Like many other small lathes made in France, the Julson did not follow a straightforward design path but incorporated a number of both unique and seldom-found features. Examples of this independent thinking include and willingness to try something new include the "Annan Petit Tour De Précision Type A8", the round-bar bed Haulin, the most odd Santaella, the little Bembi, the "L'outilervé" by S.I.A.M.E (Société Industrielle D'Apparellages Méchaniques et Electriques" and even the larger, more industrial Crouzet.
Almost certainly made during the early 1950s, the Julson was sold with a badge marked "BREV^ete S.G.D.G." - thus confirming that it would have been made before 1965, the year the term  "Breveté Sans Garantie Du Gouvernement" - a type of French patent -  was abandoned.
Found in a scrap yard, the Julson appeared, at first sight, to be in reasonable condition. However, upon dismantling it became obvious that the lathe had suffered a long and arduous life and need some restoration surgery. Screwcutting, but not fitted with a slow-speed backgear, the Julson had a centre height of 90 mm and a capacity between centres of perhaps 320 mm. Found with the lathe was what appears to have been the correct maker's countershaft, this having what must be a unique feature, a set of closely-spaced indexing holes to position the belt-tensioning handle. As this allowed only fixed positions to be set, one wonders why a more conventional "over-centre" adjustable system was not used as, for example, many other small lathes including the South Bend 9-inch. Drive was by an "A" section V-belt over 3-step pulleys, the drive from the motor being just a single-diameter pulley instead of a two-step that would have given high and low ranges - and helped make up for the lack of backgear. Judging by the size of pulleys used - and the speed of the single-phase motor - the three spindle speeds would have been 372, 606 and 1005 r.p.m.
Reflecting the designer's very individual approach, the headstock spindle was formed on its nose with a double taper, the shallower one for turning loads but the short and steeper to register against that section of the bearing designed to take direct-fitting, drawbar-located W20 Schaublin collets. The nose thread was a relatively coarse 4 mm pitch and 34.7 mm in diameter. While the spindle ran in an ordinary bronze bearing and the front, at the rear, most unusually, a needle-roller race by "Nadella" was used; thrust, against a ball-type race, could be adjusted by a pair of ring nuts on the spindle's left-hand end. With no backgear to accommodate, the designer decided to mount the tumble-reverse mechanism in what might well be a unique location for this size of lathe - behind the headstock and inboard of the left-hand spindle bearing - engagement being by a vertically disposed lever.
Of the same depth for its whole length - and without a gap - the bed appeared, at a glance, to be "English" in style with 100 mm wide flat-top ways and a narrow vertical way at the front. However, at the rear, the way was a dovetail set at 45°. Running down the centre line of the bed - and exposed to the wearing effects of swarf and dirt - the Acme-threaded, 2.5 mm pitch leadscrew was fitted with a dog clutch at its headstock end and reversed through a tumbler mechanism in the leadscrew drive. With the changewheels provided - 125t, three of 100t, 90t, two of 68t, 65t, 60t, 50t, 35t, two of 25t and two of 20t - metric pitches of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00, 2.25 and, 2.50 could be generated.
Presumably, because the leadscrew was positioned centrally, the saddle was made to overhang the front of the bed by a considerable amount, the arrangement giving the short cross slide a decent amount of travel. Lacking T-slots, the 90mm wide cross slide had a travel of 100 mm and mounted a 360° swivel top slide, 70 mm wide and with a travel of 50 mm. It appears that a simple 4-way toolpost was fitted as standard.. Happily, both zeroing micrometer dials (with 120 graduations showing a travel of 0.01mm) were of a generous diameter and fitted with small knurled setting-rings to aid grip by oily hands.
It appears that the lathe might have been provided with two tailstocks, one with a screw-feed spindle and the other with a quick-action lever, both with a travel of 80 mm and a 1 Morse taper socket. Each tailstock had been heavily used and some clever work was necessary to restore them to working order.
The Julson had an overall length of 910 mm, a width of 730 mm and a weight of approximately 170 kg.
The Julson has now been beautifully restored to full working order and and can be seen on this page.
Avez-vous un tour de Joulson? Si c'est le cas, l'auteur serait heureux de vous entendre..