A "New" Toy

[Anorak Bob]

One of the blokes I work with has the unenviable task of sorting through the possessions of his 92 year old father who has only recently entered a nursing home. His father was an architect in Sheffield and emigrated with his young family to Australia in 1957. Among his possessions was this tiny Super Adept lathe made by F W Portass also of Sheffield. My colleague, Chris, remembers his father using the lathe to make components for architectural models and also parts for a radio controlled model launch back before they left England. Chris asked me if I wanted the lathe and called around with the chuckless lathe and countershaft last weekend. I suggested that there may be some other bits and pieces worth saving from the Sulo bin if they hadn't already gone. On Tuesday he gave me a box of accessories and bunch of English PICADOR castings that form part of a pulley driven polishing, grinding, sawing and drilling setup.

Anyway here's the toy. The spindle is worn and will require replacement. Lubrication leant towards lean I reckon. Some of the accessories have not been used, the tool rest, steady and dogs. The tiny four jaw will require a touch up here and there to free things up.

I asked my wife to take a couple of photos to provide a sense of scale. Her camera with it's wider angle lens makes the Adept ( and my hands ) look twice its size. From the outboard end of the headstock to the end of the bed it is 11 inches or 280mm long.


BT

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[Stustoys]

Hi BT,
So either your knuckles drag on the ground when you walk or if I'm not mistaken that lathe would just about fit in a shoe box!

Whats the spindle bore Dia?
No attempt at graduation anywhere?

Thats going to come in handy one day and at least it wont take up much space until it does.

Stuart

[Anorak Bob]

0.375" Stu. Totally devoid of graduations. They started making the Super Adept in 1933. I guess the budding model engineers back then made do with a ruler and calipers and trial and error. Plenty of errors I guess.

What I like about the photo is how slim it makes me look. Ha Ha.

BT

[Corin]

That is a real beauty mate!

[Ueee]

Love it Bob!

But shouldn't you be cradling it in your arms and saying "Cooche cooche coo" ?

[RayG]

Hi BT,

Very cool, with something of that size and portability, you should be able to take it anywhere. Handy for all those small jobs around the house...

Tell me more about the radio control launch? what sort of radio gear would they have had in 1957?

I used a bang crash escapement system in the mid 60's and that was considered pretty flash, long before the days of pulse proportional servos and such..


Regards
Ray

[Anorak Bob]

Hi BT,

Very cool, with something of that size and portability, you should be able to take it anywhere. Handy for all those small jobs around the house...

Tell me more about the radio control launch? what sort of radio gear would they have had in 1957?

I used a bang crash escapement system in the mid 60's and that was considered pretty flash, long before the days of pulse proportional servos and such..


Regards
Ray

Chris remembers the glow of valves. They used the launch in a man made pond, one of a number that were created to dam water for use in the water powered mills back in the industrial revolution days. If the launch traveled beyond radio range, somehow ( I'm not an electronics person Ray) the steering mechanism defaulted to a full rudder starboard setting and as the launch turned circles they could haul it in with a tennis ball tied to the end of a length of string. Suggests the pond wasn't too wide. Here you'd just swim out to the launch. Maybe swimming in a pond in Sheffield wasn't an attraction. Maybe a bit too cold.

BT

[Steamwhisperer]

Fantastic Bob. I think your reputation as being a good home for engineering items must be well known.
I would have to put that one up on the mantlepiece for all my friends and relatives to drool over.

Phil

[crowie]

What a magnificent piece of history saved, well done.

[neksmerj]

BT,

How lucky are you, another item for the museum.

Are you going to give it the Hercus green paint treatment so it matches everything else?

Your new acquisition looks to be about the same size as my Unimat 3 lathe. Have had great fun with that.

Nice score.

Ken

[Anorak Bob]

BT,

How lucky are you, another item for the museum.

Are you going to give it the Hercus green paint treatment so it matches everything else?

Your new acquisition looks to be about the same size as my Unimat 3 lathe. Have had great fun with that.

Nice score.

Ken

Hey Ken,

Unlike RodM with his sea of blue, there is disparity colourwise in my shed. Amongst the junk and there is an over abundance of that, I have a blueish black Hercus 9, the green ARL, a pair of teal blue drills, the green/ porch paint blue Hercus mill, a grey Douglas and my pride and joy, the grey 13.

The Adept is adorned in its original paint and so it will remain.

The Adept is a bit shorter and far more scantily constructed than the Unimat 3. I had a 3, a 40 dollar purchase over here at Belmont Swap Meet about 12 years ago. Had the power feed attachment along with the taper turning slide. Sold it for 200 bucks soon after I bought my first Hercus.

BT

[Abratool]

Bob
A very nice collectable.
It deserves a special place, mounted on its own nice polished wooden table in a spot where visitors can stare & talk about it.
I think Phils idea of the mantelpiece also sounds good.
A great pece of history.
regards
Bruce