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New 80 Year Old South Bend 9C

bug_hunter

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Location
SE Wisconsin
Hey Guys,

Recently picked up a new to be SB 9C.

20210204_155912.jpg

Need to disassemble to get into the basement. The apron and the chuck are giving me a LOT of trouble. Just picked up a manual impact screw driver for the apron, and a leather belt and BIG hex key for the chuck.

Once it is down, I'll be ordering a rebuild manual and felts online.

Got a bunch of extras with the lathe:

DSCN0009.jpg

Also, a few things I have no idea what they are. Any help would be appreciated.

DSCN0005.jpg
DSCN0006.jpg
DSCN0007.jpg

There are a few more I can't identify, but I am currently bumping against the photo limit in a post. More later, along with many, many questions.

Thanks to all,

Greg
 
Hey Guys,

Recently picked up a new to be SB 9C.
Need to disassemble to get into the basement. The apron and the chuck are giving me a LOT of trouble. Just picked up a manual impact screw driver for the apron, and a leather belt and BIG hex key for the chuck.
Once it is down, I'll be ordering a rebuild manual and felts online.
Got a bunch of extras with the lathe:
Also, a few things I have no idea what they are. Any help would be appreciated.
There are a few more I can't identify, but I am currently bumping against the photo limit in a post. More later, along with many, many questions.

Thanks to all,

Greg

Congrats Greg; very sweet machine!
Have attached your pic rotated around for normal view.

Looks like a lot of those parts are not SB lathe related; some are milling tools and odds and ends.

There are safe ways to get that chuck off (I assume in the headstock), but a common problem
unfortunately. Here is a video you might watch:
https://youtu.be/7dC13inQC9A

(There are some recent threads here about this very topic...try a search)

Assuming you get the apron separated from the saddle, you should be able to withdraw the apron
down the length of the lead screw...but very carefully! First move the saddle/apron assembly towards
the end, close to the rear bearing. Loosen the two screws that hold the bearing
at the end of the lathe. Use a piece of strong wire looped around the lead screw and tied back somewhere
on the lathe such as the webs in the bed. This will be behind the apron, and you don't want the leadscrew
to droop excessively...would be better if someone just held it straight for you. Remove the bearing and slowly
slide (by hand) the apron off the lead screw. Remember there's a key in the gears and you want it to slide smoothly
out of the lead screw. The hand wheel may or may not rotate during this move, which is okay.
(And oh yeah, make sure the lead screw keyway is clean and oiled.)
If you can manually move the lead screw to where the keyway faces out, then at least you can see it
for reference. After the apron is safely off and on the bench, put the leadscrew back into the bearing and
snug up the screws.

On those large machine screws holding the apron to the saddle (3/8's I believe), your ratchet drive should
do the job...if not, try some heat from a propane burner.

Good luck, and more pics please! I like the patina!
Welcome to the churn.

PMc

View attachment 313517 View attachment 313519
 
On a model C just remove the bearing on the headstock end and and pull the leadscrew out of the apron. There is no keyway on a Model C. Apron can be left in the center of the machine to support the lead screw coming off and reinstalling it. Easy peasy. Just make sure you have the half nuts open.
 
On a model C just remove the bearing on the headstock end and and pull the leadscrew out of the apron. There is no keyway on a Model C. Apron can be left in the center of the machine to support the lead screw coming off and reinstalling it. Easy peasy. Just make sure you have the half nuts open.

Great point Tommy....no power settings, no key....and no QCGB.

PMc
 
Got the carriage off. WD-40 and an impact screwdriver. No go yet on the chuck. Read about a bazillion ideas on numerous sites. Trying the weight on a stick over night method. Seems the lease mistake prone. Unfortunately I can't get any shaft holds to work yet. Closest I've gotten was a leather belt around the end of the spindle gear on the end, but broke two belts before the weight could be suspended. Going to try a rubber hold-down strap through two pipes with a coupling tomorrow. The coupling will allow you to turn the pipes and stretch the strap and tighten the hold around the spindle. If no go with that, then a pulley belt will be next in line. Wondering if I would be better off around the bull gear. Bigger gear, better hold? WD-40 a couple times a day. No rush on this one.
 
The bull gear is very brittle (it's cast iron) and can easily loose teeth. So is the pulley, so don't strap around them, either.

Another thing you can try is make a wooden wrench out of a piece of hard wood, like oak or maple. Start with a piece about 2 feet long by 3 inches by 1 inch, then drill a hole for the end of the spindle about 3" from one end. Make the hole a close, but tight fit. Now cut a 1/4" slot down the center of your stick until it meets the hole. Place the stick over the spindle end and use a C-clamp across the board to tighten the grip. Now, you can use your makeshift clamp as a handle (just let the piece of wood hit the edge of the bench) to constrain the spindle, while you try to loosen your chuck.
 
The bull gear is very brittle (it's cast iron) and can easily loose teeth. So is the pulley, so don't strap around them, either.

Another thing you can try is make a wooden wrench out of a piece of hard wood, like oak or maple. Start with a piece about 2 feet long by 3 inches by 1 inch, then drill a hole for the end of the spindle about 3" from one end. Make the hole a close, but tight fit. Now cut a 1/4" slot down the center of your stick until it meets the hole. Place the stick over the spindle end and use a C-clamp across the board to tighten the grip. Now, you can use your makeshift clamp as a handle (just let the piece of wood hit the edge of the bench) to constrain the spindle, while you try to loosen your chuck.

Like this:

IMG_0161Large.jpg

Only ~1/2-inch of smooth spindle to grip. Any major risk in doing this, but with a hardwood?

DSCF1089b (1).jpg

Do not have aluminum available to do this, but I do have hardwood. Just do not want to damage the gear teeth.
 
No Go!

Made the tool. Tightened it on with a small pipe clamp *the 1/4-inch gap has closed on the end of the tool from the tightening). Put a large hex in the chuck with a 5-foot bar extension. Loaded some weight in a bucket on the end and left it over night with no movement. Added some weight, and the tool starts to slip on the spindle. I guess I will tightening it up a bit more, and try some heat on the chuck with a heat gun.

Any additional thoughts?

Thanks a bunch.
 
Knowing me, I probably would have tried a little heat first. But yes, where you are
with the weight, some heat is worth a try. Hope it comes free.

PMc
 
Two choices:

-Heat Gun
-Propane torch

?????

I think propane torch will give you better control on where you put the heat
as opposed to heat gun that is very wide. But ultimately, either will work.
If first application doesn't get it, try a hotter temp. And some whacks with the
rubber mallet!

PMc
 
Any additional thoughts?

With the wooden wrench, you can impact the frozen chuck - put the key in the chuck, let the wood rest on the bench and hit the key. The wood wrench should offer enough resistance to give meaning to your impacts.

With the weight trick, you can use the back gears to lock the spindle. What you DON'T want to do is impact the chuck while in back gear.

As for adding heat, the propane torch can add a lot of energy in a short amount of time, while the heat gun is a lot slower. Just be careful not to concentrate the heat in one spot for too long. Depending of how your chuck is stuck, adding heat can make it stuck even further. Save the heat for later and right now just add penetrant to the shoulder/chuck interface.
 
SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another squirt of WD-40, and a few shots to the five-foot breaker nbar near the chuck, and she broke loose.

Thanks a lot for all the helpful advice. I am sure I'll be back in the near future with another problem for all you guys to weigh in on.

Have a great week, and stay warm!
 








 
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