Hi All,
I wanted to share with you an unusual acquisition: a Weisser RO 75 turret lathe from 1957. It was made by J.G. Weisser Söhne of St. Georgen, Germany. I just picked it up at auction and although it is a bit of a monster, I think it could be a very valuable addition to my shop. The foot print is just a little bigger than a Hardinge chucker (maybe 25%) but it is definitely much beefier. The motor is a two speed 3.7/5.5 HP and the spindle speeds range from 61 to 2000 RPM. What amazes me is that hole in the spindle is 3 1/32" (77 mm) diameter. The largest of the collets I got is 3". The turret plate is about the same size as a Hardinge but the headstock is just much bigger and the power transmission is accomplished with a huge gear shift lever that switches between 4 predetermined speeds and a center spindle brake. The swing is 13" and the bed is 4' 4". It came with a full set of collets and some tooling although most of it looks shop-made. I have the literature and manual but they are rather sparse. Has anyone out there worked with one of these or seen them in operation? I have yet to clean it up but the condition looks pretty good, although it was repainted. It came from an auction in Belmont, CA, from the shop of Louie Lang. He had a wonderful collection of European tools and I would certainly appreciate it if someone could put me in touch with him. Here are some pictures and I welcome any thoughts.
I wanted to share with you an unusual acquisition: a Weisser RO 75 turret lathe from 1957. It was made by J.G. Weisser Söhne of St. Georgen, Germany. I just picked it up at auction and although it is a bit of a monster, I think it could be a very valuable addition to my shop. The foot print is just a little bigger than a Hardinge chucker (maybe 25%) but it is definitely much beefier. The motor is a two speed 3.7/5.5 HP and the spindle speeds range from 61 to 2000 RPM. What amazes me is that hole in the spindle is 3 1/32" (77 mm) diameter. The largest of the collets I got is 3". The turret plate is about the same size as a Hardinge but the headstock is just much bigger and the power transmission is accomplished with a huge gear shift lever that switches between 4 predetermined speeds and a center spindle brake. The swing is 13" and the bed is 4' 4". It came with a full set of collets and some tooling although most of it looks shop-made. I have the literature and manual but they are rather sparse. Has anyone out there worked with one of these or seen them in operation? I have yet to clean it up but the condition looks pretty good, although it was repainted. It came from an auction in Belmont, CA, from the shop of Louie Lang. He had a wonderful collection of European tools and I would certainly appreciate it if someone could put me in touch with him. Here are some pictures and I welcome any thoughts.