Dear Dennis,

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If the lathe you saw is the oldest Dalton known, then I have the second oldest: Lot 2 serial number 5.? Like the one you describe it has the serial number stamped on the front bed way.? The photo is a few years old and taken just after it was removed from my father’s basement prior to the sale of his house, so the lathe is a bit dusty.? I have cleaned it up a bit and can provide better pictures if you wish.

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I know quite a bit about the history of this lathe.? While I do not know the original owner, I do know that it was acquired sometime before 1930 by my Grandfather, Adolf G. (Gus) Frauenpreis of Elizabeth, and later Wyckoff NJ.? Mr. Frauenpreis was born in Stuttgart Germany, where he apprenticed as a tool and die maker.? In 1920 he came to America to pursue a career in the aviation industry.? In the 1920s he built and flew planes, gave flying lessons, worked as a machinist, and built an airfield in Clark, NJ on a bit of land which is now exit 135 of the Garden State Parkway.? From about 1931 to 1965 he worked as a machinist for Wright Aircraft in Fair Lawn NJ.? As a child (1960s) I spent a great deal of time at my grandfather’s home and he had a pretty well equipped shop in his basement.

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Upon my grandfather’s death in 1979, his tools went to my father, Albert Gloor of Ringwood NJ.? Although my father was a civil engineer, his father owned Hawthorne manufacturing, a machine shop in Hawthorne, NJ.? Growing up in the shop my father as well had a high level of skill as a machinist.? After my father passed away in 2014 the family’s collection of tools was handed to my brother and myself.

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The lathe did not see much use while my father owned it.? We occasionally would turn some parts, a few times a year.

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The lathe is complete, including all of the change gears.? As far as I can tell the cross slide, compound, end cover and tailstock are all original, and appear to have the original finish.? The headstock bearings are excellent.? The ways are in pretty good shape, although I have not done any careful measurement of the wear. ?The leadscrews are quite worn and the compound spindle has some damage.? The tailstock has had a crack welded.? The backgear has a single slightly chipped tooth, but otherwise the drivetrain is complete and works.? The chuck in the picture is a WWII vintage Atlas chuck; I do not have the original chuck.? I also do not have, nor do I ever recall seeing, the cast iron legs and chip pan which would have accompanied the original machine.? The countershaft and support bracket is clearly not original, having modern pillow blocks.

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My original intent was to restore this to working order and use it.? Having done some research however I see that this lathe is both too fragile and too historically significant to put into normal service. ?It really should be restored to its original condition and kept as a museum piece. ?I would be interested in hearing your advice as to what I should do with it.

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Best regards and happy New Year,

Guy

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Hi guys.? On? one of the Face book? user groups a guy came up with some pictures of a Dalton.? Turns out its a Lot 2 serial number 4.? That makes it the oldest Dalton known? of.? Its a much modified lathe unfortunately.? Riser blocks have been put under the head stock and tail stock to make it a 9 inch lathe rather than the 6 inch it started out in life as.? It also has? a Lot 4 end door cross slide and compound slide.? Funny thing is its still in all its original finish.? I will try and steal pictures of Facebook and post them if I can.? Also the lathe is so early that its has its lot and serial number stamped on the front bed way not the rear and is also stamped Lot 1 so this makes it a lathe that started out as the very first ones built and then Dalton must have decided to call the combination machine Lot 1 and the first little 6 inch lathe Lot 2.? I would love to have gotten my hands on this little lathe unfortunately its in the hands of a rank beginner and he is only interested in making parts with it and has no intentions of restoring it or bringing it back to its original condition.?

Dennis