⭕ Boley F1 Watchmakers Lathe in perfect working order and clean cosmetic condition. 30 days return policy accepted and can help with shipping or local pickup. Designed to be exceptionally smooth running, the motor of the F1 (fitted, optionally with a rheostat for variable-speed control) was held on a pivoting plate at the rear of the 280 mm long base unit. It was arranged to drive either directly to the pulley on the end of the 8 mm bore spindle (for conventional work) or to one set lower down that turned a shaft that emerged below and to the rear of the spindle nose. On the end of the shaft was a wheel that pressed against a larger diameter friction wheel mounted on an eccentric shaft set below and to the front of the spindle line. To drive the main spindle and control the speed, a thumb-operated toggle lever was employed that moved the friction wheel against a housing formed around the spindle nose (a fitting described the makers as a carrier disc). The speed was regulated by arranging to set a light to heavy contact by a spring actuated stop-screw that bore against the front bed way. In order to prevent damage to the work, the toggle lever was fitted with a protruding arm that (when thumb pressure was released) acted under spring pressure as a brake against the carrier disc.
When used for turning staffs and pivots the lathe was not handled in a conventional way, but operated from the tailstock end (as shown below) with the operator resting both arms on the workbench. Everything was done to make his job easy as possible with, at the back of the bed, a large height-adjustable rest for his wrist (that helped steady the right hand holding the graver on the T-rest), and the left hand positioned so that the thumb rested against the toggle lever to control the spindle rotation. In addition, not only was a fold-down flap provided under the base plate to lift the headstock end of the bed, but the whole lathe could be rotated, in its housing, along the longitudinal axis.
As the bed was a conventional 50 mm centre height WW type (and the spindle arranged to take standard 8 mm Boley collets), most accessories from the makers watchmakers range could be employed. Amongst these were a compound slide-rest assembly, a saw bench unit, roller filing rests, standard and reinforced-head collets, mandrel faceplate with dogs, a precision 3-jaw chuck with face jaws, hollow runners for the tailstock, a universal runner with drill pin, centring pin and associated drill holders, shellac chucks, a carrier chuck with male and female points and a Jacot drum, etc. If any reader has an F1, the writer would be pleased to hear from you.