On 2014-11-09, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Ignoramus25323" wrote in
message news
Check this out. I bought these two lathes from the US Army at Rock
Island Arsenal. I bought them sight unseen.

http://ricklevin.nextlot.com/public/lot/15505304

http://ricklevin.nextlot.com/public/lot/15505297

I can see copious rust on one and significant rust on another.

However, I do not see telltale signs of having been actually used,
such as beat up paint near where the headstock meets the chuck.

Comments?

i

We took Khrushchev's bluster very seriously:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atchison_Storage_Facility
"In the drawdown following the war, the Army began to stockpile these
tools to be held in reserve status to be used in the event of another
national mobilization."

"At its peak, a private contractor was responsible for maintaining
more than 5,000 machine tools in the reserve facility."

I remember some being released for sale in the 1970's. I bought some
equipment that had reputedly been stored in a cave in New Mexico.

Amazing story.

i