New owner of a South Bend 13" x 6' lathe

Greetings! I see I'm in good company here- lots of enthusiasts at all levels. Myself, until just recently I last used a lathe back in 1983. So, yeah, it's been a while.

Anyway, I have this lathe, a model A, catalog #CL8145C, serial #3008TKL10. Got it with a bunch of tools and accessories and it appears in fair condition. I've been incrementally cleaning it to ensure I'm not only familiar with it but that all the controls and positions are at least nominal. I've been creating a pile of chips and ribbons and that's about as much expertise as I've ever had on a lathe. So far, so good.

I also obtained the recommended SBL lubricants and using the lubrication chart for this lathe I ensured all oil pots and points were adequately addressed.

So here's my problem...
Until yesterday everything worked as expected. Now the lead screw reversing gears are bound up and upon disassembly I found that one of the two smaller gears has some scoring on the inside diameter; the shaft looks pretty good, though. Curious is the absence of any bushing, bronze or otherwise. The shaft and gear still slide intimately together, with no obvious play, but it is a steel-on-steel configuration.

So my first question is, shouldn't there be a bushing pressed into the gear? On this item there is zero room for a bushing.

My second question is, where does one purchase the wicks that ultimately will be installed in this gear system? I've read that there are differing shapes and sizes unique to installation position on the lathe.

Opinions of those smarter and/or more experienced than me are most welcome!

Thanks!

You can make your own wicks from material from mcmaster or just order the kit off ebay (usually easier).

Its should be cast iron on steel which was fine back because cast self lubricates I guess and with the help of oil will last a long time. Most repairs nowadays will involve putting a bronze bushing in there. I've done a few myself that way. Might as well upgrade while you have it apart.

How bad is it? Pics would help. I still need to do mine at some point. I've seen some bad ones that work just fine.

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I'll post some pictures as soon as I transfer them to my desktop. I just spent the past two hours removing the wicks I could reach, drilling out some oil plugs (and getting one slightly wrong but recoverable) and removing the pressed-in shaft. I forgot what that one is called but it transfers the motion from the two smaller gears.

The scoring inside the one gear isn't so bad that I think it should be replaced, and the shaf itself has a couple of 'high spots' due to the scoring but some 600 grit should take those down.

I agree that bronze would be ideal; that would necessitate boring out the gear ID and finding a suitable bushing for each. Or... finding a couple of gears that are already modified to accept bushings. I'm not sure I have what it takes to bore out the IDs.

Aside from that issue, is there some trick to removing stubborn wicks? I was able to get some of the short pieces out but there is one left for which I am at a loss as to a solution, short of acid.
I'm sure many website members are laughing now, having had to deal with this very thing. It's my turn to suffer through this!

I doubt you really need them but...

Southbend Lathe 13 Tumbler Gears New Shop Made | eBay

Run it for now until you feel comfortable doing it. I wouldn't worry about it all that much if it's tight. Now if there is a substantial amount of wear than it would benefit but it's still not gonna hurt anything to run it a while.

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These are the best photos I can get of the gear and shaft. Again, not too bad if I can get the high spots down. It's the wick removal that will test my patience.

Good to know. Thanks.
I see now that this may become a money pit.

But I'd just spend the money somewhere else anyway...

Some additional pictures...

Not bad at all. Mine are way worse. Someday I will fix them. As long as they aren't loose they should be fine. That pitting in there will actually trap oil and lubricate which is a good thing. Stone any high spots down and rock on.

Looks like you got a good lathe there. If I wasn't doing gunsmithing mostly with mine I would prefer to have yours. I've used Brad Jacob's before and a couple others at a school I attended and they are great machines. Just about the right size for everything, except some gunsmithing due to the long headstock.

jonesturf said:

Not bad at all. Mine are way worse. Someday I will fix them. As long as they aren't loose they should be fine. That pitting in there will actually trap oil and lubricate which is a good thing. Stone any high spots down and rock on.

Looks like you got a good lathe there. If I wasn't doing gunsmithing mostly with mine I would prefer to have yours. I've used Brad Jacob's before and a couple others at a school I attended and they are great machines. Just about the right size for everything, except some gunsmithing due to the long headstock.

Click to expand...

Yeah, part of the draw on this one was all the stuff that came with it... 3 & 4 jaw chucks, steady rest, taper attachment, grinder and a boatload of collets and tools, plus the roll around.

It appears to have been taken care of to some extent but a few of the oil pots were kind of gummed up, and when I pulled the wicks out of the reversing gear bracket it seemed to me that not much oil could've gotten through. That's probably why that one gear seized.

Anyway, I have to devise a way of pulling/pushing the last wick out of the bracket and then finding the appropriate new wick material from McMaster Carr (Me and them go way back).
Any suggestions as to type of felt and dimensions that works well with these lathes?

We just picked up an old sb 13 too- about 2 months ago. Mine is from the early 50's with very little use, from a school, I opted to go ahead and order the new felts and rebuild book from the guy on ebay.
Rebuild Book Parts Kit for 13" South Bend Lathe | eBay

I had my doubts on the book but went for it anyway. My son has been doing the work and the book is a real help to see how stuff comes apart before you get into it. I think taking the time to replace these felts is a very worthwhile step for an old machine like this. Ours had grit from welding/fab work that was done in the same area so taking the carriage off and cleaning was important.

iwananew10K said:

I doubt you really need them but...

Southbend Lathe 13 Tumbler Gears New Shop Made | eBay

Click to expand...

I ordered a set from this guy for my 1966 CL145. I'm not sure how he cut them, but I doubt they were hobbed. More likely cut on a shaper. Anyway, they were so noisy I had to return them. Something was just a little off; nothing I could see as they appeared to be well crafted. I ran them for about an hour to see if they'd "break-in", but no luck. He was true to his word, though, and took them back with full refund.

Mine are just a little loose from wear, but I believe they are, in-fact, equipped with bronze inserts. After trying the noisy new ones, I'm perfectly happy with the slight looseness of the factory originals.