New Sebastian lathe, info please?

[bigearl67]

I picked up a new toy the other eve, an e-bay win, and am hoping someone has some history on it. It's a 12" Sebastian made by Stokes Industries Incorporated, here in Cincinnati. SN: K5157R. It did come with an owners manual but it has surprisingly very little information in it. The owner said it belonged to his father who owned it for 30 plus years and got it used then. The manual has Sheldon on the cover and I know there was some relationship between the two but I was also told by an old timer who worked building Sebastians that he distintly did not build Sheldons! This is about all I can remember of this conversation from over 25 years ago. Tony's site has some information on it but I believe it's wrong about a few things. Does anyone else have any info on this or possibly a year it was made? Thanks for any help. Earl.

[johnoder]

Serial book says Sebastian was a division of Sheldon. Neither the older Sebastian serials (up to '46) or the Sheldon serials are like your serial.

The lathe itself appears to be a later reiteration of the Viking by Sebastian on an old catalog page I have dated 6 of '42


PM me your working email address and I'll scan front and back of this page for you.

John Oder

[grandtools]

D C Morrison Company http://www.dcmorrison.com/index.html was the original builder of Sebastian lathes and as far as I know they still supply parts for them. At one time they were rebuilding and "modernizing" the old Sebastians. I had some literature from them in the 1970's when they were pretty active in that business. At some point Sheldon bought the Sebastian line and offered them as Sheldon Sebastians and they were the geared head line Sheldon sold.

[bigearl67]

Thanks for the info guys, every bit helps. This is a really nice machine that’s in fine shape. The ways are clean and the QC gear box is not your typical rattle trap. Plan to make a long term commitment to this one and will start by sliding it into the basement (when the wife’s away) and set it up for gunsmithing this winter. The threading lever is locked so I’m guessing there is a dog out of place that prevents it from engaging when the carriage is in anything but neutral. Have a bunch of H-100 components so will be converting the primary drive over to a toothed belt and will upgrade the motor. If I ever find a Mitutoyo cross slide scale I will have everything I need to set it up with a dro and already have the makings for a built in coolant system.
John: the scan you sent was almost dead nuts. Obviously just an earlier model with a slightly different headstock casting, no control rod and different handles for the headstock. By the way, there is not a clutch on this model as there appears to be, the traveling apron lever and headstock lever operate a Dayton reversing switch mounted on the back of the machine.
If D.C. Morrison did make the Sebastian line it’s quite possible there never was really a Sebastian lathe company but just a line of lathes built to order and under contract with outside machine makers. We had a load of machine makers in Cincinnati back in the good old days and several of them could have easily made lathes for other makers on contract. Mine is badged “Stokes”, a company I am unfamiliar with despite growing up and learning the trade in Cincinnati
.

[grandtools]

According to the DC Morrison website, they are the original builders of Sebastian lathes. It looks like the line got sold a few times, but it ended up back with Morrison at some point.

[Milacron]

Originally Posted by bigearl67

Thanks for the info guys, every bit helps. This is a really nice machine that’s in fine shape.

You are lucky then as most Sebastians are worn out. The "later" Sebastians (i.e. newer than WWII) were an El Cheapo grade lathe (note the thin open cast base, relatively tiny headstock, narrow bed, etc) but as such many were sold and many survive today.

Having said that, yours is not a bad looking machine and if in good condition and within the range of the work you do, could be a perfectly fine machine. Just pointing out that most of the post WWII Sebastian's were sort of "entry level" machines for their swing size and a far cry from the offerings of folks like American, Monarch and Pratt & Whitney.

[bigearl67]

Milacron, yes, it's a good entry level lathe and just fine for what use I have for it. It is my #4 for my new shop this coming spring and the light weight was a real bonus as it's light enough to put on the second floor of the building (beside my Burke Millrite) without too much fear of it going to the first floor unexpectedly. This will save valuable concrete floor space for the big machines. I had the indentured servants cleaning it this mourning and already have it tore down and cleaned up. This will be a nice little winter project for me that I am looking forward to. I have all the components for an H-100 drive and am working on a new motor.