09-04-2020, 11:41 AM
I've no idea why, mechanically, the item should be in bronze but it is not uncommon to find on machine tools of all kinds - from expensive and complex to cheap and cheerful ones for the amateur - items that could have been in steel or cast iron made instead from bronze. Classic ornamental turning lathes such as the Goyen and Muckle often used bronze fittings (http://www.lathes.co.uk/goyen/page2.html and http://www.lathes.co.uk/muckle ) the 1920s Bolein watchmaker's lathe was made almost entirely of the material ( http://www.lathes.co.uk/bolein ) as were the changewheels on the ingenious EXE 2.5-inch lathe ( http://www.lathes.co.uk/exe/page2.html ). This use continued into the 1940s and 1950s with the CLH watch lathe (http://www.lathes.co.uk/clh/index.html ) the crazily complex Mk.2 Cromwell lathe made extensive use of the material ( http://www.lathes.co.uk/cromwell/page3.html ) and even some of the little Haighton cadet lathes ( http://www.lathes.co.uk/haighton/index.html ) had their feed-screw handwheels and end plates made from bronze castings. Finally, guiding the lily (and without regard to cost) bronze was used for both the control lever assembly and gears that operated the Dewhurst reversing switch on the superb Smart and Brown Sabel ( http://www.lathes.co.uk/sabel ).