Replacing Bronze bearings on 1930 Model O Heavy 9 South Bend Lathe

S

skipd1

Cast Iron

Joined

Jan 6, 2010

Location

Bismarck, ND

• Nov 12, 2020

• #1

I have owned a Model O 1930 Heavy 9 South Bend Lathe for about 9 years. I love it and has performed many great and accurate projects. I have noticed that the bronze bearings and spindle have considerable wear and I would like to find someone that can replace and bore new bronze bearings and hopefully clean up and polish the spindle as well. I don't know if this even economically viable, but I am willing to entertain significant cost to keep this great Vintage lathe in good condition.
I would like to know if there is anyone out there that does this kind of work. Any help with this is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Skipd1

 

texasgeartrain

Titanium

Joined

Feb 23, 2016

Location

Houston, TX

• Nov 12, 2020

• #2

Without laying an eyeball on it, I'm wondering if you could make the bearings yourself, before tearing it down. This thread might be of interest:

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...s-1919-13-a-316905/?highlight=making+bearings

Newer style bearings I believe:

Fitting bronze sleeves - 9" headstock.

You'd need to run your spindle in someone else's machine to clean it up, probably an OD grinder I would think. If headstock is to be bored, that'd be another machine as well, how or what depending on their set up.

Edit: sometime in the past year, a fella with a green, old style lathe, I think a model O, also went through this. Can't find the thread though, maybe titled different, not sure.

 

SLK001

Stainless

Joined

Feb 8, 2015

Location

Coral Springs, FL USA

• Nov 12, 2020

• #3

skipd1 said:

I have noticed that the bronze bearings and spindle have considerable wear...

Click to expand...

How did you make this determination?

 

johnoder

Diamond

Joined

Jul 16, 2004

Location

Houston, TX USA

• Nov 12, 2020

• #4

If they are actually "worn out" this screen shot shows what substantial critters they are. Would seem smart to LINE them, rather than make new ones

From Catalog 94 1934



Here is an old thread of mine on LINING (or "shoeing") - though not specifically a spindle bearing

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...ory/shoeing-shifting-forks-159832/#post911532



ON EDIT.....more photos of substantial bronze bearings

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...929-wide-9-heavy-10-style-384096/#post3658258

have fun

 

Last edited: Nov 13, 2020

J

Joe Gin

Plastic

Joined

Dec 4, 2020

• Dec 5, 2020

• #5

Please tell me what the 0 mean in the model number?

 

K

kitno455

Titanium

Joined

Jul 9, 2010

Location

Virginia, USA

• Dec 5, 2020

• #6

It is Series O (Oh, not Zero). It seems to be a retronym South Bend applied when they redesigned the apron in the 1930s. They called those lathes the 'Series N'. I presume for 'New'. Then, they started calling the earlier design 'Series O'.

allan

 

johnoder

Diamond

Joined

Jul 16, 2004

Location

Houston, TX USA

• Dec 5, 2020

• #7

kitno455 said:

It is Series O (Oh, not Zero). It seems to be a retronym South Bend applied when they redesigned the apron in the 1930s. They called those lathes the 'Series N'. I presume for 'New'. Then, they started calling the earlier design 'Series O'.

allan

Click to expand...

Neat little blurb about such in my "N" brochure from about 1931

Its on Page 6 at the bottom

http://www.wswells.com/data/bulletin/bulletin_200/bl_200.pdf

Thanks to Mr. Wells for hosting this for me

 

J

Joe Gin

Plastic

Joined

Dec 4, 2020

• Dec 5, 2020

• #8

Thank you, I guess the o is for old

 

SLK001

Stainless

Joined

Feb 8, 2015

Location

Coral Springs, FL USA

• Dec 5, 2020

• #9

Joe Gin said:

Thank you, I guess the o is for old

Click to expand...

Or, original.

 

J

Joe Gin

Plastic

Joined

Dec 4, 2020

• Dec 20, 2020

• #10

What year was the change in aprons? Since I have a 1929A the apron parts would be the same up to the change. Maybe it would be easier to find the cross slide clutch gear that I need.

 

T

Technical Ted

Cast Iron

Joined

Dec 31, 2017

• Dec 21, 2020

• #11

I suggest everything is adjusted properly before doing anything. Check out this info from South Bend on adjusting the bearings.

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1617/3533.pdf

Ted

 

M

mattthemuppet

Stainless

Joined

Apr 22, 2016

Location

San Antonio

• Dec 21, 2020

• #12

that's a handy doc Ted, with lots of useful information, but the bearings in the lathes in that document (c1946) are nothing like the ones in the 1929/30 SB9. They're solid (as far as I can tell) bronze shells.