Garagedweller
Member
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Need some advice from the machinist guys
- Thread starter Garagedweller
- Start date
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
With or without Servo Shift? When was it made?
Read this
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/leblond-regal-opinions-81945/
Read this
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/leblond-regal-opinions-81945/
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
That's a good name and they are still around... parts are not cheap. Search over at PM.. there is a lot of info.... some of it conflicting. If its in decent shape and a decent deal I would get it and sort out the drive if need be.
Just like any machine, run it through the gears. Test each and every thread cutting position, engage every power feed, listen for strange noises like sloppy bearings. Take your neighbor that owns the lathe with you so you have an experienced eye looking at it. If neither of you know how to run the lathe ask the owner to run it for you. It should also come with steadies and chucks. Cutters, tool posts, and other stuff are also a great addition. If you can get the whole package it is sure cheaper money and time wise than getting a bare lathe and trying to piece all the accessories together. A bare lathe can be only the half the investment you have to make to get a machine tooled up.
Make sure YOU have the power to run it or know the cost of getting it. Many have bought a lathe not understanding 3 phase and could not make it work.
lg
no neat sig line
Make sure YOU have the power to run it or know the cost of getting it. Many have bought a lathe not understanding 3 phase and could not make it work.
lg
no neat sig line
macgee
Well-known member
I guess first question, have you ever used/operated a lathe before?
There's a whole checklist that can be typed out for you to go through but would be more meaningful if we know your experience? And the year and model of lathe (not just 13x40)
Having said that, you need to check the ways for wear (w/dial indicator), the spindle bearings on how good they are & check quality/runout of MT taper in it, check all the gears and if they're complete and not missing any teeth, if it has a quick change box, ask him to go through all them to make sure they all work and not broken,
check the runout out on spindle, if there's any issues with the chuck mounting (can the lathe reverse), if the lathe can go into back gear (low), check backlash on the carriage handles, look to see if there's anything missing on the lathe, check if the autofeed works for the (both directions) carriage and autofeed cross-feed (if it has it). Is the tailstock fully working and no damage.
Take stock of what tooling there is and what is missing that is needed. Does it have a 3-jaw and 4-jaw chucks, steady rest, mounting plate, tool post.......etc.
There's all kinds of things to keep checking, (like the electronics and circuits) but the thing you want to check out of all of it, it's to find out the wear and accuracy of the lathe first, the quality of the bearings and if anything needs fixing or replacing and how much is it going to cost you and mow much work will be needed.
Not knowing more about the lathe makes it harder to give advice on it, Leblond 13's ran the full gambit on complexities from simple older versions to full on more recent commercial industrial versions.
There's a whole checklist that can be typed out for you to go through but would be more meaningful if we know your experience? And the year and model of lathe (not just 13x40)
Having said that, you need to check the ways for wear (w/dial indicator), the spindle bearings on how good they are & check quality/runout of MT taper in it, check all the gears and if they're complete and not missing any teeth, if it has a quick change box, ask him to go through all them to make sure they all work and not broken,
check the runout out on spindle, if there's any issues with the chuck mounting (can the lathe reverse), if the lathe can go into back gear (low), check backlash on the carriage handles, look to see if there's anything missing on the lathe, check if the autofeed works for the (both directions) carriage and autofeed cross-feed (if it has it). Is the tailstock fully working and no damage.
Take stock of what tooling there is and what is missing that is needed. Does it have a 3-jaw and 4-jaw chucks, steady rest, mounting plate, tool post.......etc.
There's all kinds of things to keep checking, (like the electronics and circuits) but the thing you want to check out of all of it, it's to find out the wear and accuracy of the lathe first, the quality of the bearings and if anything needs fixing or replacing and how much is it going to cost you and mow much work will be needed.
Not knowing more about the lathe makes it harder to give advice on it, Leblond 13's ran the full gambit on complexities from simple older versions to full on more recent commercial industrial versions.
I have a 17" Leblond and I use it over my 10" Clausing. The Leblond is a 1953 model and does have more wear than my Clausing but it's much more user friendly and I'm not making parts for NASA.
Regals are good lathes but they're not built heavy like a Monarch. The older ones didn't have flame hardened ways and screw on chucks. After WW2, they switched to L-type chucks and able to operate in reverse rotation without the chuck coming undone. Mid to late 50's I believe Leblond went to hardened ways.
One of the most important part of buying lathes is if the tooling is included. A well stocked lathe is worth more at purchase but you'll spend more buying accessories on a lathe with no tooling.
Regals are good lathes but they're not built heavy like a Monarch. The older ones didn't have flame hardened ways and screw on chucks. After WW2, they switched to L-type chucks and able to operate in reverse rotation without the chuck coming undone. Mid to late 50's I believe Leblond went to hardened ways.
One of the most important part of buying lathes is if the tooling is included. A well stocked lathe is worth more at purchase but you'll spend more buying accessories on a lathe with no tooling.
Gunfixr
Well-known member
Not much for me to add, the above pretty well covers it.
Ign
Well-known member
ServoShift also my question. I have a 15" ServoShift but not a Regal and its been great.
The ZSS (zero speed switch) finally failed but I just wired up a momentary pushbutton, works great. My chuck is L-mount and I got lucky with an included collet closer
The ZSS (zero speed switch) finally failed but I just wired up a momentary pushbutton, works great. My chuck is L-mount and I got lucky with an included collet closer
OP
Garagedweller
Member
Wow yeah thats alot of info thank you . So the guy said he bought it a while ago and has just hooked power up to it but never has cut anything on it. If my picture URL worked the last picture is what scares me.
cvairwerks
Well-known member
Garage: Something to remember about playing with tools this size and larger.....they can grab you and make you dead in an instant if you don't treat them with respect and understand the dangers as you learn to use them. South Bend put out a great starting treatise on using a lathe. It's available for download from various places for free...Get it without fail. Some of the stuff is dated, but the basics don't change.
Spend some time with the youtube guys like mrpete222, this old tony, Abom79 and oxtoolco. There's lots to learn and these are some of the best guys to learn from.
Next, find a local metal supplier and hit their drops area for some pieces to get some cutting time on before you turn your good project material into chips and scraps...it will happen and it's part of machining.
Spend some time with the youtube guys like mrpete222, this old tony, Abom79 and oxtoolco. There's lots to learn and these are some of the best guys to learn from.
Next, find a local metal supplier and hit their drops area for some pieces to get some cutting time on before you turn your good project material into chips and scraps...it will happen and it's part of machining.
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
I don't see any pics
OP
Garagedweller
Member
Garage: Something to remember about playing with tools this size and larger.....they can grab you and make you dead in an instant if you don't treat them with respect and understand the dangers as you learn to use them. South Bend put out a great starting treatise on using a lathe. It's available for download from various places for free...Get it without fail. Some of the stuff is dated, but the basics don't change.
Spend some time with the youtube guys like mrpete222, this old tony, Abom79 and oxtoolco. There's lots to learn and these are some of the best guys to learn from.
Next, find a local metal supplier and hit their drops area for some pieces to get some cutting time on before you turn your good project material into chips and scraps...it will happen and it's part of machining.
Awesome yes I am aware of how fast things can happen with these and other machines and I do appreciate the concern . I have done some work on mills and lathes and iron workers ,50 ton press ,plate shears and a bunch more machines around the shop. Started way back when I was about 12 playing around on my uncles lathe and screwing up his milling machine lol. Also took metal shop in school 4 years then actually worked at a fabrication shop and really got time on the mills and lathes but I still say that I am a novice and love to learn and especially like learning from seasoned vets who have put in their time and know a thing or two. And by all the comments and help you all have provided me my hats off to every single one of you that took time out to help me ! But yes I have spent hours watching and trying to learn off watching hours of youtube videos on machining I have a few of my pops friends that are still around that still run machines and stop by every once in a while to pick their brains . So a big THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU ! . i WILL TRY TO REPLY TO EACH AND EVERY ONE WHO COMMENTED AND LENT A HAND IT JUST might take some time. Sry for caps but I type with two fingers and im in a rush lol take care
Hope this doesnt sound like im being rude or a smart ***...people often think that of me but I mean no disrespect or anything like that im just here trying to learn
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OP
Garagedweller
Member
Hey did you check today 5-10 because I spent about an hour trying to post up some pics for you guys just not sure if I did it right or not lol.
cvairwerks
Well-known member
Garage: As my Italian buddies would say "Is not to worry"...
OP
Garagedweller
Member
Ok guys I hope this isnt too much to ask but I found another lathe that a buddy of a buddy has . Dont know too much about it yet except its an older ROCKFORD with four speed reduction gears comes with all tooling and power converter for $1200. Ill get more info and post it as I get it
OP
Garagedweller
Member
Thats funny because my italian friend says the same thing lol
OP
Garagedweller
Member
Alrighty so the dude says its early 1900's but tooling and attachments include a 3 jaw chuck made by BSA tools England, a JACOBS DRILL chuck for tailstock,a tapering attachment,boring tool 2 live centers,quick change tool post and a bunch of HSS and cobalt cutters. along with the 220v - 440 volt converter. I have pictures just need to figure out how in the heck to post them here . But ya tell me what you think so far here guys thanks.
Ricky Joe
Well-known member
Actually Chinese lathes are pretty easy to get parts for, as no lathes are made in America any more, that I am aware of. The company I work for sells and services new lathes, all Chinese, but takes old lathes in on trade and refurbishes them for resale. Many parts are made for the refurbished ones.
OP
Garagedweller
Member
OP
Garagedweller
Member
Ign
Well-known member
Early 1900s usually not real user friendly or ergonomic and almost surely not a QC gearbox. There's old iron and then there's just antique.
Some will flame me but do you want to drive a Model A everyday, or a 1960s car?
Just do a small step turn with the machine in question and change spindle speeds and feed rate a couple times. If you like it, ok, fine.....it'll be your machine after all.
matt_i
Well-known member
How to check out a lathe, in addition to running it, thinking about electrical, thinking about rigging/moving it.
Dial indicator on a magnet base on the carriage, indicator point on the tailstock flat way. Traverse the limits of carriage travel and note the deviation in indicator travel. Ideal is 0.000".
Check backlash in the cross slide leadscrew, good would be sub .010". Get above 1/4 turn and that's getting to be a lot where you might need to replace the screw/nut as the Acme profile is probably worn down closer to a sharp-V thread. It gets springy as you approach that condition and will give different results based on the cutting forces.
Test indicator clamped to something like a short piece of 2" Sch 40 black pipe with a post welded to it to attach the indicator. Bring up the tailstock and indicate the tailstock ram close to the tailstock body and then extended ~4 inches.
Now you have some numbers to work with. Takes a little bit of prep if you don't have all of the pieces already.
Dial indicator on a magnet base on the carriage, indicator point on the tailstock flat way. Traverse the limits of carriage travel and note the deviation in indicator travel. Ideal is 0.000".
Check backlash in the cross slide leadscrew, good would be sub .010". Get above 1/4 turn and that's getting to be a lot where you might need to replace the screw/nut as the Acme profile is probably worn down closer to a sharp-V thread. It gets springy as you approach that condition and will give different results based on the cutting forces.
Test indicator clamped to something like a short piece of 2" Sch 40 black pipe with a post welded to it to attach the indicator. Bring up the tailstock and indicate the tailstock ram close to the tailstock body and then extended ~4 inches.
Now you have some numbers to work with. Takes a little bit of prep if you don't have all of the pieces already.
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
I would pass on the antique.
Enco for 600 may have been a deal.....
Don't get too hung up on tooling. I would worry more about condition and parts availability. You can assemble (most) tooling easy enough and get what you want in the condition you want.. it's an added expense sure, but the flip side is a lot of tooling is low quality, worn out, or stuff you may never need.
I recently bought a lathe that none of my old stuff would fit on. It came with a 3 jaw, steadies and a toolpost I didn't want anyways (sold it).
I've been able to get 3mt stuff, a 4 jaw, and a 5c nose (had the collets already), and toolholder that are the brands and condition I want.
Enco for 600 may have been a deal.....
Don't get too hung up on tooling. I would worry more about condition and parts availability. You can assemble (most) tooling easy enough and get what you want in the condition you want.. it's an added expense sure, but the flip side is a lot of tooling is low quality, worn out, or stuff you may never need.
I recently bought a lathe that none of my old stuff would fit on. It came with a 3 jaw, steadies and a toolpost I didn't want anyways (sold it).
I've been able to get 3mt stuff, a 4 jaw, and a 5c nose (had the collets already), and toolholder that are the brands and condition I want.