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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
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    71
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    6,458

    Default Weilers on display.

    Again from the Deutsches Museum, Munich. Unfortunately I did not photograph the little placards which amongst other things state the date of manufacture. I imagine 50's.

    These machines are still used. When I returned for my second day at the museum, the centre lathe was being used by one of the museum staff members. The lathe is equipped with a variable speed drive. Looking at Tony's lathe site reveals a section through the drive that looks very similar to the variateur in my mill.

    Like most of this gear, you can look at photos till the cows come home. Greg Q had mentioned Weilers in the past and I looked at the photos I could find on the net. They looked okay, a bit like a number of similar euro lathes. In the flesh the lathe exudes quality. Turning the compound handle did the trick. I'd have one in a flash.

    Capstan first.

    BT

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
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    6,458

    Default LZ...maybe

    The saddle was locked in place preventing me from moving the tailstock and possibly revealing the date of manufacture. That's the core of a Multifix toopost left stranded on the compound.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    The Fabulous Gold-plated Coast.
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    69
    Posts
    2,251

    Default

    Yeah, me too. The LZ280 is probably the earliest one that I'd covet, followed by the LZ330 which became the Matador and Condor respectively once they abandoned the number scheme in favour of names and a more modern, squared-off look (although still delightfully dimensioned and radiused).

    Like all the Euro machines though, they contain expensive surprises for the unwary buyer: cripplingly expensive clutches and other drive components. The later Weilers have a speed preselection mechanism allowing spindle speed shifting on the fly...a neat, expensive and now outmoded feature rendered moot by the advent of cheap, reliable VFDs. The rest of the features are nifty as hell though...only one (debatable) notch below the Schaublin 125/135 lathes in terms of overall grooviness (The Schaublins have that quick-retracting cross slide and hidden feed screw; beyond that they are just another garden variety Swiss- built ultra precision toolroom lathe as seen in every physics lab and secret nuclear facility you've ever dragged the kids through on open day.)

    GQ
    White lab coar owner. Fresh from the cleaner's
    It's all part of the service here at The House of Pain™

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Lower Lakes SA
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    58
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    2,607

    Default

    That overhead doover had me flummoxed. Is that a normal thing? I confess ignorance of capstan/turret lathes. I didn't get the spring, until I saw the fine thread and the half-nut. Ingenious.

    I'm having mixed feelings about this museum. I guess it's good to preserve examples of quality machines from a (barely) bygone era. But at the same time it's a bit sad to see really nice machines, still very useful, in limbo. Seeing the tooling kind of brings it home.

    Anyway, thanks for posting the pics Bob.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Lara, Vic, Oz
    Posts
    46

    Default

    Nice to find fellow afficianados of the Weiler lathes. Absolute beauties to operate. I am fortunate enough to have an LZ330 preselector (and an old friend has an LZ 280 variator - note Tony's brilliant website gets the nomenclature mixed up - the VS is the preselector box, not variable speed). Mine has the DIN 55 022 spindle, which makes it a bit harder to find backplates compared to the Camlock, but perhaps is more compact, and certainly easier to make. I brought mine over with me 5 years ago from the UK, but sadly do not have 3 phase (or even decent single phase capacity) in my workshop so she has sat in the corner waiting for me to get round to sorting sufficient solar (3kW!! Vic, hah!), diesel genny or direct drive (motorbike motor?? now there's a way to incorporate a clutch!) to get her productive again. Kick to get me reinvestigating options..... She used to complement a Town Woodhouse (aka Woodhouse Mitchell) 7" Junior in my old shop.

    If anyone finds one of these Weilers for sale. I'd say snap it up without hesitation . I'd not categorise it in same bin as a Leinen or Schaublin, being somewhat larger capcity and footprint, but is IMHO up there in touch and usage, and would put it close to my other oddball favourite, the Hembrug A1 (gorgeous lathe that makes a Hardinge feel crude!). Rare as tho.

    Keep up with the photos Bob, we appreciate them!

    Cheers
    Si

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bryan View Post
    That overhead doover had me flummoxed. Is that a normal thing? I confess ignorance of capstan/turret lathes. I didn't get the spring, until I saw the fine thread and the half-nut. Ingenious.

    I'm having mixed feelings about this museum. I guess it's good to preserve examples of quality machines from a (barely) bygone era. But at the same time it's a bit sad to see really nice machines, still very useful, in limbo. Seeing the tooling kind of brings it home.

    Anyway, thanks for posting the pics Bob.
    Bryan,

    I understand your comments regarding machines just itching to be used.

    If it wasn't for the foresight of some we would not be able to gaze in wonder at the creativity and ingeniousness of mankind.

    A sampling of other preserved delights.

    BT

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