Hi, First Post...My New-To-Me 9A, and How to Move it?

Committed to purchase this 9A, part of an estate sale- from these two pictures. Estate trustee doesn't know anything about it (other, than owned by his now departed 99 year old uncle); wanted it gone and comes with everything related to it. Hard to tell from the pics all that's there, but I see two chucks on the bench (hoping that smaller one is a 4-jaw but I can't tell). Who knows what other "goodies" (or, junk) might be there- really hoping to find the steady for it.





He said it runs, and from the pics doesn't look beat-up- but the price reflects the "unknown" factor. My eyeballs tell me it's gotta be the 4' or 4-1/2' bed model, and not smaller (I hope, or there won't be enough between centers).

I'm hoping for some help in two areas...
First, gotta get this back to my shop. I known it's a relatively light lathe- but at 400 lbs is still more than my son and myself can handle. I was thinking about buying a one-ton foldable shop crane from HF: 1 Ton Capacity Foldable Shop Crane

This would also allow loading (I think) into the bed of my 3/4 ton pickup. Other than trying to source manpower, this is the only idea I've had- but don't see a problem with it. No other use for a shop crane, but seems it would be a requirement for having only two backs available (one of which isn't in great shape!)

Feasible to rig the lathe to this via the bedways? How difficult is it to uncouple the drive motor assembly? Better solution to moving it?

Then, after the move, I need to learn all I can about this old chunk of American iron. A steady is needed, if there isn't one there, does anyone still make them- or is it "Ebay time"? Assuming I haven't bought a money pit, I'd love to restore it to her former glory as time permits- sources for information on this (original manual copies?), and parts?

Appreciate any advice on moving- and insight into the 9A. Thanks!

Yes, you can use an engine hoist as you linked to (foldable crane). Believe it or not, if you get one other person you can probably lift it with the 3 of you. I moved a 9A and 3 of us loaded it into the back of my SUV and after I got it home I lifted it out with an engine hoist, similar to the one you linked to but a non-folder.

Be careful to get the straps around the lathe so that it is balanced, you'll want to lift it close to the headstock.

You can move the counter shaft separately but depending on the belt, you might need to cut it so you can free it from the lathe. After you get it home you can get another belt and assemble it together. That looks like an old one piece belt, why I mention that.

Also, be careful of the cover over the gears on the end of the lathe, those get loose and/or have a tendency to break as they are cast.

both chucks look to be 3 jaw to me.? yes a shop crane is a good idea to save your back {have moved a 13 inch SBL with a 2 ton one}
be sure and get the bench also, get all the stuff seller is will to part with.

Best bet is to hire a crane, and take the roof off.. Just kidding.. If you take the motor/drive off, remove the chuck, tailstock, etc... 3 or 4 strong men should be able to handle it.

You and your son is more then enough man power. I moved one out of a basement with no outside exit, remove the back pulley assembly. remove the gearbox & lead screw, remove the head stock, and 2 guys can walk the bed out.

You can move it! Take it apart first. I moved my 10K all by myself, with no shop crane, after removing everything I could. Backed the truck up to a dolly blocked to the correct height, slid the bed onto it, rolled the dolly to the bench, slid the bed onto the bench and then re-assembled it. If you have any help at all, it should not be a problem.

Move tailstock and carriage to the farthest end of the bed, lock in place.

Get some soft lifting straps and pick it up with the engine hoist. You'll probably have to play with the placement of the slings to find a good balance. Make sure the straps aren't exposed to any sharp corners.

400lbs isn't that bad. That's in the manhandle weight range if your determined.

"You can move it! Take it apart first. "

+1

The lathe is quite filthy. You'll want to tear it down to clean it when you get it to your shop.

Break it into:

Headstock
Carriage
Tailstock
Drive
Gearbox and leadscrew

Tape the leadscrew to a 2X4 when moving to keep it from getting bent.

Bring lots of rags and boxes to put the accessories in.

the single heaviest item will be the bed, but you and your son can handle that, one
at each end.

jim rozen said:

"You can move it! Take it apart first. "

Click to expand...

I second that emotion. It appears that it may be a v belt headstock, in which case, you have two options - either cut the belt, or disassemble the countershaft, enough to release the belt, which stays with the lathe. Bring a selection of SAE sized combination wrenches and sockets, and some allen wrenches. A handheld impact with a slotted bit might be very helpful, especially with removing the gearbox and the leadscrew brackets, and a hammer to drive it. Might bring along a set of pin punches, just in case.

I've disassembled and moved two of these now, no problem, one pretty much alone.

Paul

Just my $0.02, since this is your first lathe, and since it seems like you're not too familiar with it, if you can use the engine hoist and leave it together, I think that's your best bet. You're getting some advice from people that have moved these lathes, some more than once, taken them apart down to the last bolt cleaned everything and put them back together. That might not be the case for you.

I wouldn't worry about saving the belt, just cut it and separate the counter shaft from the lathe. It does look like a V belt, which is a very nice part of the lathe. Could even be a hardened bed.

Take the chuck and tailstock off, move the carriage to the far end and lift the lathe in one piece.

It's not that these lathes are difficult to take apart and put back together, but from the sounds of it you might not have the knowledge to start taking things apart and get it back together. I would play it safe and leave it together. You'll have plenty of time to clean it and take things apart after you get it into your shop. Trying to separate the headstock from the lathe bed can be challenging as the bolts have a mind of their own fairly often. Same thing removing the carriage.

Alan

Thanks to all for the advice...
Alan, you were reading my mind- as I was going down the line of responses and saw yours I said "Bingo!"

I will have only a few hours access at most- and trying to disassemble this under "duress" without effing something up- and then remembering sequence and how to get it back togetber just isn't the added stress I need at the time. Not a first lathe, but a first "real" lathe having learned some basics with my 7".

Will begin disassembly and cleaning/restoration after the move.
I need a good "checklist" to get me on track. I don't want to fire it up and start making chips if the bearings are dry, for example.
Any suggestions on a source/reference for getting started? Is there a PDF of the manual for these online somewhere?

The more I look at tbe long, unbraced pipe legs on that bench the more I see myself firing up the MIG and adding some braces for lateral stability...

Im not that big guy and i managed the last one i got from the road to my workshop by myself. Took around 15 minutes. Its really easy to dismantle and the bed is not that heavy for one person.
1. slide off tailstock
2. Remove lead screw bracket at right hand side , also the plate on far side of apron that guides it on the bed (two screws), make sure half nut lever is open and wind off saddle/apron.
3. take off gear banjo etc.. and gear cover.
4. undo the screws holding the gearbox on ,3 screws i think through edge of bed.
5. undo the two bolt holding the headstock down and slide off.
Relatively easy and quick.
Bob
p.s depending on the state of the belt between the cone pulleys and the countershaft, i just undid mine as it was one of those clip type cloth belts. If its a one piece i would just cut it off if its in poor condition.

I agree about the ease of moving this lathe. With the motor and pulley stuff removed, two guys should be able
to lift and move the thing off the bench. It's already 'off the floor' which is good 'cause snatching it up off the
floor would be the hard part. Just lift it off the bench and put it in your truck/trailer without going to the floor.
I'm a big fan of roller boards (movers dolly) for this stuff if you've got to go any distance.

Pete

When I moved my 10k into the basement, I disassembled it and weighed the bed while I had it apart. The 54" bed, stripped, is 120 lbs.

Jon

Well, the $40 to rent an engine hoist for a day just seems to make sense.
I consider myself to be "mechanically inclined" having been a Contractor and "DIY" guy my whole life- but having never disassembled any lathe, much less this particular one- it's not a job I want to start, find out there are issues- and not have the hoist- or the manpower- to complete the task.

I've been through too many "Hell, this is simple. Half hour job at most!" scenarios in my life already...don't want this to be another one.

Wondering now if I should hit the scrapyard for a heavy steel tube to make some sort of load leveler to pick at two points, or do a single-point pick with two straps spread to balance. I always get nervous doing the latter (I've had many years of simple rigging for construction picks) if there's nothing to keep the straps from sliding from the balance points- and I can't get enough height to reduce those angles.

Get the engine lift and move it assembled. I lifted my new Clausing Dual 12x36 on Saturday with a one ton lift out of the back of my lifted 3/4 ton. That lathe likely weighs double what the SB does (I had to move my SB 9" 54" bed out of the way too) and it moved both no problem

If you are going to disassemble it for a cleaning, which I would recommend, then go get yourself a set of gunsmithing screwdrivers or other parrellel sided drivers before you attempt anything. A nice lathe with a million damaged screw slots is a let down, and they will save a million headaches on disassembly and assembly.

Remember when tearing down: do not touch the spindle cap bolts if there is no problem with spindle oil clearance. Do a bump test and check it, but don't touch it otherwise. Remove the spindle by removing the thrust adjustment nut. Remember to set it at 0.002" (I think, it may be 0.0015" factory spec?) upon reassembly, and remember to hold the wicks down with wires through the holes in the front of the headstock near the oilers when sliding the spindle back in.

That is the toughest part of the whole job. If you do your disassembly this way you won't have to cut your belt either.

I know it seems easier at this point to lift the whole thing with an engine hoist intact so I'll give you this piece of advice first. PROTECT THE LEAD SCREW. Do not bend the lead screw with the strap while lifting it. Bring 2x4's and smaller wood blocks to space the straps away from breakable bendable parts.

Now that being said, I'll suggest you just partially dismantle it and move it in pieces. If you do a search there are some very detailed howtos out there. These things were made to be worked on with simple tools. The tailstock and carriage can be removed with the removal of two screws. I believe the motor mount is almost as simple leaving the bed and headstock which two people can move fairly easily.

For most sizes of SB lathes, it is actually easier, faster and safer for both people and machine to move it in pieces. Lathes are top heavy and can be awkward. Handles, shafts and screws can be bent or broken by poorly placed straps or those that shift during the lift.

This one being so small, might lift pretty easily but I still think the risk of damaging the lathe is greater. If you take your time and think everything, through, I'm sure it will work out either way.

Teryk

Well, quite a diversity of opinions. Guess it should have been expected given the relatively light weight of this lathe where it's not "forklift or bust".

My other concern about disassembly is securing the parts for transport. It's an hour and a half drive- and seems much simpler to strap down, secure and cover one large item, than multiple smaller pieces wanting to roll around in the bed of the truck. But, I get the challenge in rigging something like this that's long and narrow with the weight concentrated at one end.

I suspect I'd be more comfortable with partial disassembly if I had some related experience, or a least a step-by-step "how to".

Here you go

http://bluechipmachineshop.com/bc_blog/how-to-disassemble-a-south-bend-lathe-for-moving/

Additional on edit:

I read that a number of times and collected more tools than I thought I needed when I went to get my heavy 10. Laid a piece of plywood in the back of the truck and brought 2x4's, 1x1's and tie downs. Didn't remove the headstock, laid everything out on the plywood and cleated it down. That's probably overkill for your lathe but just to give you an idea. I had a two day drive during winter and a larger lathe with cabinet.

Teryk

Thanks very much for the link. Read through it quickly, and while the concept makes sense, it still looks like it's not a cakewalk- at least not to be done in a hour or two- by someone that's never done it.
When I hit the part of "remove gears to access the headstock bolt", that was enough for me. One thing to pop some bolts loose, another for me to be pulling gear assemblies under limited time and then trying to remember how to get it back together later- even with pictures.

I think that I'd rather take my time with careful rigging and blocking- and then right into the bed of the truck. Owner sent me a picture- easy access to the garage door from the FLAT AND LEVEL (!) driveway, lathe sits just inches from the garage door according to him. This looks like a careful pick, move a few feet, and set it in the back of the truck. Not like I'm trying to move a long distance, or get it down a set of stairs or steep slope.

Thanks again for the reference- I will use it to help in partial disassembly and cleaning back at the shop.