Potential new 9A owner

DavidR8 · Dec 13, 2019

Hello all, I'm on the verge of picking up a 1955 9A.
Well tooled up with a Buck 3-jaw chuck, a 4-jaw, follow-rest, factory collet set, rack and drawbar.
I haven't seen it in person yet but have a ton of pics.
I'm a little concerned about bed wear.
Attached are a few pics.
Recognizing the difficulty of armchair assessment via pics I'd love some feedback on the bed wear any other thoughts about this machine.

Some of the tooling

Rex TX · Dec 13, 2019

Pretty hard to tell from the pic. The old ROT is if you can hang a fingernail on that edge, it's suspect. Best way to check it (for me) is to mount a DTI on the tailstock, zero it at the far right (unworn) end and slide the tailstock with the DTI riding the face of that worn V-way up to the headstock. Write the deviation on the bed as it changes with a sharpie pen.
That said, if the price is right, I'd take it with thoughts of finding a nicer bed sometime in the next couple years. Unless you are going to be making rocket parts, you can still get acceptable accuracy from a worn bed, especially if you aren't making long parts - long enough that the saddle has to move from worn to unworn areas as you turn the part. You either stay within the worn area (where most of the work is done) or you move the work out to the unworn portion by using a steady rest or turning between centers.

DavidR8 · Dec 13, 2019

Rex TX said:
Pretty hard to tell from the pic. The old ROT is if you can hang a fingernail on that edge, it's suspect. Best way to check it (for me) is to mount a DTI on the tailstock, zero it at the far right (unworn) end and slide the tailstock with the DTI riding the face of that worn V-way up to the headstock. Write the deviation on the bed as it changes with a sharpie pen.
That said, if the price is right, I'd take it with thoughts of finding a nicer bed sometime in the next couple years. Unless you are going to be making rocket parts, you can still get acceptable accuracy from a worn bed, especially if you aren't making long parts - long enough that the saddle has to move from worn to unworn areas as you turn the part. You either stay within the worn area (where most of the work is done) or you move the work out to the unworn portion by using a steady rest or turning between centers.

Thanks @Rex Tx
The seller is asking $1000 CDN but he thinks he has a 10”.
I’m going to bargain hard as I’m not willing to pay that for a lathe that old and potentially worn.

I have a line on a 1977 10K for $900 that I know is pristine but has zero tooling.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dobermann · Dec 14, 2019

I'd say that's not a $1000 lathe. Discount for the really, really goofy countershaft arrangement. Discount for the missing covers over the back gears which is a sure invitation for crap to get into the gear teeth. Discount for the missing end cover over the feed gear system, again a sure invitation for crap to get into the gears or more importantly your fingers!. Discount for the tailstock just thrown into the basket with other parts.

The bed wear evident in the picture is probably the least of the issues with that lathe. As mentioned previously, bed wear represents a very small error in turning diameter which can usually be overcome by careful planning of the turning job.

I'd say keep looking.

Rex TX · Dec 14, 2019

Dobermann is right, that lathe has issues. That vertical countershaft mount is fugly, and you will be buying parts to replace what is missing or worn.

Go buy that pristine 1977. Those are fast becoming unicorns. You can get going with minimal tooling, add more along the way.

DavidR8 · Dec 14, 2019

Thanks gents, you’re confirming my gut feeling on the direction I should go.

I was pricing out the missing parts and it was getting expensive fast.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SLK001 · Dec 14, 2019

I thought that you said he had all the gear covers (in some other post) for this lathe. It looks like you have all the drive parts to re-convert the drive back to horizontal. It also has a good tooling, including a collet setup, but 3C collets only go to 1/2". If you can get it for $7-800, it will be a good buy for you. My verdict on the bed is that it isn't pristine, but it also isn't all that bad for collet work up close. It also helps to get the price down.

The 10k has the hardened and ground bed, which is a plus. A collet system for that goes up to 5/8" (6K), but is not included. The required tooling for the 10k will be costly.

You can also check out the 9" locally, where you can actually check the lathe out thoroughly (check all gears for wear and missing teeth - look up into the QCGB and at the drive gears, check the tailstock for droop, check the cross-slide and the compound screws for slop) while the 10k is caveat emptor - what you see is what you get.

DavidR8 · Dec 14, 2019

SLK001 said:
I thought that you said he had all the gear covers (in some other post) for this lathe. It looks like you have all the drive parts to re-convert the drive back to horizontal. It also has a good tooling, including a collet setup, but 3C collets only go to 1/2". If you can get it for $7-800, it will be a good buy for you. My verdict on the bed is that it isn't pristine, but it also isn't all that bad for collet work up close. It also helps to get the price down.

The 10k has the hardened and ground bed, which is a plus. A collet system for that goes up to 5/8" (6K), but is not included. The required tooling for the 10k will be costly.

You can also check out the 9" locally, where you can actually check the lathe out thoroughly (check all gears for wear and missing teeth - look up into the QCGB and at the drive gears, check the tailstock for droop, check the cross-slide and the compound screws for slop) while the 10k is caveat emptor - what you see is what you get.

I asked about covers and he doesn’t have the domed one that covers the reversing gear train (I’m not sure that’s the correct term)
If the 9 can be had for 700-800 I’m willing to do it.
He also thinks it’s a 10” so I have some leverage there.
If he demands full asking price I won’t.

The 10K comes with nothing, not even the other set of jaws for the 3-jaw so I’m basically buying a bare lathe. Oh and it’s 3-phase so I need a VFD or a different motor.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

xeddog · Dec 14, 2019

What the heck. Get them both.

DavidR8 · Dec 14, 2019

xeddog said:
What the heck. Get them both.

If I had the space I would.
Seriously though, getting both is not a bad idea.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Rex TX · Dec 14, 2019

DavidR8 said:
If I had the space I would.
Seriously though, getting both is not a bad idea.

....and this is how it starts.

DavidR8 · Dec 14, 2019

Rex TX said:
....and this is how it starts.

I’ve read about this phenomenon. Never thought that I’d be so close to the epicentre!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

kd1yt · Dec 19, 2019

DavidR8 said:
I have a line on a 1977 10K for $900 that I know is pristine but has zero tooling.

Get the 10K, you will spend a substantial amount to get the tooling but you can do that gradually and there is a lot to be said for not perpetually trying to un-botch someone else's botch-ups, and that 9 looks like it was owned by someone inclined to botching things. 9's in less than wonderful condition are not scarce, pristine 10Ks are substantially more scarce.

DavidR8 · Dec 19, 2019

Actually in a completely unexpected turn of events an even better 10K turned up.
A virtually unused, CL670Z. It still has the original scraping marks on the bed.
I'm going to pick it up this weekend.

JohnEvans · Dec 19, 2019

Well going by that BIG bore in the spindle I would 10L aka Heavy 10. Only downside is the rather short bed,but for most work not a issue.

DavidR8 · Dec 19, 2019

It’s a 10K by the catalog number.
I’m waiting for the serial number.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

hsracer201 · Dec 20, 2019

JohnEvans said:
Well going by that BIG bore in the spindle I would 10L aka Heavy 10. Only downside is the rather short bed,but for most work not a issue.

A few easy ways to tell a 10k from a Heavy 10:
1. the spindle cover. On a 10k the whole thing flips up just like a 9". On a 10L only the center section
flips up.
2. The half nut levers look totally different
3. The banjo on a 9/10k is a Y shape. It is straight on a double tumbler heavy 10.

There are many more, but that's the easiest way to distinguish at a glance.

packrat2 · Dec 20, 2019

Quote "Actually in a completely unexpected turn of events an even better 10K turned up.
A virtually unused, CL670Z. It still has the original scraping marks on the bed.
I'm going to pick it up this weekend."

I think you just found a beautiful lathe, sometimes good things happen when you just keep looking for the right one....

DavidR8 · Dec 20, 2019

Thanks @Packrat2, I was kinda bummed when I lost out on an auction of for a Hercus but finding this lathe is pretty darn awesome.
Let the learning begin!

tobnpr · Dec 20, 2019

Very weird...
10k with a large spindle bore?

Potential new 9A owner

Aluminum

Attachments

Titanium

Aluminum

Hot Rolled

Titanium

Aluminum

Stainless

Aluminum

Aluminum

Aluminum

Titanium

Aluminum

Cast Iron

Aluminum

Titanium

Aluminum

Hot Rolled

Hot Rolled

Aluminum

Hot Rolled

Similar threads