# Oliver mdl 167



## MikeinNJ (May 8, 2009)

Hello all not much of a poster, but I do enjoy reading through the forums and have learned a bunch. My purpose for this post is to inquire about an Oliver wood lathe.
I am an avid woodworker( very new to wood turning), recently retired from law enforcement and have more time on my hands. Some time ago, I purchased a mini lathe for my 12 year old son and have discovered I really enjoy it. Problem is I want to get into turning larger projects but am limited with the lathe we use now. I have found an Oliver lathe on CL for $500. From what I can read from the picture of the plate it looks like the mdl # is 167. I have tried to look up information on the internet, but not much was found. The seller is not very helpful only bc he inherited the machine and not a turner. My questions are as follows if anyone can help out. Is the lathe worth the money if it is all in working order? I'm told it works "fine". What is the capacity, horsepower and any other important information I should be wary about. Thanks in advance.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Nice lathe but check to make sure the variable speed
drive works properly and of course check the bearings.

If the capacity of the lathe suits you, then Oliver is a
good maker and always resellable.

These days some turners like to turn big or out of balance
work, but that's a fashion and partly to do with selling
decorative turned work on the art circuit. They like
the big lathes and for some of them there is money in
having the big machine to do that sort of work. If you
intend to more modest scale work then you don't need
a big lathe.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Manual if you haven't found it already.
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2038


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

I would be wary of buying from a seller that is not very forth coming with information. Yes, seller may not have any interest or know much about turning wood, but how did he arrive at the asking price? Is he willing to let you inspect and test drive the lathe?

Old lathes components not used in awhile may require cleaning oiling or replacement of parts. Figuring out what is cosmetic and which is a major project entirely up to you. We do not know condition of the lathe you are looking at or your ability to fix stuff.

You want a complete lathe, no missing components. Components like tailstock and tool rest & base hard to find. No missing levers or hand wheels. All that stuff should operate by normal hand tightening and loosening. Definitely want to check head/tailstock alignment with spur center in headstock & live center in tailstock.

Want to see and hear lathe operate from slow to high speeds without a lot of noise or vibration. Easy to find out if bearings or belts in good shape. Old reeves drive lathes might be little noisy if have not been run in awhile but that should smooth out. Reeves drives do require cleaning & lubrication routinely.

Depending upon what you see & hear and ability to negotiate should arrive at a good price if this lathe meets your needs. Not sure would pay $500 for it.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Some of the old lathes, like the Yates American use a reeves drive belt that has a side bevel that is no
longer available. You can get one that is close and it will work.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

If you post the question over at owwm.org, someone there will know an approximate value. Old lathes like this are labors of love. If you want something to plug in and go, they may or may not be a good purchase. Oliver has a great reputation though, if you fix it up and it'll be one hell of a lathe.


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## MikeinNJ (May 8, 2009)

Thank you all for your replies much appreciated. I emailed, called and texted and haven't heard anything back from the seller. So at this point, I will pass and keep looking. Thank you all again. Mike.


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## MikeinNJ (May 8, 2009)

Thank you all for your replies much appreciated. I emailed, called and texted and haven't heard anything back from the seller. So at this point, I will pass and keep looking. Thank you all again. Mike.


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