I have an idea how it may have connected bluechips, and it’s not how I previously thought. I don’t think it’s missing a lead screw, I don’t think it ever had one! It may have used the screw thread in the tool head!
Ok, look at the the photo in the first post of the entire lathe… to the right of the lowest jaw of the chuck there is a little rod sticking out (from the slide) with a hole in… I reckon you wind the axis that comes towards you (stood in front) almost to it’s limit, then I have an idea it may line up with that other rod with a hole in on the end of that shaft with the oilers - maybe there was no lead screw but just a rod between the two which would effectively drive it. You may have to bolt some sort of device (which there is in my box) to the tool holder bed to extend it back inwards, but that would work wouldn’t it? quite ingenious if it was. That would explain the feeling I had that it’s been made to fit from another old lathe.
Oh love yours btw! wow she’s a beauty!
Now I’ve had another thought! In my box there is a flexi shaft type affair with a chuck on one end, which I did wonder what it was for…. maybe one end fits on th oiler bit, and the chuck end goes on that bit sticking out!
A flexi shaft screwless screw feed !
Did some digging of my own and may have come up with some leads.
IMHO J. Lambercier & Cie is not the manufacturer of the lathe, but a trading company from Geneva. They used to buy/sell machinery equipment , and I assume their main thing was Swiss made machinery.
According to the Swiss, the city of Moutier is (or was) the Silicon Valley of lathe making. They even have a museum dedicated to lathe’s. The link refers to the English pages, but these are not (yet) on the same level as the French and German pages. Use Google translate.
About your specific questions: maybe they can give you some pointers in the right direction.
OK…… wow it’s great this place. I have basically brainstormed it with your help and found out how it works! Here is the missing link, literally!
As I suspected there is no lead screw this links those 2 parts like I suspected (but not the flexi shaft way lol). The left hand side had a locator hole that matches up perfectly and it fits that oiled shaft. Tomorrow is try out time!
Oh and thank you so much Henk4U2 that is fantastic, I’ll do some digging - I did previously find a mention in a pdf about printing and they did that or made machines for it. I will definitely contact them.
Thanks proto have that bookmarked for some time
Oh and Henk, can you read this, page 7 onwards it shows the factory. printing pdf
That could be the end of my lathe on page 13 in the middle!
I have emailed them and that museum you linked to, thanks again.
Now my head is thinking……. Rare Swiss lathe, rich country with many machine museums with this brand in particular mentioned (I think it has it’s own museum!), poor owner who wants a shiny new lathe…… and then I woke up lol!
