This is an appeal for info from Wayne Cook.

Wayne,
I have a 15"X 96" Sidney belt drive very similar to your 19" X 96".
Mine however did not come with the electric motor/clutch drive that I
viewed with your machine. I trying to figure out how to drive mine. I
have been unable to find a manual or info for my lathe. Did your drive
come with your machine? Do you have any manuals on your machine? Any
suggestions. Thanks. Jim

Jim

For starters!!

"http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&fnu=1&xpufu=x&from =R10&satitle=lathe+manual+sidney&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&bs=Search&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coacti on=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search&fgtp=&sa rgn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=85754&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&s aprclo=&saprchi="

Bob AZ

Bob,
Thanks for the reply. These manuals are for the newer Sidney lathes
according the the company I conversed with. They evidently do not
cover the older belt driven lathes. I am a relative newbie and may be
wrong? Thanks. Jim

Jim

I read the Ebay listings and the ad sounds like the person selling the
books may have more information. Did you send a message inquiring about
other information he might have?

Bob AZ

On 13 May 2006 11:00:55 -0700, "jimmiej" wrote:

This is an appeal for info from Wayne Cook.

Wayne,
I have a 15"X 96" Sidney belt drive very similar to your 19" X 96".
Mine however did not come with the electric motor/clutch drive that I
viewed with your machine. I trying to figure out how to drive mine. I
have been unable to find a manual or info for my lathe. Did your drive
come with your machine? Do you have any manuals on your machine? Any
suggestions. Thanks. Jim

Unfortunately the drive on my lathe is one of a kind made by a man
named Jim Vearner. He was the father of my former employer Don Vearner
who is about 80 years old at this time. I have no manuals or any other
info on my lathe other than the brass tags that are mounted on the
machine itself. However if it will help you I'm more than happy to
snap a pic or describe the info on the tags.

As for the drive well there's lots of ways to go about this. Mine
has a gearbox made specifically for the adapting of a line shaft
driven machine to a self contained drive (unfortunately I think they
stopped making these back in the 30's or so). A transmission is
definitely nice and a it's definitely possible to modify a good manual
car or truck transmission for this service. But it will require some
work (a good bit of it lathe work) to make a good build out of it.

If there's anything I can do to help just let me know. Please be
patient since I'm rather multitasked out at the moment with my wife in
the hospital.

Wayne,
Thanks so much for the reply. Pictures of the drive and how it is
attached and pictures of the drive itself would be a great help. The
picture I saw looked like you had a mechanical clutch by by which the
belt went to the lathe. Is that the gearbox you describe? Also, what
size motor are you using? In the article you said your machine was
limited to 500 RPM. What is the limiting factor?I have very little
experience with a lathe but lots of mechanical ability. I fell into the
machine a couple of years ago and just got my shop built. Now it is
time to set up the lathe. I'm a career fireman getting ready to retire
and I've always wanted a machine shop. I've got a book on lathe
operations as they were done in the 30's coming. That may help quite a
bit. Thanks again for the reply. I hope my uneducated questions are not
too much of a bother. I wish your wife a speedy recovery. Jim Bratcher

On 14 May 2006 17:14:24 -0700, "jimmiej" wrote:

Wayne,
Thanks so much for the reply. Pictures of the drive and how it is
attached and pictures of the drive itself would be a great help. The
picture I saw looked like you had a mechanical clutch by by which the
belt went to the lathe. Is that the gearbox you describe? Also, what
size motor are you using? In the article you said your machine was
limited to 500 RPM. What is the limiting factor?I have very little
experience with a lathe but lots of mechanical ability. I fell into the
machine a couple of years ago and just got my shop built. Now it is
time to set up the lathe. I'm a career fireman getting ready to retire
and I've always wanted a machine shop. I've got a book on lathe
operations as they were done in the 30's coming. That may help quite a
bit. Thanks again for the reply. I hope my uneducated questions are not
too much of a bother. I wish your wife a speedy recovery. Jim Bratcher

Ok give me a little time and I'll see what I can do. You may have to
remind me in a week or so depending on how this week turns out.