What to look for when buying a SB Heavy 10?

Thinking of upgrading from my 9, when I bought my 9, I bought it just from pics. So now, I need to be more selective It's an ok lathe, it needs some work and upgrades if I decent to keep it, but that's for another discussion.
What should I look for, and major issues, and how to tell if it has a harden bed for the 10?

Thanks.

Stampede said:

Thinking of upgrading from my 9, when I bought my 9, I bought it just from pics. So now, I need to be more selective It's an ok lathe, it needs some work and upgrades if I decent to keep it, but that's for another discussion.
What should I look for, and major issues, and how to tell if it has a harden bed for the 10?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

1) location. How close is the machine, can you see it in person under power.

2) price.

3) condition.

4) any tooling included?

It's about 2+ hours away, no tooling, no chuck, has taper attachment, taking offers over a $1000.00, looks good from the pics.

Thanks.

If i'm really interested, I'd drive the 2 hours with cash and transport if it turns out good, then I don't need to travel twice.

You have one lathe, whatever its deficiency, keep that in mind on new one.

With no chuck and no tools, I guess no power. Prefer to see under power, though not a show stopper.

If you're not set up for accuracy testing of machine. . . Obvious way damage. How much slop in hand wheels and such. Can you roll spindle by hand ? Pull a cover and check wear on gear teeth, and/or missing teeth. And looking upside down, QCGB teeth. Spin back gear shaft, teeth all there ? Do internal tapers of headstock and tailstock feel or looked whipped. Tail stock quill in and out, does it move up and down ?

What hp motor and what electricity ? Belts ? Maybe take drain plug out of bottom of apron a hair, water or no ? or how does oil look ? If in person, I'd like to stick a prybar under spindle and lift up to make sure its not clanking around.

With no power can be tricky, but to check half nuts, leave reverse tumbler in neutral. Engage half nuts. With gear cover off, grab input gear to QCGB and try to turn each way by hand to see how much half nut wear.

And if no chuck, what's on the end of spindle ? How the threads look ?

Stampede said:

It's about 2+ hours away, no tooling, no chuck, has taper attachment, taking offers over a $1000.00, looks good from the pics.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Having to travel, spend, transport, re-tool, maybe also re-power?

Modest gain doesn't seem like a lot of "up" to the "grade" for the cost and hassle... unless your 9" is either really bad-off, and yah NEED better.. or you have a buyer for it so as to ease the $$$ spread?

In addition to the above, look carefully at the tapers in the tailstock ram and in the spindle. If those are scored you'll have a problem getting any taper tooling to seat and run accurately and those internal tappers would be difficult to fix yourself.

It would be nice if the owner would let you look at or show you the spindle bearings but that probably would not happen because of the potential for getting things back together properly.

Bed Wear


almost everything else can be fixed easily

All of the above is great advice from folks far more knowledgeable than me.

Bed type should be easy to tell. If there is scraping, it isn’t hardened. Hardened beds were finish ground from the factory. Look at the bed where the serial number is stamped, scraping there usually survives. There might still be a tag on the tailstock end saying Flame Hardened, or it could be missing.

I drove 6 hours round trip to pick up my heavy 10. I could tell from the pictures before I left, it had pretty much asking price worth of tooling with it so worst case I could part it out and not really lose. I got lucky and it was a hardened bed in really good condition and everything cleaned up pretty well.

You mileage may vary.