South Bend Lathe - Worth $600?

[bulletpruf]

Fellas -

42" South Bend. Lathe is local. Needs a motor.

I've been looking for a lathe on and off for a few years; would just be used in my garage for minor fabrication.

Anyway, now isn't a great time to buy, but if it's a super deal, I may pull the trigger.

 

[Maui]

That sounds about right for a lathe in that shape in the northeast, provided it came with some tooling and accessories. I have no idea what they sell for in San Antonio.

 

[tool_scrounge]

It is pretty rusty for my likes.i would hold out for something in better shape.

 

[lilredex]

No, if that's all there is....it only half there. Look for a more complete one.

I'd go $2-300 if I needed some of those parts.

 

[marinusdees]

If all you get is what's in the pictures, you'll wind up spending a fair amount of money for tooling. Never mind having to come up with a motor (and pulley and belt??). I'd pass. And, without a set of change gears, you can't cut threads, a common purpose for a lathe.

 

[bulletpruf]

Thanks for the input, fellas.

 

[lis2323]

I agree with others. You would be WAY farther ahead spending a few dollars more for one in obviously better shape with tooling.

 

[paulsomlo]

Nope

I don't see any change gears, a full set will run you about $200. After tooling up, you'll be looking at around $1200 minimum.

I sold nearly the same lathe, in very nice shape, cleaned, painted, full set of change gears for $675 here in Colorado.

 

[Steve_P]

I"m not a machinist, but no way.

 

[Bigbandguy]

It would certainly benefit from a cleanup and might be worth it depending on condition of ways etc IF the change gears are present. OP did not state if they are there or not. If it has the gears then it would be a good way to learn about a lathe from cleaning it up and getting it operational and for a home lathe it would probably serve him well. If no gears then I would try to argue the price WAY down for that reason alone.

 

[1982fxr]

No.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I paid $900cdn for a Southbend 16 inch with a 120 inch bed. It came with four chucks and several dairy cases filled with tooling including a follow rest and a steady rest. The seller had installed a new BALDOR 5hp motor in this lathe.

 

[lis2323]

I paid $900cdn for a Southbend 16 inch with a 120 inch bed. It came with four chucks and several dairy cases filled with tooling including a follow rest and a steady rest. The seller had installed a new BALDOR 5hp motor in this lathe.

Excellent deal[emoji106][emoji106]

 

[Bigbandguy]

I paid $900cdn for a Southbend 16 inch with a 120 inch bed. It came with four chucks and several dairy cases filled with tooling including a follow rest and a steady rest. The seller had installed a new BALDOR 5hp motor in this lathe.

I'll bet the barometer in your shop dropped so fast the glass broke.


.... from suckage !

 

[Maui]

I paid $900cdn for a Southbend 16 inch with a 120 inch bed. It came with four chucks and several dairy cases filled with tooling including a follow rest and a steady rest. The seller had installed a new BALDOR 5hp motor in this lathe.

That was a really good deal. I paid $170 american for this 16” South Bend lathe that was built in 1917, and it came with a boatload of tooling. It is amazingly accurate for such a large and old machine. I made a swivel base for a Reed 33 vise on this lathe, and the bore diameter was 0.875”. After boring this hole in the center of the 1” thick steel plate I took the piece out of the four jaw chuck and used a live center to friction turn the OD of over 8” diameter. They ended up concentric within 0.001”.

 

[isb cornbinder]

To the OP. If I had a place to keep that lathe, I would buy it.

 

[lafester]

Nope

I don't see any change gears, a full set will run you about $200. After tooling up, you'll be looking at around $1200 minimum.

I sold nearly the same lathe, in very nice shape, cleaned, painted, full set of change gears for $675 here in Colorado.

I must have missed that one. How long ago?
There was a 14.5 for sale with the cast iron base for about that much.

I agree... this lathe is more of a parts machine at this point.

 

[Jason280]

Yeah, far too many "unknowns" to drop $600 on.

 

[ZRX61]

There are deals out there FAR better than that. It might be useful to someone for parts.

I paid $550 for a '53 Heavy 10 with multiple chucks, collets & holder, turret doodad & a bunch of tooling etc. All I had to buy was a new drive belt (the one it came with exploded into a cloud of dust the first time I fired it up) & some way oil. A while later I fitted new felts.
Sold it several years later for $3500.

Selling it was probably one of the dumbest things I've ever done.

 

[paulsomlo]

I must have missed that one. How long ago?

Maybe two years ago - listed it on the Rocky Mtn Tool Collectors facebook page.

 

[d65]

I must have missed that one. How long ago?
There was a 14.5 for sale with the cast iron base for about that much.

I agree... this lathe is more of a parts machine at this point.

I missed that one as well. Ended up buying a new Grizzly 10x22 lathe.