Hi Celso
My experience is that Tony is quite good at responding to email - and he specifically asks owners to contact him on the Dandy page - so if you've given him a few days to reply I think I'd probably try again - maybe your email was caught by a spam trap.
From that comment you will guess that I think it's a Dandy. There seem to be more similarities than differences. The top (compound) slide looks the same. The saddle, apron and cross slide look the same with the exception of the covers for ways which look like they're not original. The cross slide hand wheel is different but that could be a change for different years of manufacture. The feet look the same and the bed looks the same. The layout of the changewheels looks the same and the fixing for the missing cover looks the same. The part of the banjo (quadrant) that I can see looks the same. The tumble reverse lever uses the same pin type position selector. The tail stock doesn't look quite the same as the base looks too small but the hand wheel looks to be a good match for the others on your lathe.
The headstock is the main difference and I agree that the top of the headstock is a copy of the Portass but I can't believe the rest of the lathe is because the top of the bed isn't flat.
On lathes.co.uk the page on Brown and Dandy says that Dandys had plain bearing headstocks and Browns had roller bearing headstocks which I think makes your lathe a Dandy, almost certainly made before 1937 because of the difference to the ones shown in the 1937 catalogue.
There is a thread on Practical Machinist with some more Dandy pictures https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-and-history/dandy-metal-lathe-ebay-ended-205235/ with the name of an owner in the USA. That thread also suggests that they copied parts from other lathes.
Russell
Russell, you're right. It seems that at that time they copied a lot. It is likely that the Sociedade Tecnica Bremensis used most of Dandy's design with some parts of Portass, creating a Frankelathe he he he.
I am very grateful to you and Pete for the information provided.
It is now much easier to start the restoration safely and consciously. Some home engineers here from Brazil will also help me.
A big hug from your friend from Brazil.
Celso Ari
