10 Replies

Congratulations, Kelly, on your great find! I’d love to have such success here so my husband could have a decent lathe.

L/W

Good deal

Great find,Enjoy!

Please keep posting about your turning experience. (It might keep some of us out of trouble.)

If you care to post a photo of the ID plate I may be able to tell you something interesting about your lathe

Dis be it Robert. Regardless of outcome, thanks.

Kelly,
On the site www.vintagemachinery is a register of these types of machines,
I didnt find your there but as it has a Rockwell Pittsburg ID plate it means it was manufactured after 1953 when Rockwell moved there.
The serial number 1701517 indicates it was made in 1976.

Why the interest? I used to work for Rockwell Int when they were in Australia and when Boeing and Rayetheon bought some of their business I transfered to Boeing and had the sad task of assisting with the shutting down their manufacturing plant in Victoria and relocating those who wanted to join Boeing.
I did voice my opinion on the sense of the idea at the time but it went ahead anyway.
Rockwell was one of the biggest companies in the 1980s and did mostly Defence work which declined hence the sell off They retained the Commercial Truck division, which incidently made all the loot! and the Rockwell Collins radio division then in those days 80 % of all aircraft had RC radios fitted.

The Rockwell tools you see in the shops today are chinese and they bought the brand name.

So whenever I see a genuine Rockwell Product I get excited!!

Update: www.vintagemachinery.org is the correct address.

Thanks for effort (help), Robert. I’ll probably tuck the info on the back side of the motor cover.

It’s funny you mention having to travel for deals (not this one, of course, but in general). My brother who lives in Montana contacted me (in long island, NY) yesterday to tell me that he wants some kind of metal milling machine he found on Craigslist here in long island. He said it was a good deal. I wouldn’t know either way. But he asked me if I could pick it up and store it. He plans on driving to NY this summer to pick up a few things that can’t be shipped easily. Now that’s a long way to go for a Craigslist deal!