Labormil Multi-purpose Lathe & Machine ToolManufactured by Antony Croucher Ltd. in Holybourne, England, the Labormil, was an ingenious adaptation of the last lathe made by the Nottingham-based Raglan company, their splendid if rather expensive "Five-Inch" model. The rear of the heavily-modified and strengthened headstock held a long "back bar" (supported at its far end by a slender rod) designed to carry the sliding No. 2 Morse taper tailstock and the motorised surface-grinding attachment. The bed-ways, complete carriage assembly, screwcutting gearbox and the variable-speed drive system, with its expanding-and-contracting pulley design, were standard Raglan - but the bed was detached from the headstock and supported on a knee which could be moved up and down a substantial column and so employed as the Z axis for milling and grinding jobs. It is believed that the concept and design of the Labormil was closely based on the Metalmaster, a combination machine invented by W. D. Urwick C.Eng., M.I.Mech.E. Certainly the design included the (unacknowledged) use of Urwick's patented Triangular Gib Key - an important component of the machine that locked the knee to the vertical column with great rigidly and yet, upon it's release, allowed the assemblies to move with perfect smoothness.Also capable of being pressed into service as an ordinary 5" x 23" backgeared, screwcutting centre lathe, the Labormil was equipped with a screwcutting gearbox that could generate threads from 4 to 60 t.p.i and had a spindle-speed range (driven by a1 HP 3-phase motor) of 38 to 1750 rpm. A standard Raglan swivelling top slide (a copy of that used on Atlas lathes), could be mounted on the generously proportioned T-slotted boring table - and the power sliding and surfacing arrangements of the original lathe could also be used in the normal way. The carriage sliding movement was supplemented by a handwheel control, mounted on the end of the leadscrew.The Labormil certainly looks to have been a very useful and compact machine, and it would be interesting to know how many were sold. Croucher advertised themselves as designers and builders of special-purpose machinery for any industry and possibly this machine was one of a small batch built to test the market: the first production machine was numbered 1001.Two machines that make an interesting comparison are the Swiss built Meyer and Burger UW1, and the English "Rindis", made by Lorant Ltd., in London. For surface grinding a completely self-contained, motorised grinding head was carried on the "back bar"For cylindrical and internal grinding a "toolpost-type" grinding attachment was bolted to the T-slotted boring table.Cylindrical grinding using the "toolpost-type" grinding attachment.A standard milling arbor being used between centres with the job clamped to the T-slotted boring table.Simple "stub" or "end-milling" - using the headstock spindle as a cutter holder.Ordinary lathe turning.A faceplate with tapped holes employed to hold a flange for surface turning.Thread cutting.A micrometer-adjustable boring head being used for facing work.Line boring a casting