Small Gamage Lathe - Know them at all ?

[grizz]

Mainly because I know some of you like older tools and restore stuff, I thought I would post up this oddity.....

I ended up trading some stuff for this little lathe from Luke (His real name to protect him and other parties ;D ) Thanks a mil mate. Trust you are happy with your "stuff"

He was under the impression it was a small homebuilt woodworking lathe.

It has a 3 jaw chuck, no chuck key, no drill chuck at the other end, and there is only one tool in the tool rest, there seems to be bits missing from the adjustment wheels as well.

I still need to clean it up and check it all out to see what is missing.

The motor is 1/4 hp, and it runs beautifully.







Gamage..... anyone know the brand??





Well, just done some second line Google research and found this.....

Taken from www.lathes.co.uk/gamages

GAMAGE Lathes
Department & Mail-order Store, London
Gamage were a department store in London who also ran a widely-advertised and successful general mail-order business; they flourished until the early 1960s, when their advertisements gradually petered out. Their catalog listed a wide range of appealing items, amongst which were a number of small lathes, some made Portass in Sheffield, others by the London firm of Ross and Alexander (who also marketed their lathe using the "Randa" brand) and early versions of the Myford ML1 and ML2.
The Portass version, illustrated below, was based on the Company's Model S and advertised in the mid 1950s as being available in two centre heights of 3 and 35/8", each with a between-centres capacity of 12.5". The lathe was supplied complete with 10 changewheels, a catchplate and a threaded but rough-finished spare backplate. There was no mention in the advertisements of either a countershaft or motor, and these would, no doubt, have added a considerable amount to the advertised price of £27 : 19 : 6d. A smaller Portass lathe, also badged "Gamages", was based on one of the early Portass models, and also sold with ZYTO markings - an article explaining the origins and development of early Portass lathes can be found here. Although Portass, Ross & Alexander and Myford are known suppliers it is believed that other makes were also re-branded and, should you have a Gamage lathe of any type, or any literature advertising Gamage lathes, the writer would appreciate hearing from you.







This, the smallest Gamage lathe yet found, was almost certainly a simplified version of the 2.5-inch centre height Portass made from 1927 onwards. Also badged as a Zyto (in a backgeared and screwcutting form) it was also sold - in an identical form - marked as the plain-turning "Junior", though if this version was sold by Portass, or a third-party tool dealer, is not known. Another version, badged Portass, was rather better equipped with a full compound slide rest and a leadscrew supported in bearings at both ends. The Gamages, built down to the lowest price possible, made do with a swivelling top slide and an overhung leadscrew held at the tailstock end only. The tailstock could not be set over, though on one of the Portass versions it could.
The model shown here has non-original and larger V-pulleys in place of either the narrow flat or V-type designed to take a round leather rope.




More info on the site linked above.


Any further info appreciated.

[bobhav]

Rian,

Years ago, I had some bound reprints of a British magizine, The Model Engineer. The reprints were of the late 19th century and early twentith century. There were many advertisements for small lathes similar to that design. That is a very nice looking modeller's lathe. In that era, lathes that did not have single point threading ability were common. I have owned several treadle lathes over the years. Thank you for posting the little fellow, it brought a smile to my face.

BobH.

[grizz]

Rian,

Years ago, I had some bound reprints of a British magizine, The Model Engineer. The reprints were of the late 19th century and early twentith century. There were many advertisements for small lathes similar to that design. That is a very nice looking modeller's lathe. In that era, lathes that did not have single point threading ability were common. I have owned several treadle lathes over the years. Thank you for posting the little fellow, it brought a smile to my face.

BobH.

And that, is often the intent of my posts.... putting a smile on faces.

[Bogo]

When I first read the title I read it as Small Garage Lathe, and wondered why somebody would want to make a garage on a lathe. Then I remembered the vertical lathe/mill at a place I used to work. It could easily have fit a small garage on it. It was originally used to make the large turret bases for battle ships and other large naval ships. When I worked there they were just turning 5" deck gun bases on it, and they looked so small on it. Barely 1/3rd the diameter of the rotating mounting plate. Physical transport of the larger turrets to ship yards wasn't feasible anymore. A completed turret for a nearly fully automated 5" deck gun, could easily be transported on a low-boy semi trailer. For a number of years I'd seen the completely tarped over loads on the interstate and wondered what they were, then I saw one of them being loaded inside the plant and knew. Here is the gun they were making: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5%22/54_caliber_Mark_45_gun and a firing shot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:5-54-Mark-45-firing_edit.jpg