Galane
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2010
- Location
- Idaho, USA
Someone attempted to take the gearbox apart on my 1967 9" South Bend, starting with driving out the tapered pin for the shaft the handles slide on - the wrong direction - and broke the housing. I assume the same person also removed and lost the input stub shaft and its gears. The gear on the left handle and one of the gears it meshes with were badly chewed up, as if the operator was trying to engage them with the lathe running. 
The easiest way to get a good housing, the input shaft and replace the missing and damaged gears was to buy a complete gearbox (complete with broken handles) and leadscrew. The leadscrew happened to be in better condition than the one original to the lathe. I don't know how old the parts are but they're from before the introduction of the 10K, there's only an N on the part numbers instead of NK. The gears in the box are in great condition, look like barely used.
Yesterday I finished assembling the lathe itself (still have to finish the countershaft and motor bracket) and was trying the gearbox handles in all their positions. The left handle could not be put into position A. Something was hitting that shouldn't.
I tipped the lathe over on its back and had a look underneath and found the handle would hit the inside of the gearbox housing. I compared the inside shapes of both boxes, identical. The broken handles from the replacement box had a more complex shape which is more curved and would easily clear the bump that fouled the rather boxy and bulkier 1967 handle.
As it came off the production line, the left handle on the original gearbox could never have been put properly into position A! I can imagine the frustration of the lathe's original owner trying to force the handle up. What I can't imagine is WTH he didn't call up the dealer or South Bend and report the problem and get it corrected - or how this goof made it past quality control.
It's an Amsted produced lathe, looks like South Bend suffered quality slippage much like many companies the conglomerates gobbled up from the late 1950's through the 1970s.
Fortunately the cure was easy. Grind a bit off the handle until it cleared the housing and would go up and lock into hole A.
'Course I touched up the grinding with a spritz of paint.
The easiest way to get a good housing, the input shaft and replace the missing and damaged gears was to buy a complete gearbox (complete with broken handles) and leadscrew. The leadscrew happened to be in better condition than the one original to the lathe. I don't know how old the parts are but they're from before the introduction of the 10K, there's only an N on the part numbers instead of NK. The gears in the box are in great condition, look like barely used.
Yesterday I finished assembling the lathe itself (still have to finish the countershaft and motor bracket) and was trying the gearbox handles in all their positions. The left handle could not be put into position A. Something was hitting that shouldn't.
I tipped the lathe over on its back and had a look underneath and found the handle would hit the inside of the gearbox housing. I compared the inside shapes of both boxes, identical. The broken handles from the replacement box had a more complex shape which is more curved and would easily clear the bump that fouled the rather boxy and bulkier 1967 handle.
As it came off the production line, the left handle on the original gearbox could never have been put properly into position A! I can imagine the frustration of the lathe's original owner trying to force the handle up. What I can't imagine is WTH he didn't call up the dealer or South Bend and report the problem and get it corrected - or how this goof made it past quality control.
It's an Amsted produced lathe, looks like South Bend suffered quality slippage much like many companies the conglomerates gobbled up from the late 1950's through the 1970s.
Fortunately the cure was easy. Grind a bit off the handle until it cleared the housing and would go up and lock into hole A.
'Course I touched up the grinding with a spritz of paint.
