So I picked up my first lathe, can anyone identify?

[crxgames]

Anyone have any good sources for learning how to use a lathe? I just swooped this up for $300. Couldn't pass it up...now I have to figure out how to use it lol.

Also, can anyone identify it? I cannot find any serious markings on it. I would love to come across a restoration thread or someone with a similar setup so I could discuss how to get this thing working.

https://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/316091_10200240584516270_747592966_n.jpg

https://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/249059_10200320268268314_683049001_n.jpg

https://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/164256_10200320268748326_1250452860_n.jpg

 

[454ragtop]

Actually, has a lot of "serious" markings on it. It's a Simplex, apparently a somewhat obscure brand. Take a look here http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/simplex-lathe-153542/
HTH, Jim

 

[930dreamer]

look here;


http://www.lathes.co.uk/simplex/

http://www.lathes.co.uk/mondial/page6.html

 

[Kevin54]

You got a lot of scrubbing to do on that. If the ways are rusty, use some ScotchBrite, red or gray, and some WD-40. WD does wonders for cutting old grease. The gray scotchbrite can be used on the ways if rusty. You'll want to change oil in the head if there is any. Once you have it all clean, polish up the Brass tags, mask them off, and mask off the ways and any other machined area that shouldn't be painted, then get some Rustoleum paint in your choice of colors, a little bit of hardener for the paint, and go at it.

If it were me, and I've been around machines all my life, I'd paint it something other than gray, go for something like red or blue or even yellow. I'm all for restoring machines, but I'm not a huge fan of industrial colors at all. The greens and grays just don't do it for me.

Now if you plan on selling it, then by all means, paint it gray as the next person might be a die hard industrial color type of person. I just bought a used Famco Shear and although the gray is period correct, and it was just refurbished, it's going to get a color change real shortly

 

[crxgames]

This is disturbingly similar, yet the entire casing around the drive side is different.

Yet the base is off of this one:

Still can find nothing on the Cleveland model. The guy I bought it from said he thinks it's from the 40's but I'm thinking it's quite a bit earlier. It was built in Hamilton, Ohio though.

 

[gorilla]

That lathe seems to be missing it's compound feed or perhaps it was configured as a "plane" lathe. Plane lathes were built for straight turning and facing. Threading and any angle work were not anticipated. How to run a lathe by South Bend is a good place to start learning. I think you can find a re print on Amazon. Have fun with your new toy.

 

[Kevin54]

Here's some stuff about the company

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1979

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/simplex-lathe-153542/

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/15434-Simplex-Lathe-(Mondial-)-need-info

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/lathes-hamilton-ohio-112334/

http://www.industrialmanuals.com/cleveland-m-163.php

 

[454ragtop]

Little more info about Simplex here http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=4154 Suspect your machines dates to the teens, early 1920's.
Jim

 

[SM Racing]

What kind of bearings are in the head stock? Roller or babbit? That will give you an idea of the age.

 

[crxgames]

That is a good question. I will have to check.

 

[onewaydave]

What kind of bearings are in the head stock? Roller or babbit? That will give you an idea of the age.

Yabut, my 1928 Southbend uses bronze bushings.

Lots of good references here, but another approach is to read up on lathes (SB's How to run a Lathe) in general, how they work and such. Then begin to apply the principal of "Whats this do?" to your lathe and figure out what it will and will not do. You'll eventually figure it out.

BTW the above principal is a must apply either now or after you learn what you've got.

Sometimes parts of one maker's lathe can be adapted to work on another's lathe. Compound rest, follower rest, steady rest and tool posts come to mind.

Not to blast another's post, my approach was to clean and lubricate. No paint as I am trying to figure if I want to keep it or not. If I live long enough, I'll probably trade it for something different. IMHO, red is not a good color because I have to stop every now and then to see if I cut myself and am bleeding.

Dave.

 

[SM Racing]

Yabut, my 1928 Southbend uses bronze bushings.

That to me would fall under that category of babbit. If its roller bearing it is typically a later style lathe. Solid bearings or bushings would lead me to believe it is pre-40s

 

[gyromike]

Don't know much about the lathe in the pictures, but if anyone wants to learn some good machine shop tips check out MrPete222's channel on YouTube. He has over a hundred videos machine shop operations.

Also the South Bend booklet, "How to Run A Lathe" is a good starter.

 

[larry_g]

That to me would fall under that category of babbit.

More proper would be a Plain bearing (vs a roller). Babbit is a material bearings are made out of.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[SM Racing]

More proper would be a Plain bearing (vs a roller). Babbit is a material bearings are made out of.

lg
no neat sig line

True. Apparently that was the word I was searching for, my brain was having none of that, though.

 

[onewaydave]

OOPs, I see this discussion is ongoing. Never mind.

Dave.

 

[onewaydave]

Don't know much about the lathe in the pictures, but if anyone wants to learn some good machine shop tips check out MrPete222's channel on YouTube. He has over a hundred videos machine shop operations.

Also the South Bend booklet, "How to Run A Lathe" is a good starter.

Don't over look Keith Fenner's you tube channel. He shows vids of jobs brought into his shop and his machine work is very much grounded in mechanical machining vs digital machining. Except his plasma cutter to die for.

Dave.

 

[justanengineer]

Don't over look Keith Fenner's you tube channel. He shows vids of jobs brought into his shop and his machine work is very much grounded in mechanical machining vs digital machining.

Not to be negative about anyone, but even the best people have a bad habit or two that you really dont wanna pick up accidentally, which is why I always suggest folks reference a few classic machine tool texts available at the local library, online, or the usual auctions/fleas/yard sales. Quite often there are other skills that need developed to really run a machine tool like precision measurement, layout, bench work etc that a good college-level text explain pretty thoroughly. In this case one popular classic is South Bend Lathe Co's "How to Run a Lathe" pamphlet bc its pretty informative and a quick/easy "one poo" read.

 

[zoowho2]

before I flood the screen with tears, why can't I find these deals. BOO HOO

 

[onewaydave]

justanengineer, I couldn't agree with you more. Excellent book. I had it before I had my first lathe and generally recommend it to everyone. I think several other companies produced a very similar book, I know Craftsman did.

The Fenner videos do show a machinist doing something occasionally that some classic texts say don't do. For instance, using compressed air to clean off parts. But, I've seen in most fields that years of experience sometimes teach one that the textbooks aren't always right.

I also realise that seeing a fellow worker do something wrong but seemingly getting good results is a good opportunity to ask them why. I've learned a few things doing that.

Dave.

 

[justanengineer]

The Fenner videos do show a machinist doing something occasionally that some classic texts say don't do. For instance, using compressed air to clean off parts. But, I've seen in most fields that years of experience sometimes teach one that the textbooks aren't always right.

I also realise that seeing a fellow worker do something wrong but seemingly getting good results is a good opportunity to ask them why. I've learned a few things doing that.

I agree to a large extent Dave, but Ive always thought that there really is a bit of a need to be fairly strict when someone is new to anything, simply to keep them out of trouble. Id agree that someone knowledgeable and careful can "cheat" a bit and use compressed air to clean, occasionally set tools directly on a mill table or lathe ways, etc etc....but someone inexperienced might not notice the blown chips piling up between sliding surfaces until the ways are scratched or they might be tempted to use the mill table as a workbench/resting spot for other projects and damage it. The common "rules" in texts arent unbendable by those who know the reasons for them, but if followed they will keep those who dont know better out of trouble.

Dont get me wrong, I definitely agree that others can learn a ton by watching guys like Keith, but I think for the total novice the intro books are better.

 

[Kevin54]

justanengineer, I couldn't agree with you more. Excellent book. I had it before I had my first lathe and generally recommend it to everyone. I think several other companies produced a very similar book, I know Craftsman did.

The Fenner videos do show a machinist doing something occasionally that some classic texts say don't do. For instance, using compressed air to clean off parts. But, I've seen in most fields that years of experience sometimes teach one that the textbooks aren't always right.

I also realise that seeing a fellow worker do something wrong but seemingly getting good results is a good opportunity to ask them why. I've learned a few things doing that.

Dave.

I agree to a large extent Dave, but Ive always thought that there really is a bit of a need to be fairly strict when someone is new to anything, simply to keep them out of trouble. Id agree that someone knowledgeable and careful can "cheat" a bit and use compressed air to clean, occasionally set tools directly on a mill table or lathe ways, etc etc....but someone inexperienced might not notice the blown chips piling up between sliding surfaces until the ways are scratched or they might be tempted to use the mill table as a workbench/resting spot for other projects and damage it. The common "rules" in texts arent unbendable by those who know the reasons for them, but if followed they will keep those who dont know better out of trouble.

Dont get me wrong, I definitely agree that others can learn a ton by watching guys like Keith, but I think for the total novice the intro books are better.

When I started working in Tool & Die back in '81, the place I came from always used an air hose to blow off a fixture or parts. So when I started at the new place, I didn't give it a thought until I got my *** royally reamed out bigtime, because I used an airhose to blow off my mill. Good God, you would have thought I banged the guys wife. When he got done berating me, he tied into the others as a warning. I'm standing there thinking WTF

After he left, I asked a coworker who that was. He was the head of maintenance. I was walking down the hall later in the day and he stopped me. I thought, here we go again He explained to me about using an airhose on machinery and how it can blow minute pieces of grit and dirt into places that you don't want it to be. Once the dirt gets into those areas, it's impossible to get out until it is ground down and the ways start to wear. He took me into the maintenance department and showed be a Bridgeport that was torn down for a rebuild and how dirty it was, and how worn it was.

Secondly, and here come another lesson about blowing off chips and dirt and people. You can get chips in your eye, you can blow chips in others eyes if they are within distance.

After that, I had a new respect for a machine and refrained from using an airhose as much as possible. Not only for blowing dirt into areas where it shouldn't be, but I also didn't want my *** ripped again.

At least at home, I keep a ShopVac between my mill and lathe, so whenever I'm tinkering around with either one, I'll vacuum everything off, then give it a wipedown with a shoprag or two, then a little spritz of WD-40 to help prevent rust. Plus if I use an airhose, it would blow **** all over the walls which I don't want.

 

[JEdA]

Maybe not the easiest read, but it's free.

http://books.google.com/books/about/How_to_run_a_lathe.html?id=D15BAQAAIAAJ

If the link doesn't work (posting from my phone) just search for how to run a lathe and a scan of it is free on Google books.

 

[Alchymist]

That lathe seems to be missing it's compound feed or perhaps it was configured as a "plane" lathe. Plane lathes were built for straight turning and facing. Threading and any angle work were not anticipated. How to run a lathe by South Bend is a good place to start learning. I think you can find a re print on Amazon. Have fun with your new toy.

That lathe has a carriage feed screw and a threading chart - why wouldn't it be capable of threading?

 

[gorilla]

You could cut a thread with that lathe but you would need to run the cutting tool straight into the work. Common threading practice is to feed the cutting tool in at a 29* angle with the compound feed so that the cut is taken on the front edge of the tool. Check out Tubal Cains video on threading for a better explanation.

 

[Alchymist]

You could cut a thread with that lathe but you would need to run the cutting tool straight into the work. Common threading practice is to feed the cutting tool in at a 29* angle with the compound feed so that the cut is taken on the front edge of the tool. Check out Tubal Cains video on threading for a better explanation.

I know how single point threading is done - my comment was directed at the fact that it was only missing a part - it came with a steady rest, but no compound - time to look around for the missing part. Dollars to donuts it came with one. And most advanced users will toss the lantern tool post .....

 

[Jamesjinks]

I'm pretty sure your lathe was manufactured in Richmond, Indiana.
In late 1916 and early 1917 the Cleveland Machine and Supply Company purchased/acquired Kern Machinery and American Lathe & Press out of Hamilton, Ohio and a company out of Richmond, Indiana: http://waynecountyhistory.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/hr-porter-of-richmond-indiana/
and formed Simplex Machine and Tool Company with the headquarters in Hamilton, OH. They probably intended to cash in on the war effort.
The 12" lathes were probably made there (see article).
Simplex tanked in 1918 or 1919 because of a contract issue with the government, but may have reorganized only to fall victim to the stock market crash during the Depression.
Bottom line... Low availability of parts, no user manuals, and few people who know a lot about this lathe... (including me, and I own one!).
I'm starting my restoration in a few months, and if you'd like to stay in touch that would rock.
On the other hand, I know someone who would take it off your hands if you want to give it away ...

Jim