Hardened Bed on my Heavy 10 ?

K

kben77

Aluminum

Joined

Nov 19, 2006

Location

West Chester, PA.

• Aug 14, 2007

• #1

Hi,

I received this in a response to my email to Leblond about my lathe:

Following is the information you requested:
1. Serial Number: 15128RKX16
2. Catalog Number: CLC187A
3. Size: 10"X4'
4. 1HP; 208V/3PH/60CY
5. 1800 RPM
6. Ship Date: February 2, 1966
7. Has hardened bed.

Now, my bed does not have the plate that says Flame Hardened, and I just assumed it was not.
Also, I took a cheapo diamond file and scratched the ways on the left side past the head. So, I assumed it was not a hardened bed. Anyone got a suggestion on the mystery ?

Here's a picture of it.

or try this

[ 08-13-2007, 11:33 PM: Message edited by: Paula ]

 

Paula

Titanium

Joined

Sep 16, 2005

Location

Indiana, USA

• Aug 14, 2007

• #2

Kevin,

The 'X' in your serial number denotes some kind of non-standard feature, and often refers to a hardened bed, among other things. The folks at LeBlond would know for sure. Can you see any flaking on the ways -- in areas that would normally not be worn? If not, then it probably is a hard bed, as they were not flaked.

Also, the hardened bed would not be as hard as a diamond file. Perhaps try scratching it with something softer.

Paula

 

B

Blob

Hot Rolled

Joined

Apr 7, 2007

Location

Scotts Valley, CA

• Aug 14, 2007

• #3

I had a Chinese lathe that had a heat treated bed, and I was able to scratch it with a file - possibly the heat treatment does not harden the bed to the level of a file. I just checked my SB 10K flame hardened bed, and it too will scratch with a file. My understanding is that a hardened bed will not have the scraping marks, while a non hardened bed will. You can probably rely on the info from LeBlond.

Blob

 

jim rozen

Diamond

Joined

Feb 26, 2004

Location

peekskill, NY

• Aug 14, 2007

• #4

Not a mystery.

My take on this is:

1) leblond is telling the truth.

2) looks like a flame hard bed.

3) diamond files are harder than the steel
hard bed and will scratch it.

4) stop scratching your nice bed ways with
diamond files....?

JIm

 

K

kben77

Aluminum

Joined

Nov 19, 2006

Location

West Chester, PA.

• Aug 14, 2007

• #5

Hi Jim,

Good point ! I was just not expecting a hardened bed. I am quite pleased with the info. I read on a few sites the "file test" was a sure way to determine if the ways were hardened. I thought the diamond file might be a problem.

I asked for a little more info from Leblond. I believe my lathe was delivered to a school in New York and spent it's years in a class room. So, it has not seen production use.

Paula, I don't see any flaking. It has a d1-4 camlock, so I was not sure if that's why it had an "x" in the serial number.

The one test I did try to determine if the ways were worn was to tighten down on the saddle and then try and move it from the spindle to the tail stock. It did bind a little so it may have some wear on the ways.

I am stictly a hobbyist, so I am very pleased with what I have.

Thanks to all for the info.
~Kevin

 

A

alg4884

Cast Iron

Joined

Aug 28, 2006

Location

Southwest, Alabama, USA

• Aug 14, 2007

• #6

What I was able to gather from LeBlond was the 'X' in the serial no. indicates "Special." And that special means anything that would have been non-standard to that particular lathe. Could mean the "Cam-Lock" D1 series, or the long nose "L" series spindles. The 'X' could also mean hardened bedways. Or, it could mean any combinations of non-standard items.

This is part of the response I received from DeWitt at LeBlond regarding my inquiry about my 1972 Heavy 10 Toolroom model lathe which has the hardened bedways. It also has the D1 "Cam-Lock" spindle:

....Since your lathe has a camlock spindle, that's what makes your spindle "special"; i.e. the majority of lathes have threaded spindle noses.

alg4884

 

J

jkull

Aluminum

Joined

Apr 24, 2004

Location

Illinois

• Aug 14, 2007

• #7

I'm also refurbishing a 1966 Heavy 10 lathe and it has an "X" in the serial number and a D1 spindle. There's no tag stating flame hardened bed, but the bed is definitely hard. There are no scraping marks. A photo of my lathe appears in the topic "Detail Question".

Jim

 

jim rozen

Diamond

Joined

Feb 26, 2004

Location

peekskill, NY

• Aug 14, 2007

• #8

For me it is the obvious lack of hand scraping
on the tailstock ways, near the headstock, that
indicates the ways were hardened and ground.

Also, oddly enough, the built-in ball oilers
on the saddle.

Jim

 

Q

quasi

Stainless

Joined

Dec 18, 2003

Location

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

• Aug 15, 2007

• #9

When I go to auctions this is how I tell if a lathe has a hardened bed. I take out my trusty 5 lb. ball-peen hammer and hit the bed with it, hard. If the bed dents, it isn't hardened. If it chips or spalls, it is.

 

V

VTX-

Plastic

Joined

Jan 22, 2007

Location

M.A.

• Aug 15, 2007

• #10

Jim,
may I ask what is odd about the ball oilers?? was this a feture only on hard beds? I have a late 60's heavy 10 hard bed with them and a late 1940's 10 with out them.

 

K

kben77

Aluminum

Joined

Nov 19, 2006

Location

West Chester, PA.

• Aug 15, 2007

• #11

Quasi, that's a good one ! I was very careful to scrape a tiny little bit off the ways, an inch off the left side of the ways. I am on vacation now, but I will hit the ways with my 10lb. sledge when I get back. I will post the results. Thanks for the definitive test to determine if it has a hardened bed or not.

~Kevin

 

jim rozen

Diamond

Joined

Feb 26, 2004

Location

peekskill, NY

• Aug 15, 2007

• #12

I've always associated the oilers like that with
hard beds. But I've never seen anything definitive
that said they were always fitted with them, and
never without.

It may be that many of the later machines had
hard beds, and happened to come with the oilers,
but it's not a hard and fast rule.

Jim

 

R

RAM

Aluminum

Joined

Jan 29, 2007

Location

Stafford, VA

• Sep 5, 2007

• #13

Kben77,

nice looking lathe. I have the exact same lathe only a few years older than yours. Had the same questions to SB and LeBlond and received same data. I am sure you will enjoy it as I have. started out doing small hobby type things with mine and now starting to develop my home base rebarreling/custom gunsmith shop.

Ron

 

itsmeBernie

Hot Rolled

Joined

Jul 2, 2005

Location

Northern New Jersey

• May 7, 2013

• #14

I have a 65 10L lathe exactly like this (that I just picked up). I got my card from Grizzly-SB. Although not marked on the lathe, the Serial number has an "X" in it as well. My serial card has "Hard Bed". In the description.

Also has way ball-oilers. I did put some oil in them, but wondered if I was just washing dirt down under the carriage! Hah

Bernie