Metal lathe

[chaosracing]

After going down the you tube rabbit hole many times watching others restore old tools and machinery and using a lathe and also having a few projects where a lathe would be handy, I have decided I want to look at purchasing an old lathe and giving it a go.
My question are what should I be looking for? I am not looking for anything huge and probably could get away with a small style, but would not be afraid of getting something a little larger. A quick search on FB marketplace and CL I found a couple, but again, have no idea of value, or what to look for. One I found was made in England and all I found so far is stuff from England about it. Its a Colchester student lathe #6. I found a guy who just posted some southbend lathes, but no real info on them as of now. He has some distant pictures of them because he got them from a machine shop with other stuff and its currently on a large flatbed trailer.

I am in no hurry to get one, but also do not want to pass on a deal either. As for voltage, thats not a issue at the moment because my shop walls are currently still open so I can wire for just about anything. But I am wondering what is typical for these. The Colchester is 220v, I saw some info on the Southbends online that they run 110v.

Also where can I learn about how to use one?

 

[marinusdees]

You learn how to use one by using one. (And making mistakes). An old South Bend book, "How to Ru(i)n a Lathe" is a starting point.

 

[larry_g]

Looking at craigslist in your area I found a couple of Logan lathes and a Sheldon. All good names in the area. The Sheldon in my opinion at $4k is way overpriced. The one Logan at $825 is probably a good buy but the Krylon rebuild is suspicious. The other at $1600 may be an ok buy depending on working condition. For a first lathe I would suggest that you get a good working machine so you can learn to work one before trying to rebuild one. I would also suggest that you get on a few home machinist forums.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[matt_i]

Many lathes are out there. Colchester has the reputation of having spare/repair parts but are astronomically priced. ALthough usually you don't need many spare parts.

Southbend is like the Ford/Chevy of the USA, from an era that's gone past. You will find lots of machines and lots of parts.

The first machine that was a breakout for me was a Clausing 5914, great machine with a clutched spindle, hardened bedway, power feed with the key in the leadscrew (instead of the actual leadscrew).

Outside of a couple brands its easy to find yourself in 3phase electrical territory, which requires a bit more education, but 240vac single phase power, sized for your motor (usually not more than 10awg/30a service) is the requisite start.

 

[didit]

I could be persuaded to part with mine if you have any interest in a very nice SouthBend 10K send me a PM. These things have a cult like following. Not only collectable but very useful. I have all of the original literature and the instruction manual as well. It would be a day trip for you and an international border to cross but thats no biggie. I just posted on this thread linked below yesterday with a few pics but they don't show everything.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8339896&postcount=143

 

[Jason280]

First, decide what your budget is for a machine....it will make a difference. Once you figure that out, decide how big of a lathe you want. A 9 to 12" swing and 24-36" bed is a very good place to start, and are typically single phase (most are 120v). Don't be afraid of 3-phase machines, VFD's and rotary phase converters have become a lot cheaper.

Also, decide how far you are willing to travel. When I was looking, I set my limit at 200 miles....and passed on several potentially solid machines simply because the owners didn't know enough about the lathes. That's one issue you will encounter. Some of the machines are being sold by folks who inherited them, or from a shop that went out of business (and someone bought out all the equipment), and they may not only not know much about them, but the machines may not even be under power. I passed on several simply because they couldn't be run, and even though they looked like good machines, it can be almost impossible to tell. That being said, some of the more common machines will have parts available, others may not. Keep that in mind!

Another thing to consider when looking at lathes is how much tooling it has, it can make a HUGE difference.

My understanding is the northeast seems to have a better selection of used machines, so have cash in hand and be ready for any deal that may pop up. I watched Craigslist and FB marketplace just about daily for months before I found my lathes.

 

[Toold_up]

How big of a machine can you move? Do you have a truck and a trailer?

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

A Colchester is an excellent lathe, it's a couple of steps up from a South Bend, three steps up from Atlas/Craftsmen. Even your generic Taiwanese ( older Grizzly , etc) are good lathes, but have ****** electrics though.

 

[bobcatdan]

Sounds like you are like me a year ago. Always had an underline interest in machining, but hadn't done anything since high school. Some youtube watching and I start thinking that would be a great way to kill time. About a month after I got the idea, found an 11x48 south bend for $1000. I have been slowly playing/learning to run it. I don't regret buying it at all, but I think I would have done it differently. My novice opinion for a guy just doing general stuff in the garage, a 10"- smaller 12" is a good size. Big enough it isn't a toy, but not a monster either. I would figure running 220. Mine can run either or and is currently on 110 until I add more outlets. Everything would be happier on 220, the 2 hp baldor pulls 17 amps on 110. My general opinion if I did it over would be to buy a new 12x28 benchtop from Precision Matthew.

 

[chaosracing]

I could be persuaded to part with mine if you have any interest in a very nice SouthBend 10K send me a PM. These things have a cult like following. Not only collectable but very useful. I have all of the original literature and the instruction manual as well. It would be a day trip for you and an international border to cross but thats no biggie. I just posted on this thread linked below yesterday with a few pics but they don't show everything.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8339896&postcount=143

While its a nice looking one, I think Onterio is a little far for me to go. Thanks though.

 

[larry_g]

Sounds like you are like me a year ago. Always had an underline interest in machining, but hadn't done anything since high school. Some youtube watching and I start thinking that would be a great way to kill time. About a month after I got the idea, found an 11x48 south bend for $1000. I have been slowly playing/learning to run it. I don't regret buying it at all, but I think I would have done it differently. My novice opinion for a guy just doing general stuff in the garage, a 10"- smaller 12" is a good size. Big enough it isn't a toy, but not a monster either. I would figure running 220. Mine can run either or a d currently on 110 until I add more outlets. Everything would be happier on 220, the 2 hp baldor pulls 17 amps on 110. My general opinion if I did it over would be to buy a new 12x28 benchtop from Precision Matthew.

Here is a good example of a good start. Years ago when starting this hobby a wise old guy said "Remember, this is only your first lathe." I think that now I'm on lathe #7 or 8. As I learned and I had a better idea of what was necessary to do the job I wanted to do I bought and sold. I never lost money on a machine tool when selling it. I'm sure that Dan could get his money back perty quick if he wanted to and step up to a lathe that will better serve his skills and needs of today.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[chaosracing]

How big of a machine can you move? Do you have a truck and a trailer?

I have a truck and a 10,000 gvw trailer. It would be unloading at my house that might be the issue for a large machine.

 

[chaosracing]

Sounds like you are like me a year ago. Always had an underline interest in machining, but hadn't done anything since high school. Some youtube watching and I start thinking that would be a great way to kill time. About a month after I got the idea, found an 11x48 south bend for $1000. I have been slowly playing/learning to run it. I don't regret buying it at all, but I think I would have done it differently. My novice opinion for a guy just doing general stuff in the garage, a 10"- smaller 12" is a good size. Big enough it isn't a toy, but not a monster either. I would figure running 220. Mine can run either or and is currently on 110 until I add more outlets. Everything would be happier on 220, the 2 hp baldor pulls 17 amps on 110. My general opinion if I did it over would be to buy a new 12x28 benchtop from Precision Matthew.

After posting the original post and sleeping on it, voltage does not really matter. Like I said, my walls are currently open, plus where I kinda think I want to put it there will be a 220 outlet anyway for a welder, might put two there so I do not have to unplug and plug when needed.

As for size, I am thinking that the sizes you gave are what I am looking at. Not sure how they size them, I saw a Logan model 400 advertised for around $625 (no pictures though) and he says its a 5" x 18"

The Colchester one I mentioned seems like a good machine, especially at $1350 (sure I could get it cheaper) but if it needs parts, might be SOL, as my search so far has turned one up on ebay and the rest from the UK. Seller already says a pump is not working on it.

 

[chaosracing]

I did see this one posted, it not to far from me.

https://allentown.craigslist.org/tls/d/andreas-south-bend-9-lathe/7067483799.html

 

[bobcatdan]

A 5x18 is pretty small. Mine is listed as an 11x48, but realistically something 2' long is the max I can turn. I'd recommend taking a tape measure with you to see what you could actually fit on that lathe. I'm still happy with the size I bough with it being about 5' long it fits in my tight shop. Being new and not that smart, obviously I didn't think I could run a 4' piece, but realizing what it's limit actually are was ok this is what these sizes really mean.

 

[BTL-A4]

I did see this one posted, it not to far from me.

https://allentown.craigslist.org/tls/d/andreas-south-bend-9-lathe/7067483799.html

This looks like a good machine. Like others have said, having all or most of the tooling is a good thing. This appears to have everything. Ask a lot of questions about where it came from and why they are selling it. It looks like it might have been at a school because of the painted handles. I taught shop and the handles on machines were often painted like that. Look for evidence of crashes (parts welded back together, etc).

I have an Atlas/Craftsman 12x18. It was built in 1944. Parts are readily available and not too expensive. Unless you are making parts for NASA, you will be fine with a hobby-grade machine. I took it all apart and oiled and cleaned and painted it and now it works great.

Bring some micrometers (calipers are not really good enough, but they're better than nothing) and measure the thickness and width of the ways at the tail stock end, the head stock end and at the area of most wear. All dimensions should be within 0.005" on the thickness and 0.003" on the width.

Spin the spindle by hand. If it feels tight or crunchy that could be an issue. The one on mine was hard to move, but I just had to loosen it a bit and it rolled fine.

The Quick Change Gear Box (QCGB) is a plus as well. My lathe has change gears which have to be changed manually.

The lantern style tool posts are a pain. You'll want to get a quick change tool post. There are different sizes: AXA or Series 100 is for 7-12" swing. this lathe also has a turret tool holder which is ok.

The stand is a plus as well. You want a stable, sturdy place to mount this and the stand the one in the CL is on looks good.

Whatever you buy, you'll want to go thru it and make sure everything works and is oiled. Then you will have to align everything to make sure it cuts true.

Lastly, join hobby-machinist.com. It's a friendly forum that will have all the info you ever wanted about your lathe. They have sections for manufacturers and I've found it very helpful. I found practicalmachinist.com to be helpful, but it's seems to cater to pros, not hobbyists. Lurk awhile and see what you think.

Good luck in your search!

 

[95vette]

Hello, Didit there is a serial no. on the bed under the tailstock that will tell you what year it is and where it was first sold to if you google it. Your lathe looks like a great starter.

 

[burninghXcsoul]

After posting the original post and sleeping on it, voltage does not really matter. Like I said, my walls are currently open, plus where I kinda think I want to put it there will be a 220 outlet anyway for a welder, might put two there so I do not have to unplug and plug when needed.

As for size, I am thinking that the sizes you gave are what I am looking at. Not sure how they size them, I saw a Logan model 400 advertised for around $625 (no pictures though) and he says its a 5" x 18"

The Colchester one I mentioned seems like a good machine, especially at $1350 (sure I could get it cheaper) but if it needs parts, might be SOL, as my search so far has turned one up on ebay and the rest from the UK. Seller already says a pump is not working on it.

I was recently in the market for a lathe and talked to the guy with the student 6 in palmyra. His bottom dollar is $1000 but the motor is dead, it surges on the highest speed, and it makes a wierd thump when you turn it on, like there is alot of play in the gears or something before the spindle spins.

I was luckily able to pick up a south bend 11 this past weekend for $500 in working condition. Good luck, decent lathes that arent at least $1000 and clapped out in SC PA are hard to come buy for whatever reason.

 

[paulsomlo]

I did see this one posted, it not to far from me.

https://allentown.craigslist.org/tls/d/andreas-south-bend-9-lathe/7067483799.html

Overpriced - and it's actually a 10", not a 9" as advertised; a model "10k", to be precise. Same bed as a 9, with a taller headstock.

If you're looking at South Bends, try to find a 10L, aka Heavy 10 - it's a fairly capable lathe for it's footprint.

There's a fair abundance of lathes in your locale - take your time and get it right.

 

[Toold_up]

I was recently in the market for a lathe and talked to the guy with the student 6 in palmyra. His bottom dollar is $1000 but the motor is dead, it surges on the highest speed, and it makes a wierd thump when you turn it on, like there is alot of play in the gears or something before the spindle spins.

I was luckily able to pick up a south bend 11 this past weekend for $500 in working condition. Good luck, decent lathes that arent at least $1000 and clapped out in SC PA are hard to come buy for whatever reason.

+1 Yeah i'm SC PA too.

I have a truck and a 10,000 gvw trailer. It would be unloading at my house that might be the issue for a large machine.

That pretty much opens you up to anything.


What do you plan on doing? You could buy a monster of a lathe (15" +) and never machine anything over 4" od... Or you could buy a 7x10 and need to machine something 6"+ od...

Keep you eye out there are many to be had. I have a South Bend 14 1/2 and a Jet 920. If you are interested in the South Bend send me a PM.

 

[didit]

Hello, Didit there is a serial no. on the bed under the tailstock that will tell you what year it is and where it was first sold to if you google it. Your lathe looks like a great starter.

Yes, I know the number but never was sure of the year. I'm guessing 1967 or 1968. (34149 K). It came from the maintenance dept of the Public School Board in Toronto. Was never used by students.

It has hardened ways, variable speed, power cross feeds, 3 times longitudinal power feeds, 3 1/2' bed, 10" swing, QC tool post as well as the original, a newer TOD 3 jaw chuck, both original SB 3 and 4 jaw chucks, Complete 36 piece collet set with drawbar, snout protector, taper attachment, milling fixture, large dials, graduated tail stock, dogs, faceplate, live centers, thread dial, new belt, wired for 110V, Southbend wrenches, drawers full of cutters, mills, etc. Very good, accurate condition. Set up and running. Needs nothing.
Always been in a climate controlled location. Never restored, only maintained. Always oiled. Zero corrosion, just dull original paint.

 

[chaosracing]

I do not need a monster lathe. If I did, there is one not far from me for around $2500 that I would have already looked at. Not planning on turning anything to large.

 

[chaosracing]

I was recently in the market for a lathe and talked to the guy with the student 6 in palmyra. His bottom dollar is $1000 but the motor is dead, it surges on the highest speed, and it makes a wierd thump when you turn it on, like there is alot of play in the gears or something before the spindle spins.

I was luckily able to pick up a south bend 11 this past weekend for $500 in working condition. Good luck, decent lathes that arent at least $1000 and clapped out in SC PA are hard to come buy for whatever reason.

Thanks for the info. That is the one I was looking at on FB marketplace. I wont even bother then. I had already tried to look for parts for it but can not find anything state side except for one in worse shape on ebay.

I just started looking so not desperate for one. And I hopefully do not plan on being desperate for one either.

 

[chaosracing]

This guy says this is a Southbend Heavy 10 lathe, but it doesnt look like it comes with much of anything.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2657599657661453/

 

[JeepJohn62]

Thanks for the info. That is the one I was looking at on FB marketplace. I wont even bother then. I had already tried to look for parts for it but can not find anything state side except for one in worse shape on ebay.

I just started looking so not desperate for one. And I hopefully do not plan on being desperate for one either.

I have a SouthBend 10K. A friend gave me a lot of parts in buckets and I rebuilt one from all of it. Came out real nice and I upgraded it to a variable speed dc motor. It was an enjoyable project.

Having done that, I think there are quite a few SB lathes around to choose from. Be aware of worn ways and beds. And sometimes people want too much for old iron.

I have noticed a company Precision Matthew's that seems to have some decent new hobby lathes. I don't own one, but I have been impressed with their company. I was watching "Blondihacks" on YouTube. She has some excellent machining videos. I recommend you check these out just for the machine tips alone. It might help sort out what size of machine works for you.

Best wishes - John

Sent from my SM-A102U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[paulsomlo]

This guy says this is a Southbend Heavy 10 lathe, but it doesnt look like it comes with much of anything.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2657599657661453/

Nope, not much tooling, could be a bargaining chip, though. Lots's of parts/tooling available on the used market, ebay etc.. You would want three jaw, four jaw, collet capability, and a steady rest. Check the v-ways that the carriage rides on for ridges - they develop as the bed wears. Also check the backlash on the crossfeed and compound, check that the gibs on the cross and compound are reasonably tight and then run both through their range of travel - should be relatively even amount of force throughout.

 

[didit]

Nope, not much tooling, could be a bargaining chip, though. Lots's of parts/tooling available on the used market, ebay etc.. You would want three jaw, four jaw, collet capability, and a steady rest. Check the v-ways that the carriage rides on for ridges - they develop as the bed wears. Also check the backlash on the crossfeed and compound, check that the gibs on the cross and compound are reasonably tight and then run both through their range of travel - should be relatively even amount of force throughout.

Agree with the possible bargaining chip scenario. Could be a savvy seller. It's just smart economics. I know that I can sell all the accessories and tooling separately or part my entire SB 10K and more than double what I could expect to get selling it complete as is. It probably would take twice as long to do so though. Myself, I couldn't do that with good conscience but that is part of the reason why there are influxes of available parts for some brands at times. Either that or it is determined the machine is worn out or no longer accurate. I wouldn't ever buy one without a close inspection first, even if you need to enlist the help of someone knowledgeable.
Just something for a savvy buyer to think about.
At some point in the future a vintage machine in good repair will start to increase in value. They aren't going to make any more of these relics.

 

[chaosracing]

So I found this ad, this guy just posted a bunch two weeks ago, but now he has this and a mill as a package deal. One thing that worries me is how long this lathe has sat out in the weather and what its past life has been. I ask questions, but he keeps responding come look at it. Sure, but its 2 hrs away from me.

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/d/pipersville-lathe-and-milling-machine/7081744727.html

I found another very similar lathe on FB for $750, but have not heard back from the guy yet. This one is inside and still hooked up. But the paint is flaking and peeling off real bad. Its definatly a candidate for a make over.

 

[Toold_up]

The mill drill isn't worth much. Skip that and get a real mill.

The 11x SB is an oddball size. May have trouble finding parts/accessories for it.

The $750 dollar one looks very interesting. Especially with the full collet rack and closer. There are also two chucks in that picture. A 3 jaw and something in the bucket below. Flaking paint doesn't mean ****. Go see that one first.

 

[bobcatdan]

The mill drill isn't worth much. Skip that and get a real mill.

The 11x SB is an oddball size. May have trouble finding parts/accessories for it.

The $750 dollar one looks very interesting. Especially with the full collet rack and closer. There are also two chucks in that picture. A 3 jaw and something in the bucket below. Flaking paint doesn't mean ****. Go see that one first.

Found that out after I bought my 11x48. Only thing that I'd like is a steady rest and that is going to be a fun one to fine. From understanding the 11" was only made a couple of years in the mid to late 30's.

 

[paulsomlo]

The mill drill isn't worth much. Skip that and get a real mill.

The 11x SB is an oddball size. May have trouble finding parts/accessories for it.

The $750 dollar one looks very interesting. Especially with the full collet rack and closer. There are also two chucks in that picture. A 3 jaw and something in the bucket below. Flaking paint doesn't mean ****. Go see that one first.

Agreed - the mill drill is essentially a drill press with an x-y table.

Go look at the one for $750.

 

[chaosracing]

Thats what I was thinking. I looked up the 11 with the mill and could not find much info on it. I messaged the guy with the 750 lathe, hoping he gets back to me.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Toold_up]

You are going to find machines coming out of the woodwork since it's income tax season. If that deal doesn't work out for you, keep an eye out and another will pop up. That being said, don't dilly dally, there are many folks with cash burning holes in their pockets right now.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

There are tons of lathes in our area. That said, I will throw out another idea: buy a new one. Yes it will be made over seas, but it will be complete and ready to work. As a beginner you don't need lathe capable of making aerospace parts. After buying a few Atlas lathes and a South Bend, I got tired of having to work on my machines before I could do any work with them. I bought a 12x28 Precision Matthews and had it shipped to my door. It took me a morning to set it up and I was turning that afternoon. The PM machines are pretty well regarded on the home shop boards.

 

[TLGriff]

Look for American made names like South Bend, Logan, Sheldon and Clausing. They all made small lathes suitable for the hobbyist. Also make sure there is plenty of tooling and options included with the lathe or you will end up spending much more on that than the lathe to make it functional. You will need three and four jaw chucks at a minimum and a faceplate as well as a tool post or preferably a tool block with holders, centers, collets, maybe a taper attachment, a drive plate and dogs for turning between centers, also be sure it has a quick change gearbox for threading. I would suggest avoiding Atlas/Craftsman lathes because they are notorious for their lack of rigidity and they have flat ways instead of the normal V-ways, so they lack precision. Also stay away from Chinese made lathes and mill/lathes due to their lack of quality.

Most small lathes will be 220V or 110V. Three phase lathes can still be usable with the addition of a variable frequency drive, but it sounds like a three phase lathe will likely be more lathe than you'll need.

YouTube and Patreon will be a good place to learn some of the basic skills of lathe operation. You can start with my channel, but there are plenty of others to choose from. You'll need to get your hands dirty to make that newfound knowledge stick. Watching it is not the same as doing it.

Tom

 

[chaosracing]

There are tons of lathes in our area. That said, I will throw out another idea: buy a new one. Yes it will be made over seas, but it will be complete and ready to work. As a beginner you don't need lathe capable of making aerospace parts. After buying a few Atlas lathes and a South Bend, I got tired of having to work on my machines before I could do any work with them. I bought a 12x28 Precision Matthews and had it shipped to my door. It took me a morning to set it up and I was turning that afternoon. The PM machines are pretty well regarded on the home shop boards.

Precision Matthews is out of my budget. Plus I love older equipment and have no problem with having to perform some work on it if I have to. In fact, I feel that it helps me better understand the piece of equipment that I am using. Yes I am not looking to make any precision aerospace or military parts, and I know that I would be a long way from that no matter the machine. But if I can help preserve a part of the past while learning a new skill, I am all for it.

 

[chaosracing]

Still waiting to hear back from the guy with the 750 southbend lathe. Do not understand why people post stuff, then do not get back to you at all. Especially since I responded to his ad 4 hrous after he posted. But then I had a guy flake out on me and not show up or respond back to me over a $50 I am selling. Oh well, I will keep looking and who knows, maybe this guy will get back to me.

Thanks for the help so far guys. I have learned a few things so far.

 

[chaosracing]

Whats kinda funny is the other day my son who is 7 1/2 was playing a game on my wifes phone. I look over to see what he is up to and its some kind of game where you can make stuff on a lathe and other equipment. I forget the name of it. But I ask him if he heard me talking about one to my wife or what and he says no, I just found this game and like to make stuff. Asked him if one day he would really like to and of course he says yes.

 

[bctexas]

Here is an article on evaluating a used lathe.

http://www.mermac.com/advicenew.html

I started out with a cheap, pretty worn 9 inch South Bend. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. I have upgraded to a 12x36 Precision Matthews to get more speed and easier accuracy. Whether you go used or new, you will really enjoy it!

 

[Mgdoug3]

My advice is keep looking. I finally found a Clausing 4914 at an auction for $250. I had to spend another $200 or $300 for some tooling and VFD converter, but the lathe does everything I need it to do.