Question about banjos offered with General 260 lathe.....

[Odie]

Question about banjos offered with General 260 lathe.....

I'm wondering about that short "dogleg" banjo in the photo here.

I can understand getting your tool rest up to, or close to the centerline of the spindle......but that short banjo probably won't do it.

Soooo......What is it's purpose?

Dumb people want to know!

=o=

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Is that just the banjo for their smaller model?

Fo some unknown use down in the 7:00-8:00 region of a large diameter piece? I can't think of a reason for it to be on that machine, unless the banjo, sans rest, was used for some other purpose, holding a jig or fitting of some kind.

Context? Is this a photo you found somewhere, or...?

 

[Barry Larson]

Question about banjos offered with General 260 lathe.....

I'm wondering about that short "dogleg" banjo in the photo here.

I can understand getting your tool rest up to, or close to the centerline of the spindle......but that short banjo probably won't do it.

Soooo......What is it's purpose?

Dumb people want to know!

=o=
View attachment 82014

Odie:
Originally the General (Canada) was offered as a HD 12 inch lathe. Riser blocks and extended banjo was also offered which increased the swing by 4 inches. Later (circa 2000) the capacity was increased to 20 inches (I think) by virtue of new head and tailstock castings again with a suitably extended banjo. I think your picture shows a unit with the extensions (I see joins in both the headstock and tailstock). The banjos are the original (short) and the taller one for the riser blocks. Since the riser blocks were available to convert any 260 lathe the owner likely purchased them later and then would have had both banjos. Hope this bit of speculation helps.

Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Winner winner! Well done, Barry. I'd forgotten about those options. Yes sir, those are riser blocks at the head and tailstock.

And Reeves drives, the original variable speed.

 

[Odie]

Odie:
Originally the General (Canada) was offered as a HD 12 inch lathe. Riser blocks and extended banjo was also offered which increased the swing by 4 inches. Later (circa 2000) the capacity was increased to 20 inches (I think) by virtue of new head and tailstock castings again with a suitably extended banjo. I think your picture shows a unit with the extensions (I see joins in both the headstock and tailstock). The banjos are the original (short) and the taller one for the riser blocks. Since the riser blocks were available to convert any 260 lathe the owner likely purchased them later and then would have had both banjos. Hope this bit of speculation helps.

Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!

That makes sense to me, Barry......

thanks

=o=

 

[Odie]

Context? Is this a photo you found somewhere, or...?

Steve.......

It was a lathe that sold recently in the AAW "for sale" listings...

=o=

 

[Tim Hunter]

The riser blocks increase the swing by 8 inches (lathe swing is expressed in diameter).

Tim