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Sidney Lathe,

Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Location
Minneapolis Minnesota
I picked up a very nice Sidney model 32 lathe, and while cleaning it up I cracked one of the headstock oil sight glasses. Sence Sidney has been gone for over 50 years now I am faced with trying to locate something that will work as a replacement. It looks like it might just press into the casting. It has a 1-1/4" window and looks to have about a 1-3/8"od. The window was acrylic with a stainless steel ring that I'm thinking has a skirt on the backside so it seal in the casing as it's pressed in.

Any help here would be wonderful.

Thank you.
Joe
 
What you are needing is a Bijur sight glass window. The part number is B-4908. It is 1-1/2" OD x 1-1/4" OD of window and about 3/8" thick. Bijur also shows a number B-5091 for the same thing but with the words "oil level" inprinted on the window.

EDIT: Just checked the Bijur Delimon website. The new part number is B5145 for the sight glass.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct..._iVTyYo8YXVr_-AoQ&sig2=EbtqkdUQTcIATib9cLKstQ
 
If all else fails make a replacement out of a clear welding helmet shield. Cut with bandsaw or hacksaw and finish to fit using a grinder. I have made several of these to replace broken or stained ones.
 
just joined to ask ?'s about a sidney lathe i just got-anyone here know about them and disassembly of the apron-also,how does one start a NEW post!!??
 
please if someone knows why they flip over,help me get pics right side up-the files are correct,but this siteflips them!!??
 
i haven't beenn able to find ones w/ the rapid drive i have,and am trying to figure the 1/2 nut-i can see at the bottom of the apron there is a shaft w/ no handle that appears to be cross feed/long. feed toggle-but i don't know ,and don't know where it is !-pat
 
i haven't beenn able to find ones w/ the rapid drive i have,and am trying to figure the 1/2 nut-i can see at the bottom of the apron there is a shaft w/ no handle that appears to be cross feed/long. feed toggle-but i don't know ,and don't know where it is !-pat

Normal would be top most shaft is Lead Screw Reverse - if sold with that feature - lever working it is one of the photos in brochure posted above

Next down is lead screw - for threading using half nuts related to that lead screw

Next down is feed rod - makes the apron gearing feed (cross and or long) when wanted by means of the apron clutches - which are positive - with gear teeth as shown in brochure posted above

Bottom most shaft works clutch/brake. Since the machine has been at it for about sixty years, it could have very easily lost any lever that used to be on the clutch/brake shaft

It could also be one of the last made (see tail stock) with all sorts of last gasp unknowns
 
I think it's equipped with the fluid tracer, just from looking at the brochure link. it's the thing that looks like a follow rest, right in the middle there (thats part of it). the fluid tracer accessory escaped the lovely green repaint. that is a WHOLE lot of lathe you have there!

ok, ok, tell us how you wound up with this, spill the story.. :toe tap:.. lets hear it..!
 
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Have the eight page Fluid Tracer brochure, undated of course. This one does not have your later massive looking tail stock.

Can scan it if wanted.

On Edit

Hopefully here are Pat's photos upright. Had to rotate a few 90 and the rest 180 - although they looked just fine as emailed by Pat, opening them in Paint Shop Pro showed them out of kilter

Most assuredly a late version of the Fluid Tracer. Brochure shows stand alone HPU and different "drive" at right end of lead screw. General idea was to have a machine that could switched from regular lathe to tracer lathe in no time at all by choosing which end of lead screw and feed rod would be driven.

Not a rapid traverse machine
 

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Sight glass is easy to make, make them quite often. As mentioned welding lens protectors work good but any clear plastic will do. I make a fixture to put in the chuck, OD about same size as sight glass. I turn the chucked side undersize so there is a shoulder against the chuck jaws. I then bore a hole in the center equal to the viewing diameter of the sight glass a few thousandths deep. I then make another piece same OD and ID and long enough to center drill. I rough cut some plastic and sandwich it between the two parts I made using a live center in the tail stock to clamp the center drilled part against the chucked part with the plastic sandwiched between them and then turn the plastic to the exact size needed. Keep the tools made they will come in handy when other sight glasses are needed.
 
Sight glass is easy to make, make them quite often.

Bijur still makes the ones he needs, but..

.. have a look at this possibility "for temporary":

The size used in a 10EE happens to be the same diameter as the "lense" in a cheap mini-LED flashlight sold in 3 and 6 blister paks. Coupla rasp/file cuts at the bezel, "lense" pops out, makes a sight glass with O-rings from yer assortment box instead of cork seals.

The LED flashlights still work fine as the LEDS are encapsulated, tough, don't really need any extra "lense".

IOW, the sight glass is near-as-dammit "free", cost AND labour..
 
Bijur still makes the ones he needs, but..

.. have a look at this possibility "for temporary":

The size used in a 10EE happens to be the same diameter as the "lense" in a cheap mini-LED flashlight sold in 3 and 6 blister paks. Coupla rasp/file cuts at the bezel, "lense" pops out, makes a sight glass with O-rings from yer assortment box instead of cork seals.

The LED flashlights still work fine as the LEDS are encapsulated, tough, don't really need any extra "lense".

IOW, the sight glass is near-as-dammit "free", cost AND labour..

that is GREAT thinking!!
 








 
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