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Is the South Bend Fourteen a good lathe?

hsracer201

Hot Rolled
Joined
Oct 24, 2015
I bought a lathe through an online auction that I know NOTHING about. Can any of you guys tell me about the variable speed fourteen? I don't see much about them. Is this because they suck? Are they about equal with a similar size LeBlond Regal square head as far as rigidity? Better than the belt driven models we all love? The pictures are poor at best, so I can't tell if it has a cam-lock spindle, but it comes with a 3-jaw and taper attachment. Has a hard bed which is cool. Might be junk and not even run, but it was cheap.

Anything you can toss out would be appreciated. Supposed to pick them up on Tuesday.

Thanks.
 
Steve Wells has the manual for the South Bend 14 on his site. I downloaded it last year when I was looking at replacing my old 10k. The manual is thorough, listing part numbers and diagramming the assembly of the lathe. There may be a wiring schematic as well, I can’t remember for sure.

They look like decent lathes and I was going to buy a SB 14 but I found a Heavy 10 for a very good price and it came home instead. All the ones I looked at had a D cam lock spindle.


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This is probably one of the best hobby/vocational lathes you can get stateside before moving up into true toolroom type lathes. I love mine and have used the hell out of it for the last 7 years. I bought it from an estate for a moldmaker that passed.
 
Let us know how it checks out. Not much said about them, on this forum or elsewhere.
Almost looked at one last year, but remember reading something to do with the VS drive and a certain part or parts that were susceptible to damage if the lathe wasn't properly maintained over time and couldn't be replaced. Anyway, shied away from it at the time but have always been interested in them.

I suppose, just like Monarchs and others the drive system can be replaced with a correctly designed VFD setup if it were to fail.
 
Years back I worked in a shop that made precision optical components. we needed a vertical lathe but none were readily available so we made our own out of a used 14 inch. We stood it on end and bolted it to a 1" steel plate, added a counterweight to the carriage, greased up the headstock in lieu of oil, and ran it every day for 15 years with an occasional regrease to the headstock and gearbox.
I'd say they were a pretty good lathe... Jim
 
Don't swap it, just rewire it. You can get to the peckerhead can't you?

No, not without pulling the variable speed drive and then removing the motor. Besides, it isn’t a 220/440 motor, it’s a 440 motor. I know how to change between the two when it’s possible.

No matter, I put it on CL and a local manufacturer came and looked at it. I’m taking it to their shop with 440. If it runs they’re writing a check for it.
 
Years back I worked in a shop that made precision optical components. we needed a vertical lathe but none were readily available so we made our own out of a used 14 inch. We stood it on end and bolted it to a 1" steel plate, added a counterweight to the carriage, greased up the headstock in lieu of oil, and ran it every day for 15 years with an occasional regrease to the headstock and gearbox.
I'd say they were a pretty good lathe... Jim

Without a doubt, the wildest thing I've ever read on this forum....:eek:
 
Just purchased a Fourteen. Looking for as much info as I can on it. Where is this Steve Wells site?
 








 
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