Back in 2010, Al and David teamed up to create a groundbreaking headstock retractor for the rose engine Al had crafted over a decade earlier. After nailing the retractor design, Al rang up David with a new challenge: could they build a heftier headstock for his lathe? David didn’t hesitate—he pitched the idea of constructing a brand-new lathe from scratch. As the saying goes, when you’re charging toward a precipice, you rarely leap solo.
David asked Mike Stacey from Columbus Machine Works if he was interested in joining in. Mike quickly jumped at the chance to join the project. Soon after, ornamental turning enthusiast Eric Spatt came on board as a key supporter. Together, the quartet kicked off the development of four MADE Lathe prototypes. The first prototype debuted nearly two years later at the 2012 Ornamental Turners International meeting in Scranton, PA. It wasn’t perfect—there were kinks to iron out—but over the next two years, they fine-tuned the design.
By fall 2014, David Lindow and Mike Stacey were ready to take things up a notch. They committed to a production run of 10 lathes, unveiling the upgraded version at that year’s Ornamental Turners meetings and opening up orders. It took another three years of hard work, but deliveries of the polished production models finally began.
Imagine a lathe that blends the timeless charm of Victorian machinery with the sturdy build needed for intricate "fixed tool" rose engine work—popular back in the 16th and 17th centuries. That’s the MADE lathe. Without its pristine condition—no dings, dents, or patina—you’d swear it stepped straight out of the 1800s. Crafted with a massive mahogany frame, dovetailed drawers in figured mahogany, and African blackwood knobs, it’s a masterpiece of cabinetry. The overhead drive uses modern motors, seamlessly tucked into the design to complement its classic features.
The rosettes are the heart of this lathe, just like its historical counterparts. As they spin, light dances across their curves in a mesmerizing display. These 7-inch diameter rosettes are contoured for "pumping"—a side-to-side spindle motion—and paired with smaller, finely detailed spacers for guilloché work. Think Fabergé eggs: that’s the level of precision metal engraving we’re talking about.
The slide rest echoes early designs but gets a modern twist. Ball bearings on the lead screw ends and worm drive ensure smoother movement. Unlike most ornamental slide rests, the main graduated dial is adjustable, and there’s a second dial on the opposite end—complete with drive squares on both sides. A curvilinear slide with interchangeable touches lets you match the tool to different cutter head sizes, adding versatility.
For "fixed tool" rose engine tasks—where the cutter stays stationary—the MADE lathe includes a "headstock retractor." This clever device gradually brings the workpiece into contact with the fixed cutter, reversing the usual setup where the cutter moves. The retractor acts as a timed stop, syncing with the spindle to slowly increase the headstock’s rocking motion. As the rosette meets the touch, the workpiece eases into the cutter at a depth often less than .001” per rotation. Interchangeable gears let you tweak the cut depth to perfection.
The M.A.D.E. Lathe recreates classic ornamental turning chucks with smart upgrades inspired by legends like the Holtzapffels. The straight-line chuck now features a horizontal slide, letting you shift the workpiece instead of the cutter—key for true rose engine forms. A "double eccentric" chuck offers two-directional adjustment, while the elliptical chuck sticks to tradition but boasts extra mass for stability.
