Hi all, I have wanted a lathe for years and was finally able to get one just a couple of weeks ago. My money pit of choice? A W&S #3 Electrocycle. The price was right so I moved on it. I had quite the adventure getting it home though. First, I have a 3/4 ton truck and looked at a manual from 1940 that said the lathe weighs 3550 lbs. I figured I could just put it in the back of my truck. Well, the suspension bottomed out and the tires squatted to about 2 inches(how much does this thing weigh? 3550 lbs, I don't think so). If I was going a block or 2 I would have chanced it, but had a 2 hour drive, so told the guy I would be back, as I had to rent a trailer. I rented a trailer the next week and started out again. And wouldn't you know it, I blew a head gasket about half an hour from home. I limped home adding water every 5 miles or so. Well, now I have to replace the head gasket. I tear apart the truck and get everything ready, but have to put it on hold for a week as I work full time and go to school full time. Then, I finally am getting everything together and broke an exhaust manifold. Off to the local pic-n-pull to get another one. I got everything back together with no problems and changed the oil(this is a must when doing a head gasket) I drain out as much coolant as oil, which means I was essentially lubricating my engine with water and coolant. Hmm hopefully all that Lucas I added kept me from killing my engine. I called my local rental place and they informed me they don't rent trailers, I was like, "What?? You just rented my one a week and a half ago?" Then they said that they rent them out during winter hours and not summer because they want to save them for the equipment rentals. Fair enough, after some pleading I was able to get a 16' trailer. I picked it up the next morning and started out. Well, nothing like a 2 hour trip pulling a trailer to test out your mechanical skills and luck on an engine that was water lubricated just a week and a half ago. I got lucky, real lucky. I had no issues on the 2 hour drive to pick it up. 
Coming home, now that was a different story. It started out about 3 or 4 miles from the shop I bought it from. I was going down a slight hill, hit 50 mph, and suddenly the truck was going down the road sideways. I was able to get it back under control.(how much does this thing weigh again???) Well, maybe the lathe and trailer weigh more than my truck so I should slow down. This means a 2 hour trip at 65 is now a lot longer at 40. Good thing I have all day off. Then the snow starts. That's right it started dumping snow in the mountains, okay, I'm fine, it isn't sticking on the road. Well, another 20 miles or so and now it is sticking. But it's okay as I am only going uphill and don't have a load heavier than me pushing me down hill, but now I can't get traction. Into 4 high I go, still just fishtailing and not climbing. Now it's time for 4 low. There we go, I am able to climb the hill at a blistering 10-15 mph(how much does this thing weigh again???). After about 30 or 40 minutes of that, I reached the summit. At this point I knew if it was snowing going down, I would have to stop and stay the night, because there was no way I was going to try to go down hill with this pushing me and me having no traction. After talking to the nice woman that ran the lodge, I found out it was clear going down. I headed down and got home with no further drama. Once home, I had to unload the trailer. I built a gantry out of lumber and tried unloading it. The top beam was strong enough but the 2x4 legs bent like wet spaghetti noodles. (how much does this thing weigh again???). So I off to the orange store to get some 2x6's. Well, they hold, but they aren't tall enough at 8'. Back to the orange store and I got some 10' 2x6. 
Notice the nice sa
g in the middle beam, not scary at all. I was able to get the lathe lifted off the trailer and was paying attention to the lathe and put it in the wrong gear. The lathe fell down and landed on the trailer so it was unhurt, but I had to rebuild the gantry. I got it rebuilt and pulled the trailer out and was able to lower it to the ground with no issues. Well, school and work interrupted my quality lathe time, so it sat outside for a week, getting rained and snowed on the whole time. The next week I got some rectangular steel and built a cart. I lifted the beast and set it on the cart. Me and my wife got it pushed into the garage without incident, and there it sits until summer, when I can build a steel gantry with wheels so I can set it where I want it.
Now I am done with my mis-adventures, here is some info that I was hoping you could help me decode.
Lot 20
When was this built?
Did I forget to mention I wanted to know how much this weighs? That way, I can build a gantry strong enough to hold it safely
any other info that would be of use is appreciated.
I did luck out and the motor was rewired to 220v 3 phase in 1991. This means I can use my 220v and run it through a VFD to make it 3 phase instead of single phase. If I had to use 480v I would have had to add a transformer in to the supply and that would have gotten extremely expensive. Unless anyone knows of any other component that uses 480 on there?
Thanks
Coming home, now that was a different story. It started out about 3 or 4 miles from the shop I bought it from. I was going down a slight hill, hit 50 mph, and suddenly the truck was going down the road sideways. I was able to get it back under control.(how much does this thing weigh again???) Well, maybe the lathe and trailer weigh more than my truck so I should slow down. This means a 2 hour trip at 65 is now a lot longer at 40. Good thing I have all day off. Then the snow starts. That's right it started dumping snow in the mountains, okay, I'm fine, it isn't sticking on the road. Well, another 20 miles or so and now it is sticking. But it's okay as I am only going uphill and don't have a load heavier than me pushing me down hill, but now I can't get traction. Into 4 high I go, still just fishtailing and not climbing. Now it's time for 4 low. There we go, I am able to climb the hill at a blistering 10-15 mph(how much does this thing weigh again???). After about 30 or 40 minutes of that, I reached the summit. At this point I knew if it was snowing going down, I would have to stop and stay the night, because there was no way I was going to try to go down hill with this pushing me and me having no traction. After talking to the nice woman that ran the lodge, I found out it was clear going down. I headed down and got home with no further drama. Once home, I had to unload the trailer. I built a gantry out of lumber and tried unloading it. The top beam was strong enough but the 2x4 legs bent like wet spaghetti noodles. (how much does this thing weigh again???). So I off to the orange store to get some 2x6's. Well, they hold, but they aren't tall enough at 8'. Back to the orange store and I got some 10' 2x6. Notice the nice sag in the middle beam, not scary at all. I was able to get the lathe lifted off the trailer and was paying attention to the lathe and put it in the wrong gear. The lathe fell down and landed on the trailer so it was unhurt, but I had to rebuild the gantry. I got it rebuilt and pulled the trailer out and was able to lower it to the ground with no issues. Well, school and work interrupted my quality lathe time, so it sat outside for a week, getting rained and snowed on the whole time. The next week I got some rectangular steel and built a cart. I lifted the beast and set it on the cart. Me and my wife got it pushed into the garage without incident, and there it sits until summer, when I can build a steel gantry with wheels so I can set it where I want it. Now I am done with my mis-adventures, here is some info that I was hoping you could help me decode.
Lot 20
When was this built?
Did I forget to mention I wanted to know how much this weighs? That way, I can build a gantry strong enough to hold it safely
any other info that would be of use is appreciated.
I did luck out and the motor was rewired to 220v 3 phase in 1991. This means I can use my 220v and run it through a VFD to make it 3 phase instead of single phase. If I had to use 480v I would have had to add a transformer in to the supply and that would have gotten extremely expensive. Unless anyone knows of any other component that uses 480 on there?
Thanks
