Reed Prentice gear head lathe ?

I've just aquired a Reed Prentice lathe. the lathe is biggish, 96" between centers, about 22" swing over the bed. 7.5hp General Electric motor. I've gotten it 80% cleaned up, leveled and wired and now I need to bolt it down and do the final adjustments.
I don't have any documentation for this lathe so I'm a little reluctant to start making adjustments to things.

The only numbers I can find are on the cross slide and on the bed at the very end next to the tail stock. There is also a stamp "US" with an anchor in the middle, possibly a navy stamp.

Are there any other places to look?
Where should I start looking for a manual?
how old is this thing?(I know that I'll have to post a serial number for that)
will I go to h#ll if I don't repaint the dark green a proper gray?
where can I get a spanner to change chucks?
how do I change chucks?

It really is in very nice condition, just a little loose on the cross slide. The marks(little "V" shapes) from scraping are still visable on the whole bed but worn next to the chuck, nothing broken. I do need to replace three site glasses, one of which does have a hole at the top and replace a couple of the little ball oilers.

Inside the gear head there is no rust, the oil is clean, good oil in the cross slide and feed case?. It just shines except the bugly green paint.
It has a #5 mt tailstock, taper attatchment, four and three jaw chucks, I don't know the name of this, a large round plate with slots for mounting odd shapes, two steady rests and a boreing bar holder with .75", 1" and 1.25" holes.

thane

PS if you think the west coast is a tool desert, come to Alaska. even if you find a tool it is probably a three day boat ride to get to it.

Since you need a "spanner" to get chuck off, it is post mid thirties, when the three types of standardized spindle noses came out. You have the "L" type, very possibly in the L1 size.

You get the chuck off by unscrewing the draw back nut after you get or make a hook spanner. By unscrewing, I mean top of nut goes to rear.

Some are built so when you unscrew it far enough it will shove the chuck off the tapered and keyed spindle nose. Do what ever is needed to not let the chuck fall on you or the machine.

Serial may be stamped on bed near right end.

Thanks Johnoder, then I've the correct number, I thought that I could get the correct rotation off of the the other chuck, hints on a manual?

This lathe was first posted by PWSF before I got it. He and I go way back and have similar weaknesses.

As with a great deal of this old stuff, there is apt to be more sales info than actual manuals. Forum member Widlin scanned some of my old (older than your lathe) RP sales info, and may have more in the way of manuals.

Here is a scan showing some of the stuff the threaded spindle nose RP could do.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/johnoder/RPChips.jpg

Congratulations on the lathe. As John said I do have a scanned copy of his sales brochures that I could send to you on a CD. I also have an original manual (and a few photo copies of it) from the early 50s that I used to help put my 1941 Reed Prentice back together. I have been meaning to scan that manual for quite some time, as the members of the Yahoo Reed Prentice group that I try to moderate have heard me say many times before. At work we now have photo copier that will scan the 11x17 drawings and e-mail me a PDF, so maybe I can do that over the weekend or a little each morning. Also as John said you need a spanner ranch and probably a dead blow hammer to get the chuck off by turning the collar clockwise when facing the chuck. The collar is threaded onto the chuck so this will unscrew the two. If you are interested I could also send you a copy of the manual, it won’t be as good as a PDF that you can enlarge though.

Jeff

Congrats on the R-P. My 14 x 30 is about 3 years old (to me). Mine required a lot of disassembly just to clean it up and make sure all the pumps and filters were OK. Hopefully your machine has the pump in the apron that keeps the ways oiled. It virtually eliminates wear on the ways. Great machines.

You may want to search for an old thread about the sight glasses. I couldn't find replacements in glass and I wasn't happy with any of the available plastics. Here is a photo of my solution. I machined a pocket into the cover and glued a glass circle into it with clear silicon. A local window shop cut the glass discs. The shoulder is the same depth as the glass thickness. The shoulder side goes toward the machine and a gasket laps out onto the glass a little. Three years and no discoloration or leaks.



I am happy with my 14 x 30 but I wish it was as big as yours. (size envy?) :-)

SCOTT (fabricator - wanabee machinist)

Hi seiner,

Sent you a pm regarding your machine.

Johnny V

smootz,

I like your fix, the plastic lenses in mine are domed and badly yellowed, yours look much better.

serial number is 29944 on lathe bed, 23238 on cross slide

serial number is 29944

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Was made in 1944

Hi Seiner,

I sent you a Private Message regarding your machine.

Later
Johnny V

Morning , I see that this is an older thread but thought I would give It a try anyway , I have a reed prentice lathe with no tags or name plates on it ? The numbers on the bed are 32621 it’s a 16 x 60 I would greatly appreciate any information anyone could provide , thanks

W900 said:

Morning , I see that this is an older thread but thought I would give It a try anyway , I have a reed prentice lathe with no tags or name plates on it ? The numbers on the bed are 32621 it’s a 16 x 60 I would greatly appreciate any information anyone could provide , thanks

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Your question is like asking "I have an old car, it has 4 doors made is 1972, tell me about it."
Dude, quit digging up ancient threads and asking the same question.
Start a NEW thread about you lathe and dont start it until you learn how to post PICTURES of the lathe.

Sir how wpuld i go about trying to get a cope of that ?

Bobbyrhamby said:

Sir how wpuld i go about trying to get a cope of that ?

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Bobby - if you are referring to user name widlin1, he was last on the forum a year ago, but you could click on that name and send him an email and see if he responds to same. Maybe he has a link to his manual by now - but maybe not