popeyedmcgee
Plastic
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2015
I'm really interested in this and I really don't know where to start. I'd like to buy an old lathe to rebuild. Any tips on which kind to look for? I'd rather start with something small.
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Looking to buy a lathe
- Thread starter popeyedmcgee
- Start date
- Replies 14
- Views 2,548
kitno455
Titanium
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2010
- Location
- Virginia, USA
1. Rebuilding a lathe properly is difficult without another, working lathe. I suggest you buy one to use, not one to fix up.
2. Don't get hung up on a particular brand- there are lots of good smaller lathes out there.
3. Texas is a small machine desert. Be prepared to travel or ship.
4. Tooling will eventually cost more than the lathe. So, the higher-cost lathe with lots of tooling (chucks, collets, rests, etc) is often a better value than a cheap, bare lathe.
5. Don't sweat the condition too much. If no gear teeth are broken, and everything spins without too much noise, the limiting factor will be your skill, not the machine.
allan
2. Don't get hung up on a particular brand- there are lots of good smaller lathes out there.
3. Texas is a small machine desert. Be prepared to travel or ship.
4. Tooling will eventually cost more than the lathe. So, the higher-cost lathe with lots of tooling (chucks, collets, rests, etc) is often a better value than a cheap, bare lathe.
5. Don't sweat the condition too much. If no gear teeth are broken, and everything spins without too much noise, the limiting factor will be your skill, not the machine.
allan
Last edited:
johnoder
Diamond
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2004
- Location
- Houston, TX USA
alskdjfhg
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2013
- Location
- Houston TX
Where in Texas? It can be hard to find the small stuff, but especially in Houston there are a BUNCH of BIG lathes. Small ones too if your patient.
fciron
Stainless
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2009
- Location
- Louisville, KY, USA
As a relative beginner, I have to second Kitno's advice. Buy a working lathe to learn on. A lathe is not like an old car or motorcycle, you don't just get the shop manual and replace parts. Unless you are already familiar with machine tools, a rebuild can do more harm than good. In addition, taking it apart and putting it back together will not make you better prepared to run the darn thing.
Get an affordable, working lathe and learn how to use it then figure out what you want to make. If necessary then start shopping around for your ideal lathe to replace it. (This will also make sure that your rebuild time and money go into the right lathe.)
Get an affordable, working lathe and learn how to use it then figure out what you want to make. If necessary then start shopping around for your ideal lathe to replace it. (This will also make sure that your rebuild time and money go into the right lathe.)
WJ Birmingham
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2016
- Location
- Swansea, IL USA
If I may interject a bit of my recent 9A lathe purchase.
To me, the two MOST important things to look for are the spindle runout, and the way wear. Anything else can be fixed pretty easily. If the ways aren't straight, you'll never turn a straight part. If the spindle has runout, the parts turned will have a ton of chatter marks.
The two tools I found most valuable when going to look at a lathe were a Starret 18" machinist straight edge, and a Starret magnetic base with a dial indicator capable of measuring 0.0005".
There's my buck fiddy, which isn't worth anything.
To me, the two MOST important things to look for are the spindle runout, and the way wear. Anything else can be fixed pretty easily. If the ways aren't straight, you'll never turn a straight part. If the spindle has runout, the parts turned will have a ton of chatter marks.
The two tools I found most valuable when going to look at a lathe were a Starret 18" machinist straight edge, and a Starret magnetic base with a dial indicator capable of measuring 0.0005".
There's my buck fiddy, which isn't worth anything.
Kitno has the best answer, but if you really are determined to start with a rebuild, here's my suggestions:
Find a decent South Bend 9C. Don't pay more than $700 for the basic lathe. Have it shipped if need be.
9Cs generally go for a fair amount less than 9as, and have less wear since they were more often used by hobbyists, locksmiths etc than in production. You can do everything on a 9C that you can do on a 9A, except that learning to hand crank the feed is good learning, though not fun.
Don't worry much about tooling. You need a good chuck (consider a new one), a solid tool holder, and a good live center. Everything else you can buy as you find a need for it. Almost no hobbyist ever needs a taper attachment, a milling attachment, or a toolpost grinder. Get a good chuck and a good tool holder and you can start making chips.
South Bends are more popular than any other brand in the small sizes (at least the 9N lathes). You can find most parts easily, including brand new cross feed screws and nuts, new/rebuilt half nuts, and an actual disassembly/assembly manual.
Buy an Ilion rebuild kit that includes the book. Along with that, buy the tool for the feed screw nuts. Also buy the 4 basic oils you need (yeah, you need all four. If you're unsure, buy the overseas pack from Bluechipmachine. It's cheaper than the regular pack).
Get a decent dial indicator. Even the one from HF isn't too bad for this.
Do not file, sand, drill, scrape, or ream anything the first time through. Don't paint the first tie through. Just clean scrupulously, and oil like crazy. Change all the felts, even the ones that are hard to do.
Assemble, set bearing clearances, oil again, and start turning. Within a hundred hours, you will know what you want, either to buy some more tooling or to sell this thing and buy something bigger/smaller/shinier. You should expect to lose maybe $200 to $300 in this exercise, although a decent 9C in Texas or the plains above ought to hold it's value pretty well. The C will hurt resale.
Keep in mind that kitno has the best advice. Mine is only if you insist on doing a rebuild. You will, sooner or later, want to do a rebuild. Just keep in mind that I, and people like me, watch Craigs List for the chance to buy abandoned rebuilds; you can get lots of good stuff dirt cheap when the rebuilder gets discouraged and gives up.
Find a decent South Bend 9C. Don't pay more than $700 for the basic lathe. Have it shipped if need be.
9Cs generally go for a fair amount less than 9as, and have less wear since they were more often used by hobbyists, locksmiths etc than in production. You can do everything on a 9C that you can do on a 9A, except that learning to hand crank the feed is good learning, though not fun.
Don't worry much about tooling. You need a good chuck (consider a new one), a solid tool holder, and a good live center. Everything else you can buy as you find a need for it. Almost no hobbyist ever needs a taper attachment, a milling attachment, or a toolpost grinder. Get a good chuck and a good tool holder and you can start making chips.
South Bends are more popular than any other brand in the small sizes (at least the 9N lathes). You can find most parts easily, including brand new cross feed screws and nuts, new/rebuilt half nuts, and an actual disassembly/assembly manual.
Buy an Ilion rebuild kit that includes the book. Along with that, buy the tool for the feed screw nuts. Also buy the 4 basic oils you need (yeah, you need all four. If you're unsure, buy the overseas pack from Bluechipmachine. It's cheaper than the regular pack).
Get a decent dial indicator. Even the one from HF isn't too bad for this.
Do not file, sand, drill, scrape, or ream anything the first time through. Don't paint the first tie through. Just clean scrupulously, and oil like crazy. Change all the felts, even the ones that are hard to do.
Assemble, set bearing clearances, oil again, and start turning. Within a hundred hours, you will know what you want, either to buy some more tooling or to sell this thing and buy something bigger/smaller/shinier. You should expect to lose maybe $200 to $300 in this exercise, although a decent 9C in Texas or the plains above ought to hold it's value pretty well. The C will hurt resale.
Keep in mind that kitno has the best advice. Mine is only if you insist on doing a rebuild. You will, sooner or later, want to do a rebuild. Just keep in mind that I, and people like me, watch Craigs List for the chance to buy abandoned rebuilds; you can get lots of good stuff dirt cheap when the rebuilder gets discouraged and gives up.
iwananew10K
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2010
- Location
- moscow,ohio
Texas is a big place...but for a small very capable lathe I would be looking for a Colchester Chipmaster.< hint,hint> 
WJ Birmingham
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2016
- Location
- Swansea, IL USA
This just popped up on Ebay. I have no knowledge so buyer beware.
South Bend 9" Lathe | eBay
But, it looks nice. Worth the buy it now if the ways are straight and spindle is tight. Have to pick it up in Louisiana though.
ETA, and it has a taper attachment, which could be sold...
South Bend 9" Lathe | eBay
But, it looks nice. Worth the buy it now if the ways are straight and spindle is tight. Have to pick it up in Louisiana though.
ETA, and it has a taper attachment, which could be sold...
It's sold, I see, but that looks like a steal. The rebuild was seemingly done with care, and the taper attachment should bring you $350 at least, dropping the cost to $650. If the ways are OK, that would have been worth a 300 mile drive at least. The chuck looks just ordinary, but it has a nice toolholder.
WJ Birmingham
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2016
- Location
- Swansea, IL USA
Yeah, at that price, I didn't figure it would last long at all.
sam_stlouis
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2010
- Location
- missouri, USA
I have a 9a that needs a couple parts and a cleaning. My plan was to put it back together and sell local. But I would sell as is for 350, shipping from St. Louis might be to expensive to make it a good deal though. I can give more info if u want, but I half to assume shipping cost would kill the idea
I sent you a PM.
panabax
Aluminum
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2015
- Location
- Dallas, Texas USA
This just hit the DFW CL. It could be worth a look. I like the fact that it has not received a coat of spray paint by someone trying to make it look better than it is. Includes taper attachment.
10" SOUTH-BEND--LATHE
Baxter
10" SOUTH-BEND--LATHE
Baxter
stephen thomas
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2001
I suppose it's rude to not assume you know what is involved and have the tools and means to accomplish it?
That said, my choice would be/is a Hardinge TL. Beautiful lathes, lots of current tooling out there. Can often be had for $400 or less, and are actually worth something when completely rebuilt. Second choice would be a Rivett 608 or 1020R. Which are worth even more finished. The problem with Rivetts is that worn out units still sell for a lot of money due to a wide collector base. Many have weird spindles, and they don't have the same base or prevalence of affordable add-on tooling and accessories.
The 608 is about as simple as a SB in layout albeit much more complex in geometry for re-scraping and refitting. The 1020R and the Hardinge TL are fairly complex machines the whole way.
Perhaps the best return on the $ for an honest rebuilt project would be a Monarch 10EE or a Hardinge HLV-H-EM.
All the lathes mentioned have work envelops from about 8" swing through 11" swing, and about 18" length between centers. The 1020R and the 10EE are fairly massive machines, though. The HLV-H-EM is intermediate between them and the others mentioned. I think Paul Babin gets north of $50K for a rebuild on one, so probably your best option, if you have the means.
smt