14 1/2 South Bend lathe please give me some feedback

Please help me!

I have never run a lathe but feel compelled that I have to have one. I have been bitten by the old iron bug and have been rebuilding old wood working machines for my home shop. I have come to the realization that I need a metal lathe to help support this habit. So I went out and found a 6X18 Craftsman lathe and then realized by the time I had it up and running and tooled I could have a real lathe for a little more money, so I sold it and began the search. I am willing to learn and would like some information on the following lathe.

Here is all that I know:

I have found a 14 1/2" South Bend lathe with a 6' foot bed local to me (a few miles away). It has been in the owners possesion for quite some time but has not been used in 15-20 years. The serial # is 112201 which puts it at around 1941 from what I have found. I did not get the catalog number off of the machine. There is also a USN tag and South Bend tag at the right end of the bed that has been painted over. It comes with 3 chucks a box of misc bits and an altoris tool holder also looks like a taper attachment but I am not sure. It has been converted over to single phase 220 and the owner did say he has the original 3 ph motor somewhere also. The lathe is under power and seems to work fine. The ways dont have a ridge on them and look to be in decent shape for a machine of this vintage. I have not turned anything with the machine. The owner is asking $1500 for the lathe. I am reluctant to ask if this is a fair price since it is hard to put a price on a machine with just pictures.

The lathe is stored in a wharehouse and is covered with a tarp. There is no rust to speak of on the machine just a few coats of paint.

Please take a look at the pictures and tell me what ya'll think. Remember I have no experience on a machine of this type so please let me know of the pros and cons and what to look for. I am located in Texas and lathes don't seem to show up to often so I am pretty stoked about one being in my back yard.

Below are pictures of the machine in no particular order.

Over all shot of the lathe (best I can get)


The extra chucks and taper attachement.



I also found the lead screw but don't know where it goes.


Headstock


Tailstock


Compound


Box of Misc Stuff



Threading Chart on Gear Box


Please take a look at the pictures and let me what ya'll think. Am I missing something that could be a deal breaker or are there a few goodies to sweeten the pot. I would like to make an informed offer on the machine. I will be away from the computer until Monday to answer any other questions.

Looks like a taper attachment on the floor.

I just went through this. Bought a 16" lathe for about 1/2 of the asking price of yours.

The selling point on mine was the excellent condition of the ways and the gearing. It looks like it has had little use over the years.


When I have mine all tooled up I will have about 2K in it.

Right now there are some great deals out there for NEW tooling.

Tim

That looks like a good find. I think the asking price is a little high, but he might come down a little if he really wants to move it. The fact that it's set up for single phase 220 is a good selling point because you'd spend some bucks getting set up for 3-phase.

But in case you change your mind, let me know.

Looks very good compared to the 14 1/2 I brought home to clean up and refurb. Course, I paid less that scrap price to haul it away.

Someone did a decent job on the paint. Not my favorite color scheme, but way better than the blue-and-orange that I got with mine.

Looks like you can just plug 'er up and start to work or play and not worry about the looks of that one.

Aloris tool post and holder could be half the purchase price, especially if several holders are there. Add the thread dial in the mix another hundred. Drill chuck in the tailstock ... little things add up when you start tooling out ... we all know this too well. Looks like a decent deal. Not great but maybe there is another piece or two laying around that sweetens the pot a little extra.

You need to clean the paint or whatever off the right end of the ways out past the white paper towel or rag and read that number (with letters). That will give you the correct year and other specs of the lathe.


BTW, I'm needing a tailstock for mine. If anyone has one parting out or otherwise stumbles upon one, let me know. See one on ePay, but price is outrageous and looks like much new model than my 1953 would look comfortable carrying.

Good luck with your decision. Fun times ...

gcude;

sent you an PM

Craig Donges

Looks like a complete lathe with most of the parts for the taper attachment.

A few comments about 14-1/2" south bends. I bought one with an 8 ft bed for $300, 1960's vintage with good ways, good headstock, a couple gears with one tooth missing in the gear train to the dual tumbler quick change, a severly damagee apron, missing half nuts and a taper attachment missing a handle plus one of the tailstock quill locks is missing. I have been searching for parts and can tell you they are harder to find than are parts for other South Bend lathes. The best I can learn, only 6,000 of these were built as compared to some 250,000 10" models. The taper attachment is the same as the 13" lathe, the threading dial is the same as the 13 and 16" lathes. The tailstock internals are the same as the 16" and the gear train from the spindle to the quick change gear box is mostly the same as a 16". The lead screw is the same as a 16" lathe.

I have purchased most of the parts I need and have about $1000 invested so far. I bought the following from a 16" lathe to use on the 14-1/2": lead screw, the complete gear train from the spindle to the quick change and the threading dial. I bought a complete apron and a spare set of half nuts from a 14-1/2" lathe.

I am still looking for a good condition compound rest. I can use the one I have but want a better one.

Now I need to start buying tooling and I expect to have about $1800 invested by time it is in good shape and tooled.

This will give you some idea of the value of a lathe in good condition.

toolnut said:

Looks like a complete lathe with most of the parts for the taper attachment.

A few comments about 14-1/2" south bends. I bought one with an 8 ft bed for $300, 1960's vintage with good ways, good headstock, a couple gears with one tooth missing in the gear train to the dual tumbler quick change, a severly damagee apron, missing half nuts and a taper attachment missing a handle plus one of the tailstock quill locks is missing. I have been searching for parts and can tell you they are harder to find than are parts for other South Bend lathes. The best I can learn, only 6,000 of these were built as compared to some 250,000 10" models. The taper attachment is the same as the 13" lathe, the threading dial is the same as the 13 and 16" lathes. The tailstock internals are the same as the 16" and the gear train from the spindle to the quick change gear box is mostly the same as a 16". The lead screw is the same as a 16" lathe.

I have purchased most of the parts I need and have about $1000 invested so far. I bought the following from a 16" lathe to use on the 14-1/2": lead screw, the complete gear train from the spindle to the quick change and the threading dial. I bought a complete apron and a spare set of half nuts from a 14-1/2" lathe.

I am still looking for a good condition compound rest. I can use the one I have but want a better one.

Now I need to start buying tooling and I expect to have about $1800 invested by time it is in good shape and tooled.

This will give you some idea of the value of a lathe in good condition.

Click to expand...

This sounds just like my experience so far with the 14 1/2.

I have been gradually aquiring the parts I need to make mine whole again and as you say, parts are scarce, but they do show up from time-to-time.

I really like the look of the 14 1/2 and feel it will complement my SB 9A well for larger work.

The 9A I got from Joe at Plaza Machinery and it came pretty well tooled up when it got here.

I'm excited about getting my 14 1/2 back in prime condition and I'm glad others are sharing their experience and finds.

With only 6000 produced, you will be buying into select company.

We can only wonder how many of the 6000 have survived.

I hope there are more out there like the one in the photos for others to discover and once again get the joy and satisfaction out of this good old American iron.

Toolnut;

I have just started parting a 14 1/2" and may be able to help with your needs.

Craig Donges

Looks like a good buy to me. I paid $1600 for a 16" with hardly any tooling several years back and I'm not the least bit ashamed. Around my area a junk 9" brings $500 for some reason. This thread is giving a pretty fair assessment in my opinion but sometimes these "how much" threads are skewed by the braggarts who stole from the little old widow down the street.

Looks like a lot of good tooling. Someone even put threaded plugs in the unused chucks, is that a good indicator on how things were taken care of? Get the guy to come down a couple hundred bucks due to the goofy paint and then come on here and do some bragging of your own.

Good luck.

The "lead screw" is actually the cross feed screw. Just to he left in your picture you can see it's replacement where it was converted to the large dial - much better for old eyes. Can't really help with price as our new england prices are generally lower with lots of machinery available.
Overall, though, doesn't look like a bad machine.

Bill

Is that taper original to a SBL 14-1/2?

Hi all,

Is it just me, or does that taper not look like original equipment for a SBL?

I've had a couple of 16's and both had tapers and neither looked anything like that one in their closer details. Not saying it can't work on this machine, may have been previously fitted up, issues resolved, etc., but to me, it doesn't look like an SBL taper. One of my lathes was 1952 model, the other 1954, so it might just be a modernizing kind of a thing?

The crossfeed screw looks right, btw.

Taper or no, my 2 cents from what I can make out on the pics is that this looks like a good deal for a Texas lathe.

I like the spindle nose replicas in the chucks - handy thing to have - you can use them to verify fit of backplates you find at the swap meet, etc. 2-3/8 x 6 tpi is not the most common backplate these days, so its helpful to have a quick way to check.

Thanks for all of the info guys. I am going to see if I can work out a deal with the owner.

A little more background on the lathe: The present owner has a antique shop and does some minor restorations on furniture. I stopped in a few months back and got to talking with him and asked if he had any machines for sale. He said he did and took me around back and moved a bunch of stuff out of the way and uncovered this lathe. My jaw dropped as lathes seem hard to find in Texas. He said he purchased the machine back in the 60's from a machine shop for $1500 that closed down and used it in his Auto Garage until he closed that in the 80's. He also said he put another $500 into it converting it to single phase. He really never learned how to use it but one of his guys at the garage did. Since then it has been stored and he always said one day he would like to learn how to use it. I come along and really take an interest in it and he is willing to sell it. My issue is that I have no funds to purchase the machine outright, but he is willing to sell it to me with me making payments monthly unitl I pay it off. I figure I will go ahead and get it, It will be hard for a few months to budget it, but after a year I won't even rember that.

Thanks for all the info. I feel I have a better understanding on the lathe to work a deal on price.

Fred

Terms make a big difference...

Fred,

Getting the terms you need (ability to pay it out) when you need them makes a big difference.

If you're comfortable with the payments, under all the circumstances you've mentioned, I'd say go get it.

Craig Donges said:

Toolnut;

I have just started parting a 14 1/2" and may be able to help with your needs.

Craig Donges

Click to expand...

Hi Craig, hope all is well - I'm new to posting on this site - I own a 141/2 and would like to acquire a steady and taper attachment - do you have any tooling and accessories? Thanks Bob

This thread was 5 years old, and Craig does not hang out here anymore.

allan