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Help ID lathe and drill press

motomaniac

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Apr 18, 2012
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I figure if any one can identify old tools from bad photos it would be the good folk at Garage journal. So I have not seen this stuff in person and it it's about 150 mile round trip so I'd like to find out all the info I can before I make the drive. I was sent these photos from a friend he knows nothing about them aswell. I already know I can pick up the lathe for 300. I'm thinking I can get both for 4 or 500. I think that's pretty good but I'd like to know what they are and what some of you think.
Now for pics
691b5de26e10ae65eb1bfcafe43555a4_zpsvvf1ms0y.jpg



ab4e970fada2d3d6fe6ff1cfc7fe5207_zpsit4ticzp.jpg


And one the tooling for the lathe
a49e8e210e4a8deb371a91c76c254969_zpsbsqth1yg.jpg
 
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motomaniac

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I'm not sure I understand. how rusty are those ways? In any case I have yet to see them but going off what I know about the area I would say any rust would just be surface rust from lack of use and sitting in a metal building "condensation" sould be easy to get the back in working condition.
 

zkling

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Machine tools are very difficult to evaluate condition of in a picture, and a grainy picture at that. I'd be more interested in the drill press personally. I could see $400 pretty easily for the pair if no major problems. Is that all the lathe tooling they have? The outboard with lower unit stuck in the ground does not lead me to put much faith in how the current owner stores valuable things. :dunno:

I'd like to page thorough that starrett catalog.
 

Red Leader

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I'm not sure I understand. how rusty are those ways? In any case I have yet to see them but going off what I know about the area I would say any rust would just be surface rust from lack of use and sitting in a metal building "condensation" sould be easy to get the back in working condition.

It was more of a philosophical/rhetorical question, so to speak. Age and wear affect woodworking and metalworking tools differently, with the latter suffering far more given the same conditions, in certain circumstances.
 
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motomaniac

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You should be on the road right now with bills of different denominations stuffed into various pockets.

I'm headed that way tomorrow morning. Bringing 2 large and the rest in smaller denominations up to 500. Just bought a house so my savings took a big hit, and I really don't need either... but a lathe would be nice and that drill press is cool! I think that's a rational reason to buy things.
 
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Kevin54

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I'm not sure I understand. how rusty are those ways? In any case I have yet to see them but going off what I know about the area I would say any rust would just be surface rust from lack of use and sitting in a metal building "condensation" sould be easy to get the back in working condition.

The "WAYS" are the area of the bed where the tailstock and saddle set on and move back and forth. You don't want to be sliding the saddle or tailstock back and forth until the bed "ways" are devoid of rust. Use something like Evaporust on it, then take a medium to fine hand stone with WD40 and stone it down making sure to keep the stone flat. Also do this to the bottom of the saddle and tailstock.

And if your hand stone gets imbedded with rust, use WD40 to clean your stone.

Oh, and the bottom pic......the tools that show in the box on top are knurling tools. And that is a cool drill press too. Make sure to post up pics when you get them resurrected.

Good luck with them. :thumbup:
 
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motomaniac

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Thank you for clearing that up Kevin. I will post up more detailed pics once they are in my possession. I know giving an opinion from the pictures I provided is tough, but is 500 a good deal, fair,or to much?
 
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Kevin54

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$500 doesn't sound too bad unless it takes meals off of the table for you.:lol:

Once cleaned up, polished up, painted up, they would make a nice little combo for home use, plus you have some tooling which always sweetens the pot a little. You might have worn ways, so while it is just sitting there, see if the compound (the part on top of the saddle that holds the tools) moves back and forth without the handle moving. Shove it in and out by hand. that would be you backlash. See if the saddle will move back and forth by shoving it laft and right, and that shows how much backlash is in that. A little is fine, a little more MAY be able to be adjusted out, and a lot tells you that you need some new parts which may or may not be able to be found. No parts means custom made parts.

The drill press......that is just cool looking, and a small piece of history. Painted and polished would look great. About the only thing that could be wrong with it is the bearing in the quill. Grab the chuck and shove it back and forth and see if there is any slop in it. It would be an easy fix.

NOW......use any slop, the rust, and the dirt floor in the building to your advantage. Some rust is very hard to clean. And rust on the machine like that on the outside, can also be in a motor, although less likely as bad. Tell the guy to plug them in to see if they run. Then start talking the equipment down a little using the rust and so on, and offer him $350. Tell him that everything will have to be dismantled and cleaned properly to be precision like they should be. And tell him you drove 150 miles to take a chance, but the machinery is a little worse in person than what the pics showed. He may hit you back at $450. And like every swinging **** this side of the Mississippi that watches Pawn Stars or your side of the Mississippi....hit him back with $400 and load it up. :lol:

Oh....and if you paint things up.....add some color to it. Red, yellow, orange. Something other than gray or green.
 

CoopVA

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Virginia
That's a 9" Southbend lathe. Looks to be an "A" model. Good find! Keep us posted.

Here's mine after I restored it...

ff9a28c1986ebd06f1f808aba0dcc1a4.jpg
 
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motomaniac

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So I'm back and we settled at 450. I will pick them up Monday, they both are in better condition than I expected they are covered in dust from the dirt floor. Any rust was very light surface rust nothing wd40 and a scotch pad wouldn't take care of, although I do plan on disassembling them for a thorough cleaning and then paint. "Thinking hammered verde green" Both motors were operational and I checked them out per Kevin's advice and every thing felt good. The belts also appeared to be in good condition no cracks or tears and they were still nice and pliable I did not find any identifying marks on the drill press as to the manufacturer. the table lift seems to be missing aswell. looks like it uses A hydraulic jack that bolted to the base and bottom of the table. I really appreciate everyone's input and advice.
 

454ragtop

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Don't worry about the table lift, with the sliding head, table height changes are almost never needed, I don't think I've ever moved mine. What's the ball handle sticking out the side at the top, does it control some sort of variable speed? The big hand wheel is way cool.
Jim
 
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motomaniac

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Don't worry about the table lift, with the sliding head, table height changes are almost never needed, I don't think I've ever moved mine. What's the ball handle sticking out the side at the top, does it control some sort of variable speed? The big hand wheel is way cool.
Jim

It's for setting the tension on the belt when changing from one pulley step to the next to change the speed.
 
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