Boxford Lathe was a brand of lathes

Lathe (metal)

A metal lathe or metalworking lathe is a large class of lathes designed for precisely machining relatively hard materials. They were originally designed to machine metals; however, with the advent of plastics and other materials, and with their inherent versatility, they are used in a wide range of...

 produced by Denford Machine Tools from 1946 until 1952. The original factory was in Box Tree Mills, Wheatley, Halifax, West Yorkshire

Halifax, West Yorkshire

Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...

, England. Denford Machine Tools also produced other metalworking

Metalworking

Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...

 tools including precision measuring tools such as an optical comparator

Optical comparator

An optical comparator is a device that applies the principles of optics to the inspection of manufactured parts...

. The lathes and other tools were marketed under the name "Box-Ford". The name appears to be a contraction of "Box Tree Mills" and the founder's surname, "Denford". In 1952, the founder, Horace Denford, sold the company to Harrison lathe company and production moved to Brighouse

Brighouse

Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder, east of Halifax in the Pennines. It is served by Junction 25 of the M62 motorway and Brighouse railway station on the Caldervale Line and Huddersfield Line. In the...

. Harrison was later merged into the Clausing-Colchester-Atlas Press

Atlas Press (tool company)

Atlas Press Co. was a tool company that manufactured popular brands of metalworking tools from 1920 to the mid-1970s. Many of their products received wide coverage in Popular Mechanics and Popular Science at the time.- History :...

 family.

Boxford Lathe models

Model	Swing	Centre distance	Screw cutting	Cross-feed	Production
A and AUD	9 inch	16 to 24 inch	Gearbox	Power	1946–1977
B and BUD	9 inch	16 to 24 inch	Manual	Power	1948–1977
C and CUD	9 inch	16 to 24 inch	Manual	Manual	1950–1977
T and TUD	9 inch	16 to 24 inch	None	Manual	1950–1960
VSL	9 or 10 inch	16 to 30 inch	Gearbox	Power	1966–1988
ME10	10 inch	22 inch	None	Manual	1976–1988

The model A had an optional inch or metric screw-cutting gearbox and power cross-feed. The addition of the letters, "UD" to the model letter signifies "Under Drive". Model AUD is a Model A with the Under Drive mount. The four lathes (A,B, C, and T) were dimensionally identical but with different features. Model A was the top of the line with the screw-cutting gearbox. Model B was next with power cross feed and manual gear change for screw cutting. Model C had manual cross-feed and manual gear change for screw cutting. Model T was the Training lathe. The VSL (for late machines, VSL500) was an AUD with infinitely-variable spindle speed control, larger bore through spindle, 'L00' fitting for chucks instead of the threaded fitting of the other models and some other uprated features making it more attractive to industry. The lathes were copies of the very successful American South Bend Lathe

South Bend Lathe Works

South Bend Lathe is a brand of machine tools. Today's South Bend Lathe corporation is the successor to the original South Bend Lathe Works, an American machine tool–building firm that for many decades was one of the most important builders of metalworking lathes in the U.S...

models.