Musing about Reeve's Drives (this should cure your insomnia, zzz)

I often wonder who Reeve is (was). I use his drive on a Delta lathe, and frankly, it is a pain in the butt.

YEA - who is this guy that he gets his own drive system named after him? (supposing the person is a male)

Hi Arch,

I too have wondered about this. I have heard many complain about their Reeves drive system on a particular lathe. It seems to be the Jet and Delta that have the most problems.

But I used one for years on my Boice-Crane lathe with no problems. But it was built like a tank. It was also built in the early 70's. So it may have been much beefier than the current crop.

But whoever Mr. Reeves was, he did a good job on my lathe. :)

Was curious about Mr. Reeves so did a Google search. The first items was Reeves BMW Imports so maybe we just think they are troublesome, outdated speed controls. Maybe they are really BMW's in the lathe world. :) Earl

I don't know- I still like mine on my 20 (or 25) yr old Delta. It slows down if I put too much pressure on the cut, but that's a handle issue. But given a choice between that, a manual change system, or an electronic variable speed, I think I'll stick with the mechanical system that I have a chance of repairing rather than the extra work involved in the manual change or yet another computer that is impossible for me to repair if it dies- especially if that new version of the system comes with the modern plastic and just-barely-adequate potmetal manufacturing we've all come to know and, umm...., love?

Even if the Reeves drive breaks all together, I can take it to a machine shop and have a new part made- it might even be better than it was when it was new if the local machinist takes pride in his work. If some circuit board burns out one of it's 50,000 transistors, I'm not going to print out a new circut board in my garage or even be able to accurately isolate the problem. Granted, most tool systems aren't that sophisticated (yet), but I'd hate to see everything go the way of the modern engine. I used to be able to fix my car- but not any more. The one I've got now even requires special tools just to *look* at it, and it's no better at getting me from point "a" to point "b" than the one I drove in high school.

I wonder how much change is really useful innovation- and how much is simply change for the sake of stamping "new and improved" on the boxes. For my part, I am quite impressed with the relative elegance and simplicity of the Reeves system, even if it does have a few warts and pimples.

Though as always, YMMV.

On further review I find that Mr. Reeve is the same guy who invented files for scrapers, cut nails for bedans, tree trunks for driving pole lathes, silicone for finishes, fingered gloves for safety, long two wire extension cords, open toed turning sandals, water soluble lacquer, dipping in holy water for drying timber and many other things that work so well for us, but his crowning glory is the state of the art, smoothly working, ever loving, always faithful Reeve's Drive. YMMV :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Here ya go, the straight scoop on the Reeve's drive, which was invented about

Thanks Dan, for another of your usual helpful posts.

My abject apology to the shades of Mr. Reeves, with the 's'. I certainly want to be 'PC' (punctuationally correct) so henceforth it shall be a Reeves' or better yet a reeves drive. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Well how 'bout that. So there WAS a Mr. Reeves. It looks like he was quite the inventor back in the day. Good to know just for historical sakes.