# Jerry's 1460 Delta Milwaukee lathe



## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

Here are a few pictures of my retired lathe. It's a year younger than me. Delta Milwaukee 1460 12×36' lathe, manufactured in 1947, and sold to Tucson Unified School District. I got it in 2010 from a local that had gotten it through a school auction, but didn't pursue setting it up. The frame it sits on was originally made for a Boice Crane 60×16" lathe. I figure the extra length wasn't going to be a space issue, and used this from 2010 up until December, 2015, when I got a 3520 PM.









Ignore the mess. I already know I'm a pig. The frame is made of 3 X 4 steel with 1/4" wall thickness that started life as lumber racks in my shop when I was actively engaged in woodworking as my profession.










This picture shows the motor and spindle pulley's I made. At one time I thought about using a regular V belt, but they weren't as smooth as the J series belts. The motor mount is a 1/4" steel ring mounted to the face of the motor, and has a ***(can't come up with the name for it) that mounts to a pivot point for belt adjustment and speed changes.










This is a picture of one of the feet. When painting the lathe and frame, I decided I would paint everything I made either red or blue. Notice the 6 toes on the foot. If I would have had time to grind the toes, you can bet they would have been ground.










This shows the shelf I added on the back side. It came in handy when I was using the lathe.










Here's my serial number, 60-3048. I found a guy in Oklahoma that bought a 1460 in Tonopah, Arizona, with the serial number of 60-3147. So, sometime in 1947, Delta made 100 lathes and shipped them to Arizona, and spread them around to the state schools.










Ignore this lathe, but look at the steady rest. It's for the 1460 lathe, but is on the PM to see if I could possibly use it for a project I needed it for before I built one that would fit properly.

This lathe has been ignored since acquiring the PM. It's a very good machine and in my opinion, it's is solidly built and as good as the PM except for the swing. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)


----------



## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Don't know if this means you getting serious about wood turning or still fooling around? Seeing three different lathes in those pictures what's a body to think?


----------



## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

Makes me wonder, why is it that there are tools, refrigerators and chainsaws that are 60 or more years old that are still functioning but we don't seem to have the technology to make new tools last that long?? Already know the answer, but….


----------



## JollyGreen67 (Nov 1, 2010)

And you still have time to knap ? ;o)


----------



## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

> Don't know if this means you getting serious about wood turning or still fooling around? Seeing three different lathes in those pictures what's a body to think?
> 
> - Wildwood


Well, Bill. I am a little serious about turning, but every time I pick up a tool and start to turn something, I realize there is a need for something new. So, back to my friends welding shop with the mill and lathe to make whatever it is that I think I need. Most times I succeed, but there have been failures.

The lathe up against the wall is a Rockwell 46-450 and works like brand new. I got it for a good price even though I didn't and still don't need it. I even got an extra headstock housing and spindle with it. Unfortunately, the cabinet makes it noisy. I stopped using it when it cost me 9 stitches above my right ear right after getting it about 6 years ago.

Before getting the Powermatic, the 1460 was my goto lathe and was going to be my small lathe to use after getting the PM. I retired it only because I broke the VFD on the PM as I was bringing it home. Since a VFD doesn't really care what it's attached to as long as it's compatible, I disconnected the motor from the PM VFD, and attached the wires of the Hitachi VFD that ran the 1460 lathe. Works great, but can't use the 1460 without a power source. Just last week, I finally removed the PM VFD, and will one day take it to some electronics engineer to see if it's any good. If it is, back onto the PM, and the Hitachi goes back to the 1460 as my small backup lathe.



> Makes me wonder, why is it that there are tools, refrigerators and chainsaws that are 60 or more years old that are still functioning but we don t seem to have the technology to make new tools last that long?? Already know the answer, but….
> 
> - mahdee


Mahdee, if you look back at prices featured in price lists back when these tools first came out, you'll see things like a tail stock for $7, banjo's for 8-9, and stuff for absolutely low prices. The manufacturers were looking for *happy* customers, not a steady stream of people replacing the things we have today. Hope that makes sense. 
Weren't you known as Jinx back a few years ago?? ................ Jerry (in Tucson)


----------



## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

> And you still have time to knap ? ;o)
> 
> - Jimbo4


Yep, that's my passion, unlike woodturning that is just so easy to do. ...... Jerry (in Tucson)


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

The 1460 is on my blog of recommended vintage lathes, glad to hear it stands up. What is the hammer about?


----------



## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

> The 1460 is on my blog of recommended vintage lathes, glad to hear it stands up. *What is the hammer about? *
> 
> - Rick M


Rick, when I first started using this lathe, I'd just invented the Chuck Plate. I made a bracket for a dead blow hammer, and was using it to seat my blanks into the points on the Chuck Plate. When done using the db hammer, it would go into the bracket to be found IN IT"S PROPER PLACE when needed next…. I couldn't find the dead blow, so just put a framing hammer in it's place. The 4 bolts in red on the other end are for chuck storage.

The only thing that would kill this lathe is something so catastrophic humans couldn't survive and then it (the lathe) would die as it's mission in It's life would be ended….. Jerry (in Tucson)


----------

