]

@@bostedtap8399 just a turret lathe here. Very rare to hear capstan. These warner swasey machines could go either way, chuck or collet

[@bostedtap8399]

@@TopperMachineLLC Its more common to hear "Capstan" here, rather than "Turret", havent the faintest idea why. 🤔

[@grahamsengineering.2532]

@@bostedtap8399 did my time on a Ward No 7. Would love one now for repetitive work but alas no room.

[@edsmachine93]

I absolutely love a Warner Swasey turret lathe. If you have all of the attachments for the Turret you can do alot of work. I ran 3's, 2A's and 1A's. Worked for Sundstrand Aviation. Over 40 years ago. Ran bar machines and chuckers. You are absolutely correct Josh. Everyone needs one back in the shop somewhere. Drilling and tapping, turning. Heavy duty and big power and rigidity. Thanks for sharing. Take care, Ed.

[@Sweetchilliheat18]

That's funny, I ran the 4 A Mostly drilling 5.25" holes in aluminum Loved being able to feed turning the od & Id same time like on my vertical

[@ericjames5163]

Excellent work and perspectives. I love the utilization of the older tools and they can certainly be great helpers. Being able to setp away for a little bit as the machine works is a time multiplier. I have a 3 in 1 shop master bridgemill crammed into my tiny shop, but two years ago I got a tailstock turret and for small runs of bushings or spacers or threaded standoffs I am grateful to spin to the next tool and keep working. Little turret is fine for little things and my hobby of real-ing my dreams.

[@rajugeorge7771]

Really enjoyed the Machinst work

[@SpookyMcGhee]

My shop has five of these, all Warner & Swaseys. We've got three #3's and two #5's. Every single one is manned and churning out parts every single day. I run a #3. If not for our turret lathes the shop wouldn't be anywhere near as profitable as it is since a good 85% of our jobs end up in the manual department at one point or another during the machining process. So yeah, turret lathes are great for any shop that does production runs and has a manual department.

[@Sweetchilliheat18]

When I tell people what I do & they immediately ask if you run CNC I immediately know they have no fucking clue how talented manual machinists are & irreplaceable in the shop

[@howardhiggins9641]

OMG, a spade bit in a lathe. Never thought I'd ever see that.

[@staffordduecker665]

I've used spades in engine lathes, turret lathes, vertical boring mills, vtl's, and all kinds of milling machines...

[@davidlawrence8085]

I am with Topper on the value of a turret lathe in the shop. The carriage feed knockoffs and rotary carriage stops are so superior to most engine lathes. play to its strengths , do on it what it does well, and its a Godsend. Turret lathe in the shop ? yeah thats great but no room....they also live well outside under a tarp just fine if it it has to be that way. i wipe water resistant grease from auto zone all over the bed ....very much worth the hassle

[@thatguy7573]

I just picked up an old herbert number 7 turret lathe, deffinitly interested in any information you have running these machines, especially turret setup, old owner was just running a solid tailstock through it and didn't have any holders or anything spare. Very excited to get it up and running to its full potential

[@schanerdesigns]

Awesome video! Seems like the perfect machine for a small shop. Can you do single point threading on this machine? I've seen some geometric threading dies used on similar machines, but I'm having a hard time learning much else about threading on them. I'm interested in getting a smaller turret lathe for my shop, just trying to better understand capabilities and limitations. Thanks!

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

Hi Josh . Your lathe is a Capstan Lathe . Good machines , i have just done a deal on a 2D Herbert turret lathe . Having operated Capstan & Turret lathes , I think a turret lathe is of more use in a job shop as the turret runs on the main ways & less mucking around to set up for one off jobs . Cheers .

[@37yearsofanythingisenough39]

Actually this is an example of a ram type turret lathe, not a capstan. A capstan lathe has a round turret, not a hexagonal one.

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

@@37yearsofanythingisenough39 Hi Mate . I am guessing you are from USA , so your terminology may be a different from ours . Our terminology comes from British decent . Our version of a turret lathe , the turret carriage runs on the same ways as the saddle & the capstan lathe has a separate set of ways for the capstan turret to run on . I might do some investigation on the round turret style as i have never come across one . Cheers .

[@bigbattenberg]

I went to look at a Ward 2A (1942) today. Very unique machine and a good survivor, with even all Dutch tags on the controls, original booklets, etc. But it took heavy damage from moving it out of a shed. They said they 'bumped into things' but the broken off handles and bent levers to me point to it having tipped over and fell on its front side. Likely used a pallet truck lengthwise and slipped off. Too bad - it might have been worth saving without the damage. Worse still because I have all the equipment to do a proper job. Unfortunately the vast majority of damage happens when machines get moved.

[@DavidHerscher]

I missed out on a W&S turret lathe just recently because it came with several other pieces of equipment that i didn’t have room for at the moment. It was a crazy deal. I regret not taking it. Like, i have been losing sleep over my short sighted laziness, because essentially that’s what it was. I just didn’t feel like dealing with it at the moment.

[@TopperMachineLLC]

I feel your pain. Been there myself on some stuff. One was a piece of equipment that I just didn't have the money for at the time it was available. I regretted that decision for years. It sold to a friend of mine, and after 7 years of bugging him, he finally decided to sell it to me. Now its stuck at his place and with all the snow, it will be July before I can move it.

[@rajugeorge7771]

Good job sir

[@stevemarschman3202]

Thanks for this video. I recently purchased my first "big lathe," a Clausing 5914 that came with a standard tailstock and a turret tailstock. I've been wondering what I would do with the turret, know I know a bit more.

[@TopperMachineLLC]

The turret is one of the greatest accessories to a lathe.

[@Chiefs1582]

Just was taught how to use the shops Warner Swazey 3a have done any manual work before only cnc and I like it better.

[@TopperMachineLLC]

Learn manual and you will never go hungry. There is so much work for a true manual machinist that it's scary.

[@Chiefs1582]

That's my plan

[@nickking8317]

As the old saying goes a machinist knows and learns to compensate

[@feynthefallen]

1:53 Houston, this it tower, we have liftoff!

[@FrustratedBaboon]

I wish I had a warehouse to buy one and use it for making anything.

[@miguelcastaneda7257]

If really want to go all out get a hand screw...they come in two sizes og and 2g it's a brown and sharp screw machine head with a turrent..some have power feed but most manual

[@TopperMachineLLC]

I actually own a 00G B&S. It's last job was 10k of each screw on the 1894 Winchester rifles.

[@miguelcastaneda7257]

@TopperMachineLLC things will run forever..be sure when in use oil up properly...not just because their full of oil

[@TopperMachineLLC]

@@miguelcastaneda7257 it's no longer in use and will be donated to a museum eventually

[@franciscoflores7911]

I have a question regarding the coolant/cutting fluid. Where does it go after it flows off the part, does it recirculate or is it a one time use?

[@iancraig1951]

The english put revolving turrets in their tail stocks--6 or more positions on the turret doing production work--it works well and you do not need a dedicated turret lathe..I have made one, its easy and it works

[@GameLab_Studio]

Every second counts 😂....cool video.....

[@devmeistersuperprecision4155]

I have been looking for a #3 Warner swassey. What coolant are you using? Any issues with the clutch?

[@TopperMachineLLC]

I run a soluable oil, but a regular cutting oil would actually be better. No issues with the clutches. It is a multi-disc setup, and easily adjusted. I no longer have the lathe, had to sell to make room for a new one. When it comes to clutches, I will never own a lathe that does not have a clutch. They are a far superior machine to the ones that start and stop the motor.

[@EngineersWorkshop]

Think I'll wait until Doozer buys a second or third turret lathe then buy one of his..!

[@kooldoozer]

Oh man, you got me profiled !

[@EngineersWorkshop]

@@kooldoozer Buy your next one with me in mind. Josh's is a nice size 😁

[@ridemgis]

Crank up the feed rate!

[@TopperMachineLLC]

It was getting dull at this point in the job and I wasn't changing inserts for one more part. But, yes, I usually feed way harder.

[@craigtate5930]

How many horse power is this bad boy? I have recently started to consider going up to 5hp on my hendey from 2hp

[@TopperMachineLLC]

I think I put a 5HP in it. But that was 10 years ago and I don't remember.

[@hawaii3100]

"still makes money " enough said.

[@TopperMachineLLC]

That is the secret to success

[@staffordduecker665]

I have never pre drilled for a spade, too slow and doesn't do anything for tool life. Spades like to eat!

[@TopperMachineLLC]

My spade was actually dull and was the last one I had. Had to get thru the job so predrilling was the best option.