300mm/12" diameter swing over bed,
840mm/33" between centres plus 620mm/24" bed extension. Woodfast
are still in business in Australia manufacturing lathes although from what
I can tell, they made all sorts of woodworking machines until recent
times.
Their new lathes cost thousands but they must be good as people still
buy
them. Not fully understanding why someone would pay so much for a wood
lathe, I don't know how this one compares. I weighed it at 142kg
(312lb)
plus 55kg (121lb) for the bed extension. Well shy of a Powermatic 90,
but
at least I can move it. Judging by the style of the door
latch, I'd say it must be no later than early 70's. The head stock
is a dead ringer for a lathe in a 1935 Walker Turner catalogue but I
don't
think its that old. Courtesy of the Navy, I picked it up quite cheaply
at auction. I was surprised I got it at my bottom
feeding price and to be honest I was kind of hoping I didn't. Not that
I didn't want it, just where was I going to put this monster.
Fortunately
I found it a home.
The machine is a basic 4 pulley design and the
pulley has an indexer.
Door latch detail.