Precision was the result of adding screwcutting capability
to the 8" plain bench lathe. It was one of the last lathes
designed by Edward Rivett.
It had the second largest production of any of the larger Rivett lathes, about 1800 total. The basic lathe changed little from its introduction in 1920 until production ceased in 1960. Approximately 1800 units were produced.
These lathes could be found in laboratory shops in places like Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Yerkes Observatory. They were present in leading edge industrial laboratory shops as well. One on display at the Charles River Museum, is listed as the first lathe at Polaroid corporation. There are several in the Edison shops in West Orange, NJ.
Part of the reason for the large production of the 608 was its popularity with the military during World War 2 where it was used on shipboard, in maintenance depots and shipped in large quantities to Great Britain.
The 608 is considered my many familiar with them to be one of the finest small lathes ever made.
608 Sales Brochure (PDF)
608 Price List from 1943 (PDF)
608 Manual (PDF)
a great deal is known about the development of the
pre-WW2 model1020. It clearly shows its roots in the 608
and presages the later 1020S. An amazingly complicated
geared head design, it was never made in large numbers
and surviving examples show that each was essentially
hand-made and exhibit significant design differences.
Speculation suggests that it was too complicated for
volume manufacture during the war, and then, after the
war, perspectives changed on the features required in a
Photos of actual lathes can be found in the Album section.
1020 Sales Brochure (PDF)
1020 Instruction Manual (PDF)
|The No. 1020M Manufacturing Lathe appears to have been a non-screwcutting version of the 1020S, as evidenced by that lack of a leadscrew.|