REGISTER OF EVANS LATHES

Transcription

1 REGISTER OF EVANS LATHES Un-numbered The 5 Common headstock casting is engraved EVANS & SON and has, unusually, an iron division plate (possibly a replacement as it is not engraved with the maker s name, address & serial number). The mandrel nose is threaded 1 x 8 t.p.i., a pitch used on later lathes. The tailstock has a handwheel which, if original equipment, is typical of John Evans work. Un-numbered 5 Common headstock - no other details known No. 167 or 467 Tailstock only. Has a winch handle. The number is indistinct. No. 388 No.388 6½ plain lathe on double mahogany frame, metal turning slide-rest; bought in 2002 from a used tool dealer by a member of the Society of Ornamental Turners. 7

2 No. 421 Owned by a UK member of the Society. No.421 Parts before cleaning. 8

3 No. 692 or 694 Engineer s lathe with full-length leadscrew. Owned by a UK member. No. 692 or 694 9

4 No.696 or possibly no details given. No.696 (or 969) No.698 Sold at Christies in 1990 to a UK member of the Society, this is the only known triangular bed lathe by Evans. Documentation from a previous owner indicates it might have been made either in1809 (highly unlikely as Evans was not established until 1810) or, in1814 or, in1820 and that it might have been owned by Boulton & Watt s foundry in Soho (again unlikely, as this is a gentleman s, not an engineer s lathe). The triangular bed, somewhat similar to Maudslay s, has the advantage that it may be slid away from the headstock to provide either, extra length or, a gap with a 24 swing. No. 896 A protractor signed J Evans Maker 104,Wardour Street, Soho. No. 957 Sold at Bonhams in 1995 to an American ex-member. No. 969 owned by a UK member of S.O.T. No. 982 The previous owner was interviewed for the Antiques Roadshow but the interview was not broadcast. Subsequently, in 2000 he sold the lathe to a UK member. No. 984 a saw-fence only. No.1005 Common headstock and iron bed. Triangular bed lathe No

5 Triangular bed lathe No.698 No.1010 No.1010 Heads and a Handrest. owned by a USA member. 11

6 No.1020 in Austrakia No.1126 Owned by an Australian ex-member who has not provided details. No.1127 Common headstock with unusual back-gear No Screw Mandrel. The O.T. Slide-rest is of similar design to the picture of No.1160 (below); it has a solid bronze base and a leadscrew of 16 t.p.i. with early type toolslide and a pair of auxiliary pulleys that screw into the main slide to divert the overhead drive to horizontal for use with the simple Universal Cutting Frame. It takes the large 5 / 8 square shank tools and it has an under-bed cabinet of eight drawers instead of the usual six. The frame is stamped TUCK indicating that Evans subcontracted at least some of the non-engineering work. No.1130 Common Headstock only. Belongs with No.1128 and was possibly supplied as additional equipment for this lathe. No.1020 No Screw Mandrel. The ornamental toolslide has a rotary adjustment instead of the more usual rose-engine style sector plate; note the unusual hand-lever with its standing pins at the front of the toolslide instead of at the rear and also the clamp bolts for the stop and guide screws which are horizontal instead of vertical. Bought by a U.K. member in Slide-rest on Lathe No.1140 By John Evans No.1152 A previous owner, Mr.Bell of Beckley, Nr.Rye, believed this lathe to have come from the workshop of A.J.Forsythe, inventor of the gun percussion cap system c.1807, then to have been used by a gunsmith in Cannon Street from whom Mr.Bell acquired it. Common headstock, engineer s slide-rest, mahogany frame. Now owned by a UK member. 12

7 No ½ Screw Mandrel fitted, unusually, for cutting tools with 5 / 8 square shanks. Inherited by a UK member from his father who bought it on 8 th May1903 at the auction of J C Stevens at 38, King Street, Covent Garden, for the princely sum of 27 guineas. In the same sale he bought 48 turning tools for 10 shillings. The ornamental slide-rest has the unusual features of a raising screw underneath the base and a clamping screw for automatic setting at 45º or 90º to the bed. Note also the short left fluting stop clamped to the front member of the main slide and the sector plate for changing the angle of the tool-slide. Slide-rest on Lathe No.1160 No ½ lathe on double mahogany frame. (the last known lathe signed J Evans). The first owner is believed to have been Francis John Bramston Beckford (b.1842 d.1920): second owner, his son, Francis William Beckford (b.1873 d.1967); 3 rd owner, great, great nephew Adrian Houghton Beckford (b.1934); sold in 1997 to a member of the Society. No.1202 believed to exist but source of information lost. No.1206 owned by the Museum of London and held in store (the earliest known lathe made by W J Evans). Has a treadle-hook of inverted Y shape and pinned to the two outer frame members of the treadle instead of, as usually, a single hook pinned to the centre board (as seen in the engraving on page 1). Also, the overhead has hinged jockey pulleys (similar to those seen on John Bower s lathes) designed to allow greater movement of the slide rest without the driving band jumping off the cutting frame pulleys. No.1160 No.1206 Swinging pulleys on No

8 No.1211 Formerly the property of a London dealer and sold c.1997 to an Australian. No.1217 One of the most comprehensive outfits seen; having 5 slide rests, unusually, made to fit cutting tools with 5 / 8 square shanks. The amazing outfit of Lathe No.1217 made by W.J.Evans c

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10 No.1218 Has O.T. and Metal-turning slide-rests. Note the unusual baqlancing feaqture on the Eccentric Cutting Frame. No.1218 No.1219 Owned by the Lynn Historical Trust in New Zealand. No.1221 No.1221 A 5½" lathe on double mahogany frame and formerly had with it a rare example of Ashton s improved Slide rest made by Evans. No ½ Centre Height; situated in UK. No.1219 Ashton s Improved Slide-Rest formerly on lathe No.1221 No.1235 Heads only and, unusually, 7 centre height. These were held as supplementary equipment to lathe No

11 No.1236 The last known example by W J Evans Trade Label of J.H.Evans No.1236 This is the last known example by W J Evans. Now in Canada. No.1239 The first known lathe made by J H Evans; very well equipped and including a rare device to convert the slide-rest for geometric movement, consisting of an adjustable crank, similar to a Reciprocator, linked to the spiral apparatus and held in contact with the tool-slide by a spring which replaces the slide-rest lead-screw. Segment Cutting Frame Also equipped with a Segment Cutting Frame with miniature Eccentric Cutting Frame and Drill spindles. Owned by an American member. 17

12 No.1242 Has Dome Chuck of particularly large capacity (for work 8 max. diameter).; in UK. No common headstock modified to screw-mandrel, iron bed signed EVANS No.1248 in USA No.1254 This is one of very few lathes for which the complete history is known. It was bought from the makers in 1884 by the present owner's grandfather. Now in Tasmania. No Common Headstock. Owned by a UK member. No.1248 No.1256 A comprehensive outfit with the rare Oblique Chuck and a most unusual Reciprocator (but possibly not made by Evans); also a rare Evans OT slide-rest with 3 slides. Acquired by a UK member in No

13 No " Common headstock signed J Evans, numbered on headstock, tailstock and bed. Has a 6-drawer under-bed cabinet, an 18 O.T. Slide-rest, a Metal-turning Slide-rest and comprehensive set of ornamental chucks. Owned by a UK member. No.1261 This comprehensive outfit, which includes the rare universal-elliptical slide rest by Holtzapffel, was owned for many years by S G Abell, a founder member and past President of the Society. This outfit with its magnificent cabinet of accessories is pictured here, courtesy of Christies where it was sold on 6 th April 2000; the buyer remains unidentified. An inventory of the equipment listed in the sale catalogue may be seen in Appendix III. No

14 No.1263 Heads only (UK) 20

15 No.1267 All that remains is the tailstock (owned by the author; currently together with Holtz headstock No.2161). No.1270 This is a 5" Screwmandrel lathe of iron bed on iron frame. It is most unusual in that it is signed J H Evans but the style of the lathe and its equipment is similar to the early range of numbers associated with J Evans; e.g. the star-nut assembly has a raising screw and the slide-rest and cutting frames are of the smaller early type. Possibly made up from old stock when J H Evans took over the business. Bought by a UK member in No.1272 details lost. No.1267 No Screw Mandrel. Bought and sold by a dealer, current whereabouts unknown. No.1284 A well-equipped outfit, the heads mounted on an iron frame believed to be by Hines, and with a Hines overhead. Owned by a UK member. The first known lathe engraved with the address as 159, Wardour Street. No Iron Frame lathe with mandrel nose 1 x 8 tpi., saddle and full length leadscrew. No.1286 Bought by a UK member in Of heavy construction (similar to Birch). 6" centre height Screw Mandrel Headstock with Back Gear on iron frame with sliding saddle and full length leadscrew. Like the Gold Medal exhibition winner illustrated in E.M. in No.1287 in USA No

16 No.1288 One of the 3 best-equipped outfits ever made by Evans & Sons, with 5 slide-rests and the top half of a full-length mahogany cabinet. Owned by a UK member of S.O.T. An inventory of this outfit is given in Appendix III. No

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20 No.1289 Reported (in S.O.T. Bulletin No. 41) to have been sighted many years ago in store at Cambridge University by founder member, Dr. Askey. Bought at Christies in 1986 by the author: now owned by another UK member. This lathe has Evans new standard Whitworth-sized mandrel & screw-cutting hobs. Mandrel nose 1 inch x 8 t.p.i. No Screw Mandrel on Iron frame; replaced division plate; has O.T. & M.T. slide-rests. Owned by a UK member. No.1291 A comprehensively equipped outfit, the property of the late T V Anthony, an Honorary Member; this outfit is on extended loan to the Society. It has a treadle-hook similar to that on No.1206, of inverted Y shape and fastened to the two outer frame members of the treadle. It has a late model Spherical Slide-rest and a Dome Chuck with rotary oblique movement. No

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23 Duplicate No.1291 Found in Scotland Original Division Plate but non-evans Head & Tailstock castings. No.1291 Duplicate number The Index is mounted behind the headstock and the Headstock and Tailstock castings are the wrong shape. 29

24 No This is the last known lathe bearing the Wardour Street address. Owned by a second generation UK member. His father was thought to have an invoice dated 1892 for some of the equipment (but not for the lathe itself). No.1294 This is one of only two lathes known to have the division plate engraved with the address 17, Oxford Street. Last heard of in 1995 when situated in Canada. No 1296 This is the last known numbered lathe. It has an 8-row Division Plate. The mandrel nose thread is unusually large at 1" x 9 t.p.i. Sold at Christies in Owned by a member of the Society. Sir Mark Collet of St.Clere, Kemsing, Sevenoaks, Kent, was a previous owner of this outfit which he bought for 18 according to a telegram on which the date, sadly is illegible, although the telegram form was printed in He was still living at Kemsing, Kent, in 1928 but some time afterwards he is believed to have gone to the South of France, taking the lathe with him. In 1939 he returned to England with the lathe and settled on the Isle of Man. He died in 1941 or 1942 leaving the lathe to his chauffeur who continued to work for Lady Collet. When she died the chauffeur went to live on the mainland and he sold the lathe to a Mr. Joe Turner. The lathe was eventually sold at auction by Christies of South Kensington on 1 st February However, it seems that the floor-standing tool cabinet and some of the most important equipment stayed on the Isle of Man, possibly still in the possession of the Collet estate. These items were sold at auction by Crystals of Douglas, I.O.M., in November 1999, the ornamental chucks, compensating index, improved reciprocator and spiral apparatus were bought by a member of the Society and they have since been reunited with the lathe. The cabinet sadly was sold to an unknown buyer. 30 No.1296

25 INVENTORIES Inventories of lathe outfits, where known, are given in Appendix III. OTHERS Several members own, or have owned Evans lathes not listed here and it is certain that others exist outside the Society. Some may be in museums and others in private hands. For example; one was sold in 1992 by someone in Wales to another person in Sussex, but its number and present whereabouts are not known to the seller; another is thought to be in Scotland and at least three more are believed to be in the USA. DATES OF MANUFACTURE In the absence of a business register, an attempt has been made to estimate the dates of manufacture of the known lathes (see Appendix VI) and miscellaneous information is given in Appendix VII. 31

26 Un-numbered Evans lathe (Australia). This iron framed lathe has the name Evans & Son, Engineers, London cast into the bed which is longer than the usual 42, It is also stamped Evans & Son on the headstock; which has no keel, but bronze side plates to align it parallel with the lathe axis. 32

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