Printable View
Manson 9" mini lathe.
Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...e_fullsize.jpg
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...mini_lathe.jpg
Previously:
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...424#post131597
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...336#post135181
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...2579#post96643
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...704#post133083
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...131#post138215
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...772#post136879
Surprisingly, it was built right here in Los Angeles.
The real question is why it was built. It's not particularly useful as a jeweler's lathe. Rather it's a working model of a machinist's lathe. As such, its one inch swing and three inches between centers is too small for most work. Even a Unimat can take bigger work than that. I've never heard of a model builder using one of these. Where was the market back in 1946 for such a device? The original cost was around $50 and that was a lot of money in 1946.
Despite all that, most machinists, including me, would like to have one, if for nothing more than a desktop ornament.
Probably a salesman sample. Sweet little machine. I'm the right market it might sell for as much as the full size machine.