Hardened beds on South Bend lathes

upcondor · Feb 21, 2019

What year did South Bend begin using harden beds on their 13” lathes that have the large spindle hole ?

Thanks for any help,

Tom

swells · Feb 21, 2019

see post: South Bend 13” manufacture date/ need help

Steve

upcondor · Feb 21, 2019

Serial number 7693TKL, looks to be a 1959 version with taper attachment. Born date seen on your serial number page and thank you for maintaining it.

Tom

packardbill · Feb 21, 2019

I cant answer your question of what year, Mr. Wells did that for you. What I can offer is a way to tell if the lathe has a hard bed. A hardened bed will NOT have scraping marks (i call it frosting or seagulls) on the ways. On a old used lathe the scraping is usually worn away in the middle length of the ways from the saddle and tail stock wearing on them. There will be visible scraping marks where the headstock is mounted to the bed. A "hard bed" will have the ways hardened and ground...no scraping marks anywhere. Hope this offers some info. PB

steve-l · Feb 22, 2019

Off the top of my head, hardened beds were not available until SB started to procure the castings from Korea in the late 70's or early 80's. If your machine is a '59 vintage, it won't have a hard bed.

iwananew10K · Feb 22, 2019

Going WAY back SBs could be ordered with hardened beds...even I beleive in the 40s.

I stand to be corrected if I am wrong.

steve-l · Feb 22, 2019

iwananew10K said:
Going WAY back SBs could be ordered with hardened beds...even I beleive in the 40s.

I stand to be corrected if I am wrong.

That's interesting. I'd like to know as well. From what I have read the first year hard beds were offered on the 10, 13, and 16 was 1972.

SLK001 · Feb 22, 2019

The first mention of hardened and ground bed ways that I have seen is in a 1963 catalog. All the lathes had this option. Since there are HUGE gaps in my SB catalog selections, I can't tell exactly what year the hardened ways were originally offered. I once read that the first offering of hardened ways was in 1958-1959.

old_dave · Feb 22, 2019

My 1972 brochures for the Heavy 10 and the 13 inch South Bends state that flame hardened bed ways are standard. My 1972 brochure for the 10K states that flame hardened bed ways are available as an option.

My 1966 catalogue shows flame hardened bed ways available as an option on the 9", 10K, 10" (Heavy 10), 13" 14 1/2" and 16" lathes.

I think hardened bed ways were standard on the 10K's that were built in Korea.

David

TDegenhart · Feb 22, 2019

steve-l said:
That's interesting. I'd like to know as well. From what I have read the first year hard beds were offered on the 10, 13, and 16 was 1972.

I have a heavy 10 that was built sometime in the 1950's or early 60's that has a hardened bed.
The serial is 9947RKX14, model CLK8187ZB. Also stamped on the bed, dob 107R.

Tom

swells · Feb 22, 2019

swells · Feb 22, 2019

it looks like 4-6-55 would be the optional hard bed date, with out X-bracing on the 13?

Steve

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Hardened beds on South Bend lathes

upcondor

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swells

Stainless

upcondor

Aluminum

packardbill

Cast Iron

steve-l

Titanium

iwananew10K

Diamond

steve-l

Titanium

SLK001

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old_dave

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TDegenhart

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swells

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swells

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