Radial compound slide
This probably rare compound slide varies considerably from the usual type supplied for the Pittler lathe and compound slides on most other lathes. The top slide turns via an additional handle on a long extension shaft, it uses three handles in total. The long shaft operates a worm on an enclosed circular gearing. The exact purpose of this variation is not fully clear but it seems to be capable of accurately cutting a concave on a large workpiece held on a faceplate. Far right: The top-slide removed showing the worm and the lug which operates it. Lower right: The underside of the top-slide showing the circular gear.
Below : The compound slide shown fitted to the lathe, The hole visible on the right accepts the stems of other accessories including the regular cross-slide. To fit this accessory on it is easy to simply slide the normal saddle casting off sideways and temporarily place it out of the way below the chuck or at the tailstock end.
Bottom Right: Two handles are shown fitted here, one moves the top-slide forward and back via it's leadscrew as normal. The second handle with a long shank turns the top-slide accurately in either direction.
The heavy compound slide and just like the standard Pittler slide it can be tilted on the round saddle to different angles. The casting of the aperture is in two pieces to allow fitting without dismantling the tailstock. Below: the casting is shown fitted on the lathe, unlike a normal compound slide it cannot be turned freely by hand but only with the handle. Bellow: the slide is fitted on in place of the normal saddle casting which can be seen sitting safely out of the way underneath the chuck. Pittler later produced a removeable saddle casting with two separate parts.
