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So I bought an 8" Southbend lathe today

Chris2019

Plastic
Joined
Sep 12, 2019
I plan to tare it all down, clean, and paint. No major reconditioning at this point (as if I'm an expert). Would like to hear a critique of ths purchase (300$, no formal jackshaft, no extra change gears, decent shape, not perfect, 1 maybe 2 3 jaw chucks, a few other odds and ends, motor). Especially would like to hear from present or past owners of such a lathe. Man'd around 1932.
 
Lack of change gears is a real drag. I would avoid a tear down and paint if possible. There are lots of taper pins and thin castings in this lathe. It is easy to break something. Unless the paint is peeling off into little razor blade flakes, I'd just clean it up and use it.

allan
 
We need pictures!!! Can't tell you anything without pictures. Also the serial number, which is stamped between the Vee's at the tail stock end of the bed. BTW- South Bend Lathe did not build a 8" lathe that i'm aware of. They did build hundreds of thousands of 9" lathes over the years.
 
sounds like a decent buy. about tearing it down, My dad has bought two S.B. lathes and on both the oil wicks had build up in them that prevented oil to wick properly, which we discovered before any damage occurred fortunately. on most south bend lathes all of the oil is wicked rather than gravity feed. I don't believe replacement requires total tear down. use plenty of good quality oil and it should be a good little lathe for you. complete manuals and exploded views of the parts are readily available for your machine. Checkout vintagemachinery.org they've probably got the manuals for free download. enjoy your new investment!
 
We need pictures!!! Can't tell you anything without pictures. Also the serial number, which is stamped between the Vee's at the tail stock end of the bed. BTW- South Bend Lathe did not build a 8" lathe that i'm aware of. They did build hundreds of thousands of 9" lathes over the years.

Yes on needing pictures.
South Bend did build an 8 inch swing lathe at one time.

Rob
 
sounds like a decent buy. about tearing it down, My dad has bought two S.B. lathes and on both the oil wicks had build up in them that prevented oil to wick properly, which we discovered before any damage occurred fortunately. on most south bend lathes all of the oil is wicked rather than gravity feed. I don't believe replacement requires total tear down. use plenty of good quality oil and it should be a good little lathe for you. complete manuals and exploded views of the parts are readily available for your machine. Checkout vintagemachinery.org they've probably got the manuals for free download. enjoy your new investment!

These lathe's require consistent daily oiling. If it's been sitting for years a teardown is sometimes needed. You can work at getting oil o flow but old oil can get hard.

South Bend Lathe Works - Publication Reprints - How To Run A Lathe 55th Edition | VintageMachinery.org

two part book.

South Bend Lathe Works - Publication Reprints - How To Run A Lathe | VintageMachinery.org

South Bend Lathe Works - Publication Reprints | VintageMachinery.org

The SBL Workshop
 
sorry for the delay. And the lighting wasn't fantastic:

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Wow, I think I just picked up the same lathe!!

I was picking up a rare Hardinge 2nd operation lathe that was in bad shape, and missing parts, so while negotiating i asked if he had any other items, and he says "well, i do have another lathe I'm getting rid of...."

He takes me out in the back yard to a plastic tarp shed, and 20 minutes later I'm loading both lathes in the bed of my pickup.

Small world. Btw, I haven't decided the fate of either lathe yet.

Steve.

Sent from my SM-J737P using Tapatalk
 
@ Stevewatr - I'm only in NJ dude! LoL. Can I ask though if you're 8 came with a complete set of gears? If so, please provide photos.

I have a couple of ideas on how to supplement (or in plastic replace the entire gear train). What's there may be sufficiently worn that meshing with a new set of gears my not be the best idea. All I have in my arsenal that would facilitate constructing new gears (or molds) is a little "headless" EMCO F1 mill. A horizontal mill is better for gear cutting I imagine. I won't disclose the details but there's a poor man's version of 3D printing that I could employ to make molds, but not gears.
 
provide tooth count and outside diameter of the big gear on the bottom and we can determine what gears will work.

You currently have the fine feed gears in place and are fortunauate to have them, you just need the threading change gears....your chart will tell you the tooth counts you need......just need to determine the diametral pitch.
 
just need to determine the diametral pitch

You can tell us and yourself what you have

Any change gear known to be for your lathe you do have can be measured

Count teeth

Add two to the count

Measure OD with mic

Divide that O.D. in to the count plus two

Example:

32 teeth, 2.125" O.D.

34 divided by 2.125 = 16 diametral pitch - often written 16 DP
 
@ Stevewatr - I'm only in NJ dude! LoL. Can I ask though if you're 8 came with a complete set of gears? If so, please provide photos.

I have a couple of ideas on how to supplement (or in plastic replace the entire gear train). What's there may be sufficiently worn that meshing with a new set of gears my not be the best idea. All I have in my arsenal that would facilitate constructing new gears (or molds) is a little "headless" EMCO F1 mill. A horizontal mill is better for gear cutting I imagine. I won't disclose the details but there's a poor man's version of 3D printing that I could employ to make molds, but not gears.
Nope, only gears it came with are what's on the machine right now.

I have a stack of change gears for a craftsman 109, if they check out diametrically, I'll modify the bores and make them work. If that fails, I'll probably sell the lathe or part it out.

Steve.

Sent from my SM-J737P using Tapatalk
 
Although I can imagine instances where parting out a rare lathe could be viewed as philanthropic, the suggestion kind of skeers the jeepers out of me. Just make sure you raffle off those parts that aren't easily lost, Like the headstock. You may wind up getting stuck with the bed, but I'd be interested in the bed, so I imagine maybe other delinquents may also.

I don't know what you have into it, but I'm sure a lot of people would love an 8" SB. It's a good size for me, but it's a collector's lathe more then anything. A 9" is way more convenient, as parts and attachments are way easier to source.
 
Although I can imagine instances where parting out a rare lathe could be viewed as philanthropic, the suggestion kind of skeers the jeepers out of me. Just make sure you raffle off those parts that aren't easily lost, Like the headstock. You may wind up getting stuck with the bed, but I'd be interested in the bed, so I imagine maybe other delinquents may also.

I don't know what you have into it, but I'm sure a lot of people would love an 8" SB. It's a good size for me, but it's a collector's lathe more then anything. A 9" is way more convenient, as parts and attachments are way easier to source.
In all honesty, I have not looked closely at it since I brought it and the hardinge home a few weeks ago. Other than being confident it's a south bend, and seeing it's pretty small compared to my 12", I'm not yet sure what size it is lol. Time to take some measurements and pictures I guess!

Steve.

Sent from my SM-J737P using Tapatalk
 








 
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