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LeBlond Regal 13 and small diameter work

Djwade

Aluminum
Joined
Sep 23, 2020
Hi all,

I'm in the process of building up some equipment for a business I'm starting and was hoping for some input.

I have a Fanuc Robodrill which serves the majority of my fabrication needs, but I wanted to have a lathe for the occasional part that requires it. A while back I got an older 40s roundhead LeBlond Regal 13 for almost nothing, but was in cosmetically rough shape. It mostly just needs to be stripped/repainted, have the motor rewired, and just have a good going over to get it into running shape.

The issue I'm struggling with is most of the parts that would be turned on the lathe are going to be smaller diameters (most 3" or less) and predominantly softer metals and materials. Given the LeBlond's RPM limitation of ~500RPM, I was planning on installing a VFD to bump up the RPM, however I'm now wondering if this is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Given the relatively light nature of the gearing, and the lack of availability for chuck backing plates without fabricating them myself, I'm thinking I may be better off with something more modern with a higher RPM. I'm somewhat space constrained so something like a tool-room lathe would seem like a good fit. On the other hand, perhaps the best lathe is the one I already have, and I should just deal with the slower RPM, especially given the lack of financial investment I have in it, and just get it running.

I'm still very much cutting my teeth on getting familiar with the available machines, so if anyone has any specific recommendations, I would appreciate the input.
 
Hi all,

I'm in the process of building up some equipment for a business I'm starting and was hoping for some input.

I have a Fanuc Robodrill which serves the majority of my fabrication needs, but I wanted to have a lathe for the occasional part that requires it. A while back I got an older 40s roundhead LeBlond Regal 13 for almost nothing, but was in cosmetically rough shape. It mostly just needs to be stripped/repainted, have the motor rewired, and just have a good going over to get it into running shape.

The issue I'm struggling with is most of the parts that would be turned on the lathe are going to be smaller diameters (most 3" or less) and predominantly softer metals and materials. Given the LeBlond's RPM limitation of ~500RPM, I was planning on installing a VFD to bump up the RPM, however I'm now wondering if this is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Given the relatively light nature of the gearing, and the lack of availability for chuck backing plates without fabricating them myself, I'm thinking I may be better off with something more modern with a higher RPM. I'm somewhat space constrained so something like a tool-room lathe would seem like a good fit. On the other hand, perhaps the best lathe is the one I already have, and I should just deal with the slower RPM, especially given the lack of financial investment I have in it, and just get it running.

I'm still very much cutting my teeth on getting familiar with the available machines, so if anyone has any specific recommendations, I would appreciate the input.

Let me be the first to tell you that the paint has very little to do with how metal is removed. I'd run it until you know for sure that you need something else. Since it's an old machine at its price floor you can offer yourself an education for almost nothing other than your time. Once you are certain that it's the slow speed holding you back then start looking around.

As for speeding it up, that's not a gearing issue, but mostly a bearing issue. I do a lot of small-ish work like that on a 19" square head regal (1968), and I rarely need to go over 800 RPM, occasionally I'll do 1150. I've heard you can go 40-50% faster than the stock speeds on those plain bearing machines reasonably safely, so that'll give you enough speed to do good work for the most part. Speed her up a bit, make sure your headstock isn't getting hot, and don't stay overspeed for hours at a time, you should be alright.
 
Let me be the first to tell you that the paint has very little to do with how metal is removed. I'd run it until you know for sure that you need something else. Since it's an old machine at its price floor you can offer yourself an education for almost nothing other than your time. Once you are certain that it's the slow speed holding you back then start looking around.

As for speeding it up, that's not a gearing issue, but mostly a bearing issue. I do a lot of small-ish work like that on a 19" square head regal (1968), and I rarely need to go over 800 RPM, occasionally I'll do 1150. I've heard you can go 40-50% faster than the stock speeds on those plain bearing machines reasonably safely, so that'll give you enough speed to do good work for the most part. Speed her up a bit, make sure your headstock isn't getting hot, and don't stay overspeed for hours at a time, you should be alright.

Absolutely. The whole thing with the paint is over the course of it's life, it definitely had a coat applied with little thought to masking, so it's more about removing it from areas where it shouldn't be than it is adding a fresh coat. It's also kinda a "while I'm in there" item.

Thanks for the input regarding the speed. I suppose at the end of the day, since I do smaller, one-off items anyways, the speed at which I get a part done isn't as critical since it's so infrequent. I suppose if anything, it will be the bed wear and other factors in addition to desiring more speed that would really force me into another lathe (or the cost of replacement parts if needed)
 
I do most of my small parts at low speeds, usually about 700 rpm. Too lazy to change the belt to the other motor pulley. It's no problem, but I think I'd find 500 just a bit low. That said, if you don't do too much, it should work fine.
 
The roundtop Regal is NOT a plain bearing lathe.....tapered rollers both ends of the spindle ......the speeds are set at what is useful with HSS cutting tools ,and possible with the power of the motor fitted.......WARNING....the tiny gears wont take more power.....if the four gear cluster breaks ,no replacements......This is the weak point of these lathes ..........secondly ,the (likely) threaded on chuck ....any kind of braking may prove exciting when a 20 lb chuck at 3000 rpm s comes loose in the workshop.
 
How about a Hardinge toolroom lathe, an HLV-H, used in good condition, ready to go to work. Another alternative would be a new toolroom-sized lathe from Precision Matthews which should be as precise as your LeBlond Regal 13.
 
I have a 13" Regal Brochure that states:

"Speeds shown can be increased to range from 37 to 750 r.p.m. for Tungsten-Carbide Tools."
 
The roundtop Regal is NOT a plain bearing lathe.....tapered rollers both ends of the spindle ......the speeds are set at what is useful with HSS cutting tools ,and possible with the power of the motor fitted.......WARNING....the tiny gears wont take more power.....if the four gear cluster breaks ,no replacements......This is the weak point of these lathes ..........secondly ,the (likely) threaded on chuck ....any kind of braking may prove exciting when a 20 lb chuck at 3000 rpm s comes loose in the workshop.

Good to know it's tapered rollers. I thought so but Hadn't gotten that deep to confirm. Should I bother looking to adjust the end-play on the bearings if I plan on running it faster? Or just keep an eye on bearing temps. And you are correct about the threaded chuck, which was another reason why I've been tempted to sell it and upgrade to something more modern, though I certainly don't plan on running it anywhere near 3000 rpm.
 
How about a Hardinge toolroom lathe, an HLV-H, used in good condition, ready to go to work. Another alternative would be a new toolroom-sized lathe from Precision Matthews which should be as precise as your LeBlond Regal 13.

I've had my eye out for similar lathes. I've generally been under the impression that import lathes a la Precision Matthews generally aren't going to have the potential lifespan or resale value of a more industrial lathe, and tend to be a gamble when it comes to what you get. Has that changed at all recently?
 
I read thats its nice to have American iron,US industrial quality etc,nice feeling you dont get with oriental etc...........when you get over the nice feeling and want to do actual money earning work,you find the old US iron has a soft bed and is well worn,motor is underpowered,top speeds severely lacking for carbide efficiency,and so on............and I can assure oriental machines larger than the joke size do hold value if looked after ,commonly selling for twice original list........Above the 13x40 size ,orientals have it all going for them if you want to actually earn money with them....(and yes,3 phase does produce a better finish than single phase)
 
For the beginner ,lathe turning is a bit like flight ,when you hit a certain cutting speed with carbide ,all the rough finishes and raggedy edges disappear into a red hot chip and a mirror finish on the workpiece that so impresses small boys and the ignorant (customers).........to get to this supersonic flight you need power,more power,and speed ,even more cutting speed.......A 1hp Regal just wont hack it.(or any other low power lathe.)
 
Chief Sosayum: "White man make big fire, sit far away. Apache make small fire, sit close."

Chips Turnsalot: "Union machinist use tiny tool on big fast lathe. Old guy in Switzerland use big blade on small slow lathe."
 
Speaking as someone who was recently a beginner, the only way to learn is to start using the lathe. Once you're using it regularly and without hesitation, then you'll be able to make the call on whether to replace it.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Since you're just starting your business and just starting with this lathe, all you have are unknowns. This lathe is already in your shop and nothing in your description leads me to believe it won't do the work your asking of it. I'm sure there are much better places to focus your time and money than replacing a serviceable, but possibly not perfect, lathe.
 
I've had my eye out for similar lathes. I've generally been under the impression that import lathes a la Precision Matthews generally aren't going to have the potential lifespan or resale value of a more industrial lathe, and tend to be a gamble when it comes to what you get. Has that changed at all recently?


That has probably not changed much. Prices on all imports have steadily gone way up over the past 5-10 years, particularly ones from Asia. The price is right for entry level machinists and some businesses and you are way better off with PM than run of the mill competitors. You get just so much precision with their machines. They have a good track record as I understand it. Check some written reviews and YouTube video reviews. That should tell you a lot. PM should have good resale value if not too old or worn. A LeBlond Regal 13 in good condition should exceed the quality of a PM but best to get other opinions about that. I have a LeBlond 15X30 Regal, manual shift and it is quite a machine. Here is more about it plus manuals if needed: Index of /machineshop/LeBlond. I'll bet you could find a decent Hardinge HLVH for not a lot more than a new Precision Matthews of equivalent size if the HLVH doesn't require any rebuilding. It would hold it's value, last forever and do precision work.
 








 
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