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Southbend lathe value

Jaredr

Plastic
Joined
Oct 29, 2014
Location
Dallas, Tx
Hello all,

I'm looking at a 1936 Southbend 9x36 Model A. It's been sitting for probably the last 15 years.
The good:
I have looked at the machine and the ways appear to be in good shape but unused.
Tightening the slide with it under the chuck until just where it drags and running it out to the end it doesn't noticeably tighten up. I also mounted a dial indicator to the slide and ran it along the ways. There wasn't anything beyond .002/.003 thousandths.
The bull gear doesn't have any broken teeth.


The bad:
The belt for the motor died of old age. I did run the motor and it runs fine without issue or noise.
The spindle has a few spots where it has a little bit of drag but I think this is related to old oil more than damage.

Overall:
It seems to have led a pretty decent life and doesn't have much use as far as I can tell.

P1020580.jpgP1020576.jpgP1020567.jpgP1020565.jpgP1020564.jpg
 
Location makes a huge difference.

Here in the northeast, I'd expect that to bring around $500. (The change gears are worth about $100 and are often missing).
 
yes, location makes a big difference.

to really help you we need some particulars.

what kind of stuff do you want to do? for me i would not want to do without at least power feeds, and if you plan to thread much a quick change is a big plus.
any space/power constraints? is weight a consideration?
budget?

with this info i know we can steer you toward something better than what you`re finding. i already have a few thoughts.

posting a want ad the the machinery for sale section will probably get you some hits.

here`s one that may suit you well, depending. http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/tls/4713891512.html

it may prove better/cheaper in the long run to have one shipped to you
 
From the photos it looks great, sound like has stat a lot little TLC good to go
The biggest it is local, shipping will cost over $300.00 or more to buy from Ebay
It is more what is worth to you, I have SB's for over 40's and still use one today

Good luck
Dave

Hello all,

I'm looking at a 1936 Southbend 9x36 Model A. It's been sitting for probably the last 15 years.
The good:
I have looked at the machine and the ways appear to be in good shape but unused.
Tightening the slide with it under the chuck until just where it drags and running it out to the end it doesn't noticeably tighten up. I also mounted a dial indicator to the slide and ran it along the ways. There wasn't anything beyond .002/.003 thousandths.
The bull gear doesn't have any broken teeth.


The bad:
The belt for the motor died of old age. I did run the motor and it runs fine without issue or noise.
The spindle has a few spots where it has a little bit of drag but I think this is related to old oil more than damage.

Overall:
It seems to have led a pretty decent life and doesn't have much use as far as I can tell.

View attachment 121949View attachment 121952View attachment 121953View attachment 121955View attachment 121956
 
Space is the biggest concern. Power not so much. What will I do with it? General whatever fabrication/repair etc.
For my area I think it's priced fairly decently (guy is asking ~1400) and there is more tooling that I couldn't upload pictures due to 5 picture limit. Morse taper #2 drill bits, steady rest, books etc.

I think I will be use fora 2 or 3 years until I found something better to upgrade to.
If I found a good deal on a used quick change gearbox power feed etc I'm not opposed and have the tools to upgrade it.
 
unfortunately the one you are looking at would not lend itself well to upgrading...being an earlier model it has a large lip along the bottom edge of the bed casting that would interfere with the power feed apron.
 
Wow, if I ever make a road trip to Dallas, I'm bringing some lathes with me!

I sold a 9C for $400 this year. It was in pretty good shape, but needed some work on the non-original drive mechanism.

Steve

I sold a Chinese 9x12 for $700. Location makes a huge difference.
 
unfortunately the one you are looking at would not lend itself well to upgrading...being an earlier model it has a large lip along the bottom edge of the bed casting that would interfere with the power feed apron.

In that case it would likely be pick up/refurb use for a while and unload when a better deal comes along.
 
did you see the Logan? asking 850 ,looks a little ugly but that might just be from sitting.

comparable to a SB model A - accessories/parts are easy to find pretty cheap too.
 
I did see the Logan and I had found it previously. I'm not sure on his 5 inch swing statement or what tooling it comes with.
 
it`s a 10" swing(pretty sure it`s a model 820) - sometimes swing is referred to by radius instead of diameter.
probably around 450 lbs -even if there`s no tooling, it is really common stuff you can get cheap.( 1 1/2 x 8tpi spindle, MT2 tailstock)
basically for the same money you`d have quick change,power feeds, and could tool up nice.
 
Unfortunately lathes in general do not go for 300 around here.

The lathes that you linked to are overpriced, some by as much as 3x what they may sell for. So, don't give up - if any of those owners are serious about selling, you'll see the prices drop. And the 9" change gear that you're looking at is not going to bring $1400. With that many lathes on CL at one time, you're living in a veritable machine tool cornucopia compared to here in Colorado. If it were me, I'd go look at the rusty one in Paris, which appears to be a 10L - might be a diamond in the rough.

Paul
 
The plan of course is to call it an A when it is a lowly C, and sell it at an A price to the clueless

A sensible approach if you like is simply don't consider buying a 9 that lacks a clutch knob on the apron
 
Location makes a big difference, but in this case, as has been said, this lathe is a $500 lathe and depending on tooling, the price can go up or down from there. A good indication of pricing in your area is if the lathe is sold within a week, then that was the market price. If it sells within a day or two, it was a really good deal. If you have time to go check out the lathe, ask about value on a PM, and post a link, and it still hasn't sold, then it is overpriced.

I buy and sell lathes for extra cash (yeah, I'm that guy). My best deals are those from listings with no pictures and often times the lathe has only been listed for less than 24 hours.

These guys listing SB 9" and 10K lathes for north of $1000 are basing values from ebay listings and should be avoided until they fall back to earth.
 
The lathes that you linked to are overpriced, some by as much as 3x what they may sell for. So, don't give up - if any of those owners are serious about selling, you'll see the prices drop. And the 9" change gear that you're looking at is not going to bring $1400. With that many lathes on CL at one time, you're living in a veritable machine tool cornucopia compared to here in Colorado. If it were me, I'd go look at the rusty one in Paris, which appears to be a 10L - might be a diamond in the rough.

Paul

the lathe in Paris looks like it could be a 13 inch.??
 








 
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