Here is a photo of my latest project. It's a Southbend Model 9A that I restored. I wish I had taken some before photos before I got started but didn't think of it until way after I started. Imagine a lathe that was stored at the bottom of a lake for a few years and that would sum up the condition it was in.
It took me 8 long months of scrubbing, polishing and painting and building a electrolysis tank large enough to house the bed. I had to fabricate a bench because the cabinet was long gone. I burned up 3 battery chargers (thank goodness for the warranty at Tractor Supply) de-rusting the whole thing.
The condition of the lathe under all of the rust and grime was in remarkably good condition very little back lash on the dials, and the scraping marks are still visible on the bed. I just need to locate a chuck and some tooling measure for a flat belt and I can start making chips!
It took me 8 long months of scrubbing, polishing and painting and building a electrolysis tank large enough to house the bed. I had to fabricate a bench because the cabinet was long gone. I burned up 3 battery chargers (thank goodness for the warranty at Tractor Supply) de-rusting the whole thing.
The condition of the lathe under all of the rust and grime was in remarkably good condition very little back lash on the dials, and the scraping marks are still visible on the bed. I just need to locate a chuck and some tooling measure for a flat belt and I can start making chips!
The under drive is nice so you can get the machine closer to the wall. Enjoy it, that is a very capable lathe. 
