Produced in 1898 for their own use in model engineering the Arthur and Frank Drummond's first lathe was a 2.5-inch centre height backgeared but plain-turning model. Following established engineering principles of the time, and looking little different to any number of similar machines from established makers such as Britannia, it was fitted to a wooden stand with foot-treadle drive. However, one significant difference was the highly unusual compound slide rest: instead of the top slide being able to swivel on the cross slide it was fixed at 90° to it and the whole unit arranged to swivel on a boss formed at the front of the mounting bracket..