Probably the basis of the Hines "Officers'" lathe, this is one of the Company's smaller and simpler machines. With a centre height of 3.5" and taking around 20 inches between centres, it lacks backgear and has a spindle running in a single front bearing with its outer end supported against an adjustable hardened centre. While the headstock arrangement might have reflected typical mid to late-19th lathe design for lighter lathes for use by amateurs, it was still fitted with a beautifully engraved indexing plate with five circles of division holes. Fitted with four narrow V-shaped grooved, the headstock pulley was intended to accept a round leather belt - called in contemporary literature a "gut" drive.
A clue to this lathe's superior quality is the compound slide rest assembly, this having an enormously long-travel cross slide designed to take full advantage of the maximum diameter that could be turned on a faceplate in the bed's very deep gap.
In addition, on some versions found, the headstock is of a different design with an all-hard spindle that used a double-angle front bearing and a parallel long bearing to the rear. The entire headstock spindle assembly on this model is impossible to dismantle without great care as the 3.5 kg pulley has a slight taper fit to the spindle of about 0.003" over its length and requires both warming up and a press to move it. Unfortunately, the same lunatic, over-the-top method was also employed to fit the tailstock handwheel to the barrel - the latter of course being hardened and lapped to the bore.
Surviving with the lathe shown at the top of the page is the original wooden-topped, cast-iron stand - though unfortunately the original treadle-drive flywheel system and, if originally fitted, the overhead drive attachment have been lost..