nicholasbailey1993
Well-known member
I've got a 13" south bend lathe and a Tree 9x42 mill. They're really handy to have on the farm. we can just make the pieces without having to wait around and order things.
Picked up this Clausing 12x36 off Ebay a couple weeks ago, in the process of cleaning it up to replace the Atlas listed earlier in this thread.
![]()
After a bit of cleaning,fixing, and a few additions it's finally in place and ready to work:
![]()
Looks good! Make sure the quick change selector lever bushing is in good condition with minimal play. When worn, it is possible to select more than one gear in the quick-change box simultaneously. The result is stripped teeth on one or more of the gears.
Is that a DRO? Nice,
Mines coming along... here it is being lowered to the ground of the pallet it was on.
![]()
1952 Pratt & Whitney Model C, 12x36. No longer looking like a John Deere advertisement. (it was painted green and yellow)
That's a 12x36? Damn that looks like a monster compared to my atlas 12x36. That's a nice looking piece of machinery you got there.
I've always wondered about left hand lathes, I don't see them too often. Are you left handed & do you actually use it as a left handed person? Just curious.
That's a removable gap-bed lathe. Gap-bed lathes generally have the traverse mechanism on the right side of the carriage because the bed rack ends at the gap.
I have a common design 12x36 Chinese lathe. It also has a removable gap and the halfnut lever & threading dial is on the right. All the ones I've seen marketed for the US are like that. I have noticed models marketed for Asia & Europe that have the carriage wheel on the right like above. The only American iron lathes I've seen in person were in shop class which were Logans, LeBlondes, a Rockwell, a Pacemaker, & a Hardinge. A few of them were gap lathes but I don't recall ever using one with the half nut lever & threading dial on the left & carriage wheel on the right. I always thought those where left handed lathes & could of sworn people have referred to them as that too?
I've always wondered about left hand lathes, I don't see them too often. Are you left handed & do you actually use it as a left handed person? Just curious.
Some guy is selling castings for them at over $100.
I just came across this gem, the price seems high but considering it has never been used it is pretty impressive.
New Old Stock http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/tls/2957075200.html
I just came across this gem, the price seems high but considering it has never been used it is pretty impressive.
New Old Stock http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/tls/2957075200.html
Just a word of advice for anyone looking for a small hobby lathe like the Craftsman/Atlas like I just purchased.....Make SURE the handle for the cross slide is not broken. I bought mine with a portion of the handle broke off. No big deal right? WRONG!!!!!!! That little bastage is $144.00 from Sears.Some guy is selling castings for them at over $100.
I ended up buying a complete Carriage with all of the handles off of Ebay for less than half the price. I would have never though that the smaller the handle the higher the price.
So I just wanted to forewarn a few if they happen to run across a small lathe they are looking at. Carry on!!!

I just came across this gem, the price seems high but considering it has never been used it is pretty impressive.
New Old Stock http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/tls/2957075200.html
The year of manufacture is 1945, so I am pretty sure that the lathe did very little, if any, contributing to the war effort. I really want a lathe that I can prove helped win WWII.
Sounds like you want a "War Finish" machine.
Any machine with a War Production Board tag would have been used directly for the war effort.
..... I have very little mechanical inclination, so if I can do it, anyone can. .....
I have a 13" x 40" Sheldon, which is a huge upgrade from the 9" South Bend I used to have. Here it's in the background:
![]()
Nice looking CAB Brazed core.... whats it for?
