Southbend 10k Lathe

[tripplejl]

Hello all,

I am new to machining and this is my second post on this forum so forgive me if this has been asked before or if I don't sound like I know what I am talking about. I was wondering if I could lean on the knowledge here about the Southbend 10k lathe from someone who has used one or has seen one in operation. Looking to spend around 4K and don't want to make a costly mistake. I am a hobbyist and I am in no way, shape or form a machinist. I currently have a 7x Chinese lathe and wish I would have bit the bullit and got something bigger. Is this a decent quality lathe for the money or should I be looking at something different in that price range? Any opinions and insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[kazlx]

You can buy a way nicer lathe than a South Bend for $4k. I paid $3200 for my Cadillac, which is a Mori clone.

 

[larry_g]

I agree with Kazlx above, there are better lathes out there. What are you doing that you need a lathe. Threading, tapering, boring, metric work, or something else. Where in the world are you. One of the members might be local to you and help you out with a visit.

Do you have power restrictions or space restrictions?

Why the Southbend 10K? What other machines have you considered and eliminated? Why have all the others been eliminated in favor of the SB 10K?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[kazlx]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/14-x-27-Yam...252075?hash=item58de6486ab:g:CAMAAOSwXeJXdZku

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Hello all,

I am new to machining and this is my second post on this forum so forgive me if this has been asked before or if I don't sound like I know what I am talking about. I was wondering if I could lean on the knowledge here about the Southbend 10k lathe from someone who has used one or has seen one in operation. Looking to spend around 4K and don't want to make a costly mistake. I am a hobbyist and I am in no way, shape or form a machinist. I currently have a 7x Chinese lathe and wish I would have bit the bullit and got something bigger. Is this a decent quality lathe for the money or should I be looking at something different in that price range? Any opinions and insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

You can get a decent hobby quality SBL 10K for about a G.. Good beginner lathe for hobby use. Look for quick change gear box, and taper attachment.

 

[600SL]

This is as good as it gets for 4K.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DSM-59-HARD...588038?hash=item3f6b817d86:g:4GAAAOSwmLlX5B3Q

1000 x better than a SB

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I bought a 40 or 50 or 60 year old South Bend lathe for $1,300 last spring. I got a ton of tooling, multiple chucks, taper attachment and more. It 4' long and has a 10" swing 4L10.

 

[pstemari]

I looked at those DSM 59's, but it wasn't clear to me what features they have, especially as compared to an HLV-H.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[ER70S-2]

This is as good as it gets for 4K.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DSM-59-HARD...588038?hash=item3f6b817d86:g:4GAAAOSwmLlX5B3Q

1000 x better than a SB

That's a second op lathe and most likely not what anybody wants for a home shop. I would rather have the 10K, no doubt.

 

[Whitworth]

For $4000 you are in well-tooled 14" lathe territory.

 

[tripplejl]

Thank you for all your help. Great forum with lots of knowledge. I am from northern Maine and have been looking at Craigslist forever with out much luck.

 

[95vette]

Hello, Don't buy a second operation lathe, it has no gearbox, no taper att. They are set up for drilling, boring, or tapping the same piece over and over. Southbend lathes are great for what they can do for their size, but for the money you are going to spend you can get a newer and larger lathe. Remember you can do small jobs on a large lathe but you can't do large jobs on a small lathe!! Good Luck Jim

 

[kazlx]

Thank you for all your help. Great forum with lots of knowledge. I am from northern Maine and have been looking at Craigslist forever with out much luck.

You might have to expand your search. You should also look into shipping options if you are serious. With $4k to spend, you can buy a nice lathe. There's nothing wrong with South Bends for the purpose they serve, but there are also nicer lathes. I've been in the same boat. I bought a Logan (very similar). It was a great lathe for what it was (my buddy still has it), but my Cadillac isn't much bigger footprint-wise and will run circles around it. It's essentially a slightly longer version of the Yam that I posted. Fantastic lathe.

Check CL, but also check Practical Machinist, the hobby machining forums, auctions, etc.

Mori Seiki
Yam
Cadillac
Le Blond
Graziano
Monarch
Hardinge

To name a few, no particular order.

 

[Parabellum]

I think a Monarch is more modern than a South Bend.
Modern bearings etc.

 

[bl00]

Don't forget to look across the border on http://www.kijiji.ca/

 

[pstemari]

Well, doing small jobs on a large lathe can be problematic. A big lathe isn't going to have the rpms to turn small, say 1/8", diameters well.

Take for example aluminum. Aluminum and HSS wants a speed of around 300 sfpm. A bigger lathe is going to top out around 2,000 rpm. For an 1/8" diameter, that's 62.5 sfpm, which is quite a bit slower. Something like a Taig or a Sherline tops out around 5,000 rpm, or 156 sfpm. If I was doing that all the time, I'd fit it with the ER-16 headstock and a 3600rpm motor, which would go up to 10,000 rpm.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[kazlx]

Chances are he's looking for a general purpose lathe. 12-14" is probably the best bet. There are quite a few options, but nobody says it has to be the last lathe you own. I love my Cadillac 1440, but my buddy has a Monarch 10EE and they both have their benefits and drawbacks. Any lathe is going to be compromise. I can easily turn 1/8" aluminum on my 14" with good results at 2000 rpm, however, if that was all I was going to be doing, I would look at different machines.

Just deducing from his budget and suggestions of looking at South Bends, his scope of work is way outside of a Taig or Sherline....

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Another name to keep in mind is "standard modern". They are one of the only (maybe they only) lathe still made in North America. Tons of them were used in trade schools up in canada, very solid machines, would make for an awesome little home shop lathe.

 

[My Old Tools]

A South Bend 10k, or 9A, or 10L, or 13 are all very capable of good work within their envelope if they aren't worn out, broken or abused. So are Sheldons from 10-13", Logans, and tons of others. None of those should cost more than $2500-3000 and many will be at $1000. Anything worth having that is under $1000 is pure luck. Get on the Boston and other area craigslists. It isn't a bad drive from down East to Boston, I did it two weeks ago.

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/5793608761.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/tls/5792206366.html

 

[454ragtop]

Definitely should take a ride down here to Mass. In addition to the 2 above
http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/bfs/5790244305.html
http://providence.craigslist.org/tls/5778998780.html
http://nh.craigslist.org/tls/5795155027.html
http://nh.craigslist.org/tls/5794568734.html
http://capecod.craigslist.org/tls/5783554693.html
These are just a few I found looking quick, anyone of which is superior to a South Bend 10K.

 

[DaveIRL]

do you get alot of harrison and colchesters in america. as in eruope they are one of the best for around 2-4 grand mark. the Colhester student is great for learning and for more advanced as you can change a gear and cut threads in 15 minutes.

 

[Murphy4570]

$4K will get you a 20+ inch swing 4-6 foot bed length Monarch lathe. Top shelf stuff. Set your sights higher than South Bend at that price point. Hell, you are close in price to an old used CNC lathe. Know how to program a HAAS?

 

[tripplejl]

Greatly appreciated. Looks like southern New England has a much better selection on CL. How difficult is it to make a 3 phase machine work in a residential garage? Once again I am new to this so I appollogize in advance for my ignorance. I appreciate everyone that has taken some time to help steer me in the right direction.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Greatly appreciated. Looks like southern New England has a much better selection on CL. How difficult is it to make a 3 phase machine work in a residential garage? Once again I am new to this so I appollogize in advance for my ignorance. I appreciate everyone that has taken some time to help steer me in the right direction.

There are a few options for 3 phase. One is to build a rotary phase convertor that will convert single phase to 3 phase. Another is a variable frequency drive that will also convert to single phase digitally, and then there is always the option to just swap out the motor with a same size single phase motor.

 

[tripplejl]

$4K will get you a 20+ inch swing 4-6 foot bed length Monarch lathe. Top shelf stuff. Set your sights higher than South Bend at that price point. Hell, you are close in price to an old used CNC lathe. Know how to program a HAAS?

I am sorry to say I don't. Very green but have been reading and watching a lot of videos. Monarch lathes look like they are amazing pieces of equipment.

 

[tripplejl]

There are a few options for 3 phase. One is to build a rotary phase convertor that will convert single phase to 3 phase. Another is a variable frequency drive that will also convert to single phase digitally, and then there is always the option to just swap out the motor with a same size single phase motor.

Thank you Jim. That opens up additional opportunities for an educated purchase.

 

[kazlx]

It's very easy as long as you have single phase 220V available. Either a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive), which is basically a mini digital converter, or a RPC (Rotary Phase Converter), which uses incoming single phase and an auxiliary 3 phase motor to generate the needed 3 phase power. Either one is relatively simple.

I use a 15 hp RPC in my garage to power all the 3 phase equipment I have.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-HP-ROTARY...hash=item45fa633b0f:m:mcHf55KMtXELQ4dHcKMs5wA

or

https://www.wolfautomation.com/products/ac-drives/frn0012c2s-7u-ac-drive-3hp-12a

 

[tripplejl]

It's very easy as long as you have single phase 220V available. Either a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive), which is basically a mini digital converter, or a RPC (Rotary Phase Converter), which uses incoming single phase and an auxiliary 3 phase motor to generate the needed 3 phase power. Either one is relatively simple.

I use a 15 hp RPC in my garage to power all the 3 phase equipment I have.

Thank you Kazlx, appreciated.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

The only part where it might get a bit of a pain, is if you buy a machine that uses something other than 220 3 phase. For example of its a 440 volt machine, you'll need a phase converter as well as step up transformer. At that point it may be easier and cheaper to do a motor swap on the lathe.

 

[paulsomlo]

Is this a decent quality lathe for the money or should I be looking at something different in that price range?

Yes and Yes. But if you really want to spend that much on your 1st lathe, you should be looking beyond a South Bend. But you don't really need to spend that kind of money to get a decent lathe. If you've really got your sights set on a SB, you want to look for a model 10L, aka "Heavy 10". The 10k ("light 10") is essentially the same lathe as the 9", with a little more center height - same bed, same carriage. And while the 10k has a 7/8" spindle bore, the 10L has a 1 3/8" spindle bore, and that makes life a bit easier in the shop. Not to mention, the 10L has much more mass. It's a fairly capable machine for the size of its footprint. Here's a link to one I saw on the Boston CL: http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/5793608761.html

 

[zkling]

For find a more modern gear head machine. South bends are nice for the hobbyist that is limited on space, transport capability and plans on just tinkering in the garage.

 

[tripplejl]

Yes and Yes. But if you really want to spend that much on your 1st lathe, you should be looking beyond a South Bend. But you don't really need to spend that kind of money to get a decent lathe. If you've really got your sights set on a SB, you want to look for a model 10L, aka "Heavy 10". The 10k ("light 10") is essentially the same lathe as the 9", with a little more center height - same bed, same carriage. And while the 10k has a 7/8" spindle bore, the 10L has a 1 3/8" spindle bore, and that makes life a bit easier in the shop. Not to mention, the 10L has much more mass. It's a fairly capable machine for the size of its footprint. Here's a link to one I saw on the Boston CL: http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/5793608761.html

That Helps a lot, Thanks. Although I not doing this for a living (nor could I at this point) I can see the value in the larger spindle bore. I think I have decided that a 10k will not be the unit as there are much better units available for the money.

 

[kazlx]

I wouldn't discount a heavy 10 if you found a nice one for the right price. That one for 2200 isn't too bad, just saying that for $4k there are much better options. Higher speeds and carbide tooling are the way to go...