Hey chaps! Sooo i bought my first lathe today for 60 bucks! Mabe i made a mistake but it was worth the risk imo! Here are some pics - i measured a 9" swing, and considering the threaded bar I presume this had a qc box - guy said it might be a logan, bed is about 35" long. The motor is separate and it came with a very long v belt - but im thinking of converting to a variable speed motor and making a bracket. Needs a tail stock and toolpost, other than that it cleaned up pretty well and I got alot of slack out in the cross feed snugging up set screws etc. How many gears are missing? Im going to have to find used parts over time - Will after market toolposts work? Also - need help with part numbers.. This dunlap tailstock looks identical to the logan parts..
According to this link: http://www.lathe.com/models.htm it might be either of these (giong by swing and bed length) Model 9" Swing 9B-17-1 Yes 17 33 1-1/2"-8 x #3 M.T. 25/32 Std Tailstock V-Belt Bench 285 9B-17-21 Yes 17 33 1-1/2"-8 x #3 M.T. 25/32 Std Tailstock V-Belt Bench 275 9B-17-41 No 17 33 1-1/2"-8 x #3 M.T. 25/32 Std Tailstock V-Belt Bench 275 9B-17-61 No 17 33 1-1/2"-8 x #3 M.T. 25/32 Std Tailstock V-Belt Bench 265
Looks to me like there's a lot of parts missing.... I'd invest the $25.00 in the parts list/user manual and go from there. And FWIW, McMaster-Carr does sell various 'generic' gears. Whether they have what you need or not you'll have to figure out....
Don't know much about the older lathes, but no matter what it was a sound buy. The chuck is worth $60.00 Bob
Find an original tail stock , it must be at the right height or you’ll be cutting tapers. Anything generic could need machining to make it work .
it is missing a lot of major pieces. It is missing the "back gears", which is sort of like a countershaft in a transmission....that slows the lathe way down for threading. etc. then, you have a big issue with finding any of the missing end gears that change the speed of the feed. Those gears need to have the correct pitch and bore to even fit that brand....even when just hoping to make that feed work at any speed at all. That lathe is not a quick change type, it came with a large amount of numbered end gears in a wooden box tray that needed to be swapped for cutting different thread pitches. You need "some" to get the feed to operate at all, as you likely know. Perhaps if all else fails, maybe someone out there has used a belt drive for that feed if they had no gears like you? IDK ... it might work, out of desperation. someone might have been using it like this, to do just one simple task...and tossed the other parts? Strange indeed, check the chuck run-out/wear...most all older 3 jaws won't center correctly. Meaning that if you start turning down a part, then need to take it out to test fit it, then put it back into the chuck, it will now be off center again. .
With your motor, which is usually 1750 or more rpm and a direct dive belt to that pulley your spindle rpm is going to be too fast for most operations. Your idea of a variable speed motor would be good. Most lathes of this type have two belts and a set up of two multi grove pullies to reduce the speed and increase power. As stated you got a good buy, but you need much more to actually machine successfully. Check on eBay, they always have a tool post for that lathe for $50 or so. Don’t let this lack of tooling and parts sour you on machining. Bones
Thanks guys.. Yeah as i went to bed last night I kinda realised how much more was missing.. either way ill see what I can do. Its most definately a 9" logan- all the logan lathes i looked at are identical looking: see here: More pics here: This is a Model 400 http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=27701 I did find a 9" tail stock on ebay but its real pricey - ill keep an eye open.. I presume tool posts would be pretty standard across the smaller logans? Found this:
You call Logan with the serial number. They do not inventory any finished parts for the old machines.they make parts based on the # and chances are you will not find usable parts to fit unless within a serial number range, I went thru all that before with my Logan and it was very expensive
Odd thing is the bed is 38" long, but logan doesnt seem to state a 38" model on their info - maybe im wrong about the logan.. maybe this is a south bend after all.. Looking at pics they look almost identical in some ways (to a newb at least). Stamped on the bed on the right end are 5 digits - 33804 - in there is the 38 inches i measure on the bed..
I don't think you have a LOGAN Lathe. I have one that I restored a couple of years ago and I really went through a lot of literature on those units and the headstock is very different from what you have. I think you have a 1920-1930 Southbend lathe or clone. see here: http://www.lathes.co.uk/southbend/index.html The main drive spindle has been changed on yours and the backgear system is gone.
The first thing you should buy is the gear cover for the left end of the lathe. Many years ago, a guy in our shop had the gear cover open, and leaned over the lathe to see something. His left index finger went through the gear set. It wasn't pretty, and I took him to the emergency room. Now he has a full joint missing from his left index finger. Please be careful.
The 38" refers to the length of a part that can be "turned between centers" Note that these are considered to be dead-centers that do not revolve. There would be one inserted into the headstock with a faceplate attached or screwed onto the spindle nose. The part would be positively turned by use of a "dog" that clamps onto the part and has a dog- leg that fits into a slot on the faceplate. There would not be a chuck mounted in this situation. The other dead-center would fit into the tailstock. Both centers obviously have to have the correct taper; sometimes requiring the headstock to use an adapter sleeve. With the tailstock at its farthest position, a measurement is made between them; this then is the length that is the 2nd number when a lathe size is given. The 1st number is the swing OVER the bed ways, not the cross-slide. This then is the largest diameter that the lathe will swing.
Research the lathes.co.uk site. IIRC info on where to find the serial numbers on both Logan and South Bend lathes is listed along with determining the year of manufacture from those numbers. Ed
Congratulations,Looks like a good start and what’s your plans on the lathe . Do you have a project in mind? I have a buddy that makes teardrop dash knobs layered acrylic plastic and mechanical pencils. The power feed and thread capability is nice but lots of guys don’t use this feature. In fact on my one lathe i have never used both in 35 years. I have all the goodies to do it but we use it to make short runs one or two parts. As stated get a cover on anything that rotates for safety ,**** happens Fast.... As for the speed for the most part you only use a few and the Logan and south bend had the step pulley and should be efficient for a home machine shop.. A tailstock is a must to drill holes and use a live center for longer items.
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