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South bend catalog #117c

m-lud

Stainless
Joined
Sep 4, 2016
I posted this and I guess it was the wrong place. All I got was a sort of sarcastic response referring to me as he. As if I wasn't there. It doesn't bother but one line sarcasm is easy. This forum looks civil.

I have had this lathe for about 13 years. It got buried with several other machines in the back of my shed. I purchased them when shops were going cnc and everything else was considered obsolete. The guy that sold it to me called it junk. Now he wants it back and a Kearney tracker 2 D. I bought them both for scrap price. I asked why he would want that old junk. I told him I needed the machines. I just got a building large enough to set them up. The lathe still shows scrapings the full length of the ways.
Anyway the lathe is a 16" about 1942. ( Did these lathes have hardened ways? ) I don't see anything in the description in the publication reprints.
The serial# is 133608
There is also another number stamped before the serial number.
M.C.1555 A-1. Does this second number mean anything that you know of?
I'm wondering if the MC stands for marine corps.
I guess I should buy the 25 dollar card. I read a thread of members criticizing others paying money for the machine history. We're all on a different page with these machines. I am interested in its history.
Do I need to email the serial number to the Wells website to get it on his list?
I.will get pictures soon.


This next post was my response to someone suggesting in the other forum that I was paying for storage for 13 years


I have five acres with a couple old sheds and a new 56x60 building. I had a 24x24 filled up with machines and no room to walk.
I paid for storage once in my life and thought about what I was paying and let the storage company have it. I called them and said its yours. Household stuff that could be bought new for the price of a years storage fees.
I don't people think about that.

I am trying to get set up to play with my toys. It's been hard looking at these machines and not being able to use them.
I did pay a price putting these machines in my work area. I worked on my cars outside because the machines had priority. I think I have a disease when it comes to old cast iron. I have lived on the same plot for 32 years and have collected a bunch. I had no intention of the machines taking up my work space for so long. Stage 4 battle and other health issues got in the way.


Those old machines were going cheap around 2004. You have to pick when the picking is good. There are guys that do prototype work looking for that stuff now. And some that let those old machines go want them back. They thought the real estate in floor space was worth more than the machine. Maybe so.
I would like to find a couple parts to make in my retirement. I'm not set up yet but almost. My body is used and abused and don't move like it use too.


Thanks Mike
 
Sorry about your experience with other forum members. We here in the SBL PM forum are usually pretty civil to each other, but there are a few from other PM groups who turn their noses up at us. Their loss, whatever.

I’m finishing up restoring a 117-E (8’ bed) from mid-1942. Your bed, if original, will not be hardened. The fact that you say it has scraping marks the full length of the bed tells me it’s not original or it has been re-worked to some level before you got it.
 
Thomas
Thanks for your reply. The lathe looks to be in original condition. I don't believe it has been reworked. It had a very heavy buildup of old dried up machine oil and dust. That's why I believe that other number may be a military stamping. It may have been in surplus storage for some time. I live near St. Louis where McDonald Douglas aircraft was. I have other government machines from the 1940s that are in similar condition. I have not seen that telltale oval brass tag on this lathe yet. I am just happy to have it. This lathe has some cast iron coolant drain guards that I haven't seen in the catalog photos. They may be chip guards.
I have read your whole restoration. It's a good example of what a forum should be and your restoration taught me a lot about my lathe. I will go through mine as we'll. I don't think it wise not to disassemble and refresh the wicks and verify the condition of everything on a machine that age. Especially with the lubrication system they have. I think it's ok but One dry cast iron bearing could spoil a good bearing in a hurry. The oils from that era do some strange things over years of sitting. Not being hardened ways won't be a problem because it won't be running production parts. I'm anxious to get started.
My computer went down and I'm using a tablet that I'm not use to is why I didn't see the south bend forum. I found your restoration through a search. As far as the other member goes I have ran into it in other forums. I don't feed the fire. Most with that mentality live the forum they hijack and have nothing better to say or don't know better.
I will have pictures when I get it out and get started. Probably March. Winter keeps me busy around here.
I would like to learn scraping. I did body work for a while so have an eye for flat and strait but I'm sure there is more than that involved. You can't fill a screw up.

Thanks Mike
 
Those guards to the front and back of the bed are coolant drip shields. They’re usually found on toolroom versions with a coolant pump suspended under the chip pan. If you do, in fact, have a toolroom version, the catalog no. would have been 8117-C instead of 117-C for your lathe. You may have a replacement gear cover installed with the wrong tag...?).

All more reasons I would order the serial card from Grizzly and see what it was originally.

Good luck!
 
Thanks packrat2

Thomas
I suspected the tool room model also. It came with the collet rack and hand wheel for a collet chuck. No collets or the working parts at the head
Next step in ordering the I.D. Card.
There was also the part of a camlock chuck. It's the part with the studs that lock it. It's not threaded in the center. I'm not familiar with those chucks. I need to do some research on that. It may not have came with this lathe.

Another member told me his father said that other number stamped in my lathe M.C.1555 A-1 is a Maritime Commission number. His father served in WW2.
So it may have put in service during the war. I need to Order that data card.
I grew up knowing a lot of WW2 veterans and hate to see them going away so quickly.
I need to go feed the wood stove. I've got it cranking. It's to cold to play in the shop.
 
I just found what I was suspecting.
I found a tag on the short riser between the rear leg and the bed. The tag is aluminum about 1" x 2 1/2" and says.

(This lathe conforms to the orders of the war production board)

I'm not sure weather it said lathe or machine.
I know it's just a lathe but it means something that these old machines helped win the war.
 
There's a couple thing I didn't tell you about my lathe. When I bought it I stripped the paint and disassembled some of it. The quick change box is apart. The apron is off but still assembled and the lead screw is off. Tailstock is off. Carriage is off. One more thing. When I stripped the paint I primed with rust oleum and painted with I. H. Red. I'm not likely to leave it that color but that creates a problem. I don't want to paint over the red then have it show through when I get a chip or it wears through in spots. So either I strip it again or go with a red lathe. I took these pictures and they aren't the best. They are the top and bottom of the saddle. I took them to show the condition. Tell me what you think I will take pictures of parts cleaned up until I get the lathe dug out. I still have some cleaning to do on the saddle. There is no ridge on that front v way. Just a stain line. It could have a .001 edge.
image.jpg

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

TERRIBLE pictures I'll do better. I need to get that stain off without removing metal.
 
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I ordered the serial number card. My lathe appears to have been setup with a collet closer. It came with a hand wheel tube and part of a camlock chuck that may not have belonged to the lathe. Does the serial number card indicate what it was ordered with?
I have looked through Steve wells website and can't really find that
information. .

My download didn't work. All I have is an old tablet to use. I'll get it downloaded
133608.pdf
 

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I would think for 25 bucks they could send me a piece ok paper that can be scanned. They take it for granted that everyone's electronics are up. To date. Partly my fault. Computer blew up and down to using outdated tablet. 2 hours wasted getting pised off.
Sorry for the mess
 

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Thanks Dan
I have been waiting to get this card decoded. One question is what is the 111
Headstock. Some of it is in easy but any knowledge of the other numbers would be appreciated. I bought it pretty close to the time the ford plant in St. Louis closed. I didn't know where it came from though.
I need to get my basket case put back together. I took it apparat so it's all here.
 
image.jpgI was able to get my lathe out of the storage shed and into the shop today. The lift truck was on the verge of getting stuck but it made it. Don't get your forklift stuck.
I have been cleaning parts and painting this winter. I just need to get the lathe cleaned and painted and assemble. I haven't touched the motor drive section yet. That may wait. That can be done anytime. I'll se how it sounds. I need this lathe going. My big Cincinnati 22"x10' needs a new screw and nut made for the cross feed. It was missing the crossfeed nut when I bought it. The screw is about 50% so it will get new. My 9" south bend may have done it but I didn't want to try. The previous owner put a single phase 1/2 hp that's weak. When it's cold I have to help it start turning in high speed. It will get a vfd with a 3/4 or 1 hp to put in it after the 16 is going.
I took pics of the other side but theyre to dark. I have already sent too many bad pictures this thread. :)
I need to get picture posting strait. I hate it when guys like me send poor pictures.

And be yes it will stay red. Everyone needs some entertainment.
 
I found some military stamping so could use some help identifying the abbreviations. image.jpgimage.jpg
The small stampings.

I ordered the the serial number card I.D. And got a question I had previously asked answered. image.jpg
The MC-1555 is a ford I'd number and the A-1 is the machine dealer number. image.jpg
The top line gives the Ford's I.D. number and A-1 is the dealer number.
This lathe was bought by ford in August of 1942. They stopped making cars in January of 1942. It was bought to make war products.
This all doesn't mean a lot but it is interesting to me.

Here is is a picture of Fords Die makers floor. It states in the website it's one of the largest in the world. You can tell it's not a production floor. No product stacked. I read the floor was 300x 900'.
If you like machinery you should like the picture. This was a 1940's picture.
My lathe's back there somewhere.
go to link below.

im going to work on getting large pictures. To small.

Ford Rouge Assembly Plant in 194s - Bing



Ignore thumbnail below its a bad picture.
 

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