1941 South Bend Heavy 10 - Paint Color and Taper Attachment Questions

Hello, I am a new member here. I have used this forum many times in the past to answer questions of mine, but I just purchased a 1941 South Bend Heavy 10 and decided to become a member now that I am actually getting into machining. And I just want to note that I have already searched these forums and the internet for answers to my questions and have not found anything. So if you know where one of these questions has already been answered, please be polite in informing me where the answer to my question may be. Thanks.

Here is a picture of my lathe:


I had Grizzly look up the serial number and on the card they emailed me it said: "Spec. order cabinet bench in lieu of steel bench. Hard maple 3-drawer per drawing 204 MC (painted olive green color)" This lathe was sold to the Quartermaster at Middletown, Pennsylvania so I assume that means the Middletown Airfield which was renamed Olmstead Air Force Base after WWII. And the card was hard to read in some spots so I can't tell if it specified 3-drawer or 8-drawer. But either way, I was wondering if anybody knew what this bench would have looked like, and would the lathe have been painted olive green as well or just the bench? Someday I would like to get the lathe cleaned up and looking like it did the day it left the factory.

And my last question is regarding a taper attachment for this lathe. The place I bought this lathe from also had a taper attachment that looked almost identical to the one shown in a 1941 South Bend catalog:

Note: this is a screenshot of the South Bend Catalog 100A that I downloaded from Vintage Machinery, I do not claim this image as my own.

At least from what I could tell, the pins and bolt holes line up perfectly with the holes in the saddle, but the pins were too snug to fit into the saddle. I think this may simply be because the pins were painted, and I didn't want to force the two pieces together when I hadn't already paid for it. The only problem was that the bolt holes in the slotted piece of the taper attachment were just a little too narrow to bolt up to the cross slide on the lathe. And the threaded rod that connects the taper attachment to the clamp piece is missing. I am really considering buying this as well and either trying to find the correct piece to bolt to the cross slide or just make an adapter for the one in the picture. What do yall think? And what would be a fair price for this taper attachment?

Thank you for your help, and I look forward to learning from yall in the future.

Look at the taper attachment for sale. If it has a “R” in the serial/part number it is for a Heavy 10. Complete ones sell for around $500 so with a missing tie rod it’s probably worth $450-475. It would be simple to make.

ETA: it would require a different Crossfeed screw so make sure they have it, or deduct $100 or so off the above price.

hsracer201 said:

Look at the taper attachment for sale. If it has a “R” in the serial/part number it is for a Heavy 10. Complete ones sell for around $500 so with a missing tie rod it’s probably worth $450-475. It would be simple to make.

ETA: it would require a different Crossfeed screw so make sure they have it, or deduct $100 or so off the above price.

Click to expand...

All the parts for the telescopic lead screw are missing.
Lead screw, bearings, and the crank assembly/micrometer dial with the female end for the telescopic action.

I use my lathe a lot and took off the TA 20 years ago simply because it was too hard to remove the cross slide to clean the iron dust from under it after I machined cast iron. I have not needed to put it back on since then. I know as soon as I sell it, I will need it!

Bill

Thank you for your input. I have never used a TA before, but I was under the impression that to use one you would disconnect the cross slide from the lead screw and let the TA be the driving force for the cross slide. Does a telescopic lead screw just simplify the setup of the TA?

Erik K said:

Thank you for your input. I have never used a TA before, but I was under the impression that to use one you would disconnect the cross slide from the lead screw and let the TA be the driving force for the cross slide. Does a telescopic lead screw just simplify the setup of the TA?

Click to expand...

To use the TA on the SB, you just tighten the lever that clamps the cross slide, and tighten the clamp to the bed.
Now the cross slide screw moves back and forth as you move the carriage.
You are still able to use the hand crank to turn the screw to set your cut.
The screw telescopes between the crank assembly and where it turns the screw.
The screw bearings are on either end of the tube on the TA that has the clamp in the middle of it.

Bill

Once you tighten the cross-feed to the taper attachment, you NO LONGER can adjust the cross-feed using the handle - the cross-feed is now controlled by the TA. All the in and out that you need are now controlled by the compound rest (so get your tool close enough to your work prior to the tightening).

True, but you can loosen the clamp, turn the cross slide handle and retighten the clamp.

Oh, ok. Thanks for the clarification Bill.

HTRAL covers using the taper attachment for both styles of South Bend taper attachments. The 9's and light 10 use the 'plain taper attachment' that requires the cross feed screw be disconnected. The heavy 10 and larger lathes have 'telescopic taper attachments' and just need binding screws tightened to use (like for the OP's lathe).

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1617/17727.pdf

I actually use the binding screw on mine as a cross-slide lock. Its helpful when doing interrupted cuts sometimes. I've not used the TA for anything other than tinkering yet. For short tapers, honestly the compound is easier to set up and use. You're just limited to about 2" of travel with it.

Old thread, I know, but I have some info that you may find helpful.

My lathe is also a 1941 Heavy 10, and is sitting on its original 8 drawer cabinet. Here's a picture from the government auction where I bought it. I've photoshopped a couple photos together, as they had the lathe sitting on the cabinet backwards!

So if your card says "8 drawer cabinet", it would have looked something like this:

BTW, Mine was built in December of 1941 and shipped to the USAF in Marietta, GA. The brass tag at the lower right says, "This machine conforms to the orders of the War Production Board."

What a neat piece of history!

hsracer201 said:

Look at the taper attachment for sale. If it has a “R” in the serial/part number it is for a Heavy 10. Complete ones sell for around $500 so with a missing tie rod it’s probably worth $450-475. It would be simple to make.

ETA: it would require a different Crossfeed screw so make sure they have it, or deduct $100 or so off the above price.

Click to expand...

That answers a question I was needing answered. My taper attachment gets in my way so I want to pull it off. That confirms what I was thinking that I needed a new screw assembly.

Now does anyone know where one could be purchased or am I gonna have to make one myself?