LeBlonde Heavy Duty 21" Lathe ID and rehab

I've had this LeBlonde 21" lathe for about 5 years now. When I got it, the previous owner had put this horrible v-belt drive on the thing which meant he removed the spindle to slip the v-belts over it. I'm having issues with chatter pretty heavily, and I'm certain it's due to excess clearance in the bearing journals. The bearing cap shims are MIA and the cap screws are literally finger tight. So I know that I need to get shim stock and work on bearing clearance.

I've included some photos. I'm looking for feedback on how old you all think this machine might be, and what your impressions are on the condition of the journals. Thanks!

Are you sure you want to invest in fixing the machine? To do it right I am estimating your talking about $10,000.00 ? You will need to pull the spindle and send it to someone who can grind the bearing areas to clean up. Your photo's don't show the bottom journals. Are they in the base casting or can they be removed? If you can take them out both sides then you would send both sides to a company like Industrial Babbitt Bearings Repair Manufacture Services | American Babbitt Bearing who could re babbit the shoes and fit the spindle to it. Or have one of there men to come there to do it. Or learn on You Tube how to do it yourself. Another idea would be to use Moglice. You can look at Moglice.com and call and talk to Cody their tech. You still would have to grind the spindle. Or scrap the machine and buy a machine that has Timken Bearings.

They made cone heads right into the late twenties for sure. I am assuming you have that from the "slipping belts over the removed spindle" comment

If you want an actual age, call LeBlond with the serial which will be right end on top in between two front ways.

If you want us to guess, we need photos of the lathe, not its little pieces

Journals appear horrible - like they were lubed every now and then with grease - instead of all the time with light bodied oil

Thumbnail a big Heavy Duty from 1911

deerefanatic said:

I've had this LeBlonde 21" lathe for about 5 years now. When I got it, the previous owner had put this horrible v-belt drive on the thing which meant he removed the spindle to slip the v-belts over it. I'm having issues with chatter pretty heavily, and I'm certain it's due to excess clearance in the bearing journals. The bearing cap shims are MIA and the cap screws are literally finger tight. So I know that I need to get shim stock and work on bearing clearance.

I've included some photos. I'm looking for feedback on how old you all think this machine might be, and what your impressions are on the condition of the journals. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Yes, previoius Owner used grease everywhere. I've been trying to clean it out and use oil.. The machine still makes decent cuts on parts, with care I can usually get my parts within a couple thousandths of where I want them without too much trouble. Cant take very large cuts without chatter though.

I'll get pics of the whole lathe... I looked at the end between the ways a while back and couldn't see any numbers..

1911 was using cast iron of head stock and "glass hard" steel bush on front bearing and Babbitt on rear. In other words, no red or white metal in front bearing.

Late twenties both were Bronze with thin Babbitt lining. Leblond wrote that these were replaceable

Can email 1911 catalog at less than 7Mb and late twenties at less than 9Mb if you want to Private Message me that email address

On Edit......Scans emailed

deerefanatic said:

Yes, previoius Owner used grease everywhere. I've been trying to clean it out and use oil.. The machine still makes decent cuts on parts, with care I can usually get my parts within a couple thousandths of where I want them without too much trouble. Cant take very large cuts without chatter though.

I'll get pics of the whole lathe... I looked at the end between the ways a while back and couldn't see any numbers..

Click to expand...

Thanks John for the scans. Very informative stuff there. Here as promised are the pics of the lathe in entirety. I looked and can't seem to find a serial number.

Look at the tough lathe!

I'd guess fairly close to 1911 just from the tail stock (good view of same page 21 in 1911)

Your apron has minor differences from 1911, but is not much like the late twenties apron in that catalog

Thumbnails show an in between 25" up Fargo ND way - heavier tail stock build

Does your head stock show the size (like the thumbnails) plus LeBlond, or does it just say LeBlond and Heavy Duty - like the 1911 catalog shows

Unless the motor is running at very low speed (judging by the diameter, unless it has a gear reduction, it doesn't look a 8- or more pole motor), probably it is driving the spindle way too fast for that lathe.

Paolo

The motor has a 4 speed gearbox on it that I have on the lowest speed. optical tachometer shows that this results in about 365 rpm which is a touch fast, but I'd think livable. I want to build a countershaft for this thing and then run the motor with a VFD.

johnoder: Mine says ' 21" Leblond Heavy Duty ' on the headstock.