Anyone Familiar With This Lathe Turret ?

Kevin T · Apr 17, 2019

I saw this locally and I don't think it is a Southbend part. If correct this is good so I dont go and try to bring it home! I thought I would ask in here to maybe help the guy sell it, if someone can ID it or if it's rare and someone needs it. It's big and looks like its missing a few parts to me but he has really dropped the price so I know the next stop is scrap. It was 250 last week.

TURRET LATHE HEAD AND BODY - tools - by owner - sale

Ohh, and if there is a better place in here to post and discuss stuff like this or have a discussion about finds please let me know where that is! Thanks

L Vanice · Apr 17, 2019

I suspect it is an Enco, made in Chicago circa 1970. It looks a lot like the turret that came with my 12" Clausing lathe. Enco made their turrets to fit any lathe (including South Bend, of course), so you need to know the distance from the tool hole center to the top of the bed to guess the swing of the lathe it fits. Then you need dimensions on the bedway features to see if it fits your lathe.

Larry

sfriedberg · Apr 17, 2019

I bought a similar one off eBay a few years ago with the plan to make a new base that would 1) fit my lathe ways, and 2) establish the proper center height. Haven't gotten around to that yet.

dalmatiangirl61 · Apr 17, 2019

Looks a lot like the turret that came with my YAM lathe, but I'm not sure if it came with lathe new or was added to it. What is on the little tag?

Kevin T · Apr 17, 2019

sfriedberg said:
I bought a similar one off eBay a few years ago with the plan to make a new base that would 1) fit my lathe ways, and 2) establish the proper center height. Haven't gotten around to that yet.

I asked the guy if he knows what size lathe it is for...well see if he gets back. I don't really foresee a "need" for me to have a big turret on my lathe but there is a cool factor about it and if it wasn't so cheap I wouldn't even think about it! In a similar vain to my very first post here in PM..."Did anyone ever add a big old turret to their home/hobby lathe and regret it? lol

sfriedberg · Apr 17, 2019

FWIW, my "small" lathe is a Hardinge DSM-59 with turret and I find it very enjoyable to set up and use for a small to medium run of parts. However, the turret alone doesn't get you all that much. You need the tooling to go with it.

At a minimum, one or two drill chucks or fixed-size drill bushings, and bushings to adapt one or more boring bars. To take full advantage, there's a huge range of tools for end-working operations beyond drilling and boring. Box tools for external turning, tapping and threading heads, knurling tools, etc. Some tools are even intended to work in cooperation with your carriage cross-slide, which would usually be configured for grooving, forming, non-end knurling and cutoff.

There are some good earlier threads on PM concerning turret lathe tooling, and Hardinge ESM/DSM tooling in particular.

Kirt · Apr 18, 2019

Looks like a Clausing to me. Check the tag on the one in the ad where the wheel housing mounts to the bed - I think that it may say Clausing.

Froneck · Apr 18, 2019

The turret option is good to have. But I hate to throw water on putting it on a Hobbyist lathe not knowing what it is or the size. Some of those Hobbyist lathe are quite small and this attachment could be way to large. You should let everyone know what lathe you will like to put the turret attachment on.

Kevin T · Apr 18, 2019

Froneck said:
The turret option is good to have. But I hate to throw water on putting it on a Hobbyist lathe not knowing what it is or the size. Some of those Hobbyist lathe are quite small and this attachment could be way to large. You should let everyone know what lathe you will like to put the turret attachment on.

Oh no the lathe is not a hobby level machine! I am the hobbyist here, as in not a shop and not needing the thing for an income! So I "may" run into a situation way down the road where I want to make a few of something and minimize repeat setups but not the norm and not in the near future as I sit here now. The turret is 100 bucks and a few blocks from my house so I hate to pass it up...if it fits that is.

Here is some of my story...

South Bend 16 Toolroom Lathe - The Adventure Begins...

Rob F. · Apr 18, 2019

Being so close and so cheap I think you would be foolish to pass it up if it is close to the right size for your lathe. Maybe the seller will bring it over and you can set it on your lathe, if it needs modifying to work he may drop the price a little if he has not gotten many calls...

Mud · Apr 18, 2019

I posted a question about adapting a turret to a different machine a while back and got a good discussion.
I'd encourage you to grab it. Even if it's worn, and if all you do is put 2 or 3 chucks in it, it's worth the effort to adapt it, if only for drilling and tapping holes. Even just for drilling - once you use a turret or capstan, you'll want nothing else for clearing chips from deep holes.

Kevin T · Apr 22, 2019

I went and looked at it this weekend and it is for a smaller machine. Maybe a 14" or thereabouts. I decided to pass on it because I have enough projects lined up already!

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Anyone Familiar With This Lathe Turret ?

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sfriedberg

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Kirt

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