1950 C15 Holbrook

God mode restorations · May 4, 2023

Today. Giving the C15 Holbrook a clean up and oil. There is something about a Holbrook. Such a pretty machine. Might take a look inside the headstock just to check things.

God mode restorations · May 4, 2023

Everything has had a good oil up. Everything moves as you would expect. Some wear on the ways but nothing to shout about. Headstock looks in great condition gears wise.

frank horton · May 4, 2023

proper machine.....

Erie Fred · May 4, 2023

Around here....the billboard companies sell the old adverts as tarps, I hear they are pretty good, much better than the standard Bloo ones.

And they are quite "Big" as well.

eddie49 · May 4, 2023

Erie Fred said:
Around here....the billboard companies sell the old adverts as tarps, I hear they are pretty good, much better than the standard Bloo ones.

And they are quite "Big" as well.

Good idea. The best "tarp" material that I have is from old avert signage around the sides of a rugby pitch. It is plain white on one side, and has a moulded-in rope edge. However, it is narrow.

God mode restorations · May 4, 2023

Erie Fred said:
Around here....the billboard companies sell the old adverts as tarps, I hear they are pretty good, much better than the standard Bloo ones.

And they are quite "Big" as well.

Really good idea

God mode restorations · May 4, 2023

frank horton said:
proper machine.....

They are a lovely bit of kit.

God mode restorations · May 4, 2023

I was going to carry on with doing bits a pieces on the Holbrook then move on to the monarch but they speak of heavy rain ffs

God mode restorations · May 6, 2023

Made a start on the C15 faceplate

God mode restorations · May 6, 2023

That's me done for today

God mode restorations · May 8, 2023

Front face and T slots finish

God mode restorations · Sep 12, 2023

Today I been moving stuff about. First thing was take the tailstock off and get it in the shed...I will do a full restoration on the Holbrook but for now I want to do the tailstock. It will also help me to see if I am happy with the new colour that will be mid brunswick green enamel

God mode restorations · Sep 13, 2023

That's what the internals of a 1940s Holbrook tailstock looks like. Some nice features. Thrust bearing on the barrel spindle. Replaceable barrel nut. Cam loc bed clamps. Wear and tear as you would expect...nothing that can't be fixed.

Hopefuldave · Sep 13, 2023

God mode restorations said:
That's what the internals of a 1940s Holbrook tailstock looks like. Some nice features. Thrust bearing on the barrel spindle. Replaceable barrel nut. Cam loc bed clamps. Wear and tear as you would expect...nothing that can't be fixed.

View attachment 417046

If it's the same as the slightly later (1955) C13 I have, the tailstock screw's 8 tpi - I shall be making it a 0-125 thou" graduated (and resettable) dial, as on mine the tailstock quill graduations are getting a bit hard to read. Of course, that means making a 25(n) hole plate for the rotary table (this poor man's dividing head) as it's not a supplied hole circle

3D printer and Turbocad to the rescue!

God mode restorations · Sep 13, 2023

Hopefuldave said:
If it's the same as the slightly later (1955) C13 I have, the tailstock screw's 8 tpi - I shall be making it a 0-125 thou" graduated (and resettable) dial, as on mine the tailstock quill graduations are getting a bit hard to read. Of course, that means making a 25(n) hole plate for the rotary table (this poor man's dividing head) as it's not a supplied hole circle 3D printer and Turbocad to the rescue!

I will measure it tomorrow. Its not badly worn but as you would expect. Someone has butchered the handwheel and broke the thumb wheels and then tried to drill a new hole and broke a chunk off. It's repairable.

Hopefuldave · Sep 13, 2023

God mode restorations said:
I will measure it tomorrow. Its not badly worn but as you would expect. Someone has butchered the handwheel and broke the thumb wheels and then tried to drill a new hole and broke a chunk off. It's repairable.

Weirdly, that's the handwheel that's been broken and roughly repaired on mine, too, and the handle itself had been snapped, leaving a stub of thread - I made myself new handles for that and the cross-slide (handwheel OK, luckily), knurled and grooved to match the QCGB selectors only substantially larger...
Not sure about the C15 but on the C13 the carriage handwheel gives 1.025" per turn so not easy to add a dial (unless gearing it 40:41, then I'd get carried away and add a metric transpose to it... NO David, you've enough to do!) so I've added a Silver Bullet Trav-A-Dial against the front of the ways, on a bracket on the headstock side of the carriage - there's *just* room for it to not smash when the carriage's up to the headstock/gearbox! Much easier for a quick dimension than gauge blocks in the way cover, once calibrated.