After some horse trading a friend just brough this lath to his shop. Cool thing is his alignment shop is next to my shop, and I'll get to use it. I didn't spend much time checking it out, I'll wait till he gets it installed. Anyone know how to ID these.
A place to start: http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/page4.html Somewhere on the site - I couldn't find it quick just now - I think there is a list of serial #'s and year of mfg. I looked one up a few years ago, IIRC serial # was stamped on top of one of the ways on one end. Hope this helps. Ed
Many of the older machines will have a Mfg's model plate on the back or on the tailstock end. Leblond was the first lathe I ever operated, and over the years I ran a number of different brand lathes that also had more than one military dept. plate on them. Some of the best ever made.
The historians at OWWM.org have a subforum called OMWM (Old Metalworking Machines- you'll find copies of factory manuals for your very good lathe, repair instructions, and tooling sources... hope you got a lot of tooling...
Wow, brings back old memories! The first machine shop job I had was making bolts for a draw bridge on one like that. (Might have been the next size bigger) They were designed (in the 40s) before carbide tooling became common, so their speeds are on the slow side, but they are a horse, 1/4 inch deep cuts (per side) in annealed 4140 are possible. The bolts I was making were 6" diameter, cut from 9" square stock, up to 3 ft long with 4 1/2 tpi. It took about 12 hours to rough and finish one.
I used to have one just like it. It was the first lathe I bought for my home shop about 40 years ago. 'Twas a good one. Used it for about ten years before I sold it and upgraded.
Those chips were always fun to dodge. Was always getting busted by the leadman while reading car magazines during a long cut, he said it would'nt be a pretty sight if one of those wrapped around your lip.
we had one in school with a 24" swing and the chuck was threaded , the shop teacher put a lock on the gear box that only allowed you to operate in forward rotation , he said after too many people (2) tried to cut in reverse and unscrewed that 300+ pound chuck and having it hit the floor is the reason for the lock ( there was a ding and crack in the 12" thick floor from it ) the first time it happened the operator soiled his pants and the guy on the Box shaper on the other side of the lathe wet himself as it made a extrememly loud bang and boom noise , the ways near the chuck were a little beat up but that's how he taught some of us ( 3rd year advance students) the fine art of scraping ways .( after doing it, I pittied and looked up to the old tool makers apprentices )
Thanks dos zetas, I went to owwm.org and found some good info, operating manuals. The serial # tag has no date of manufacture or its worn off. By other LeBlonds Regals on that site I'm guessing it's pre 1945. Hope to get it up and running soon. I have a machinist friend that can help me learn. Thanks everyone for the help
One similar can be found here. http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/page3.html I used to work in a model shop that had 2 monster Regal gap-bed lathes with the works, they were pussy cats, ran real quiet and you could split .001 on the cross-feed dial. Had to be from 1966 or so.
Looks like we might install in my shop as I have more room. My machinist friend came by and said it looked like it was in good shape. Needs a cleaning and we'll get it installed next week
One similar can be found here. http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/page3.html Yes that's it for sure. Looks like this one has 1/8" paint on it
Also, Practical Machinist has an "antiques" forum that has a good LeBlond users' section, good resource.
The bigger the lathe, the cheaper they are...really big old high precision lathes can be had for scrap price if you keep your eyes peeled. Tooling is expensive unless you're lucky. LeBlonds were and are very good machines. Old parts do turn up. They are 3 PH 220, that can be a problem for a garage shop.
Martinez...is it from the old shipyards or from Hunter's Point? The WWII machinery was very good, cost no object. When I lived in Calif. in the 70s a number of old machine shops still kept big, infrequently-used machines outside under tarps. They would lube them and fire them up when a job came along.
Martinez is the mouth of the Delta right across the bridge from the old California Capital of Benicia and the Vallejo ship yards. Still a small town.
The Machine Shop I use when rebuilding engines is doing a rebuild on a Hispano Suiza engine that 2 other shops have butchered. That thing is a work of art. I was pretty impressed at the engineering of that power plant. I'll check in and see if he'll let me take some pic's.
I have one just like it. 13 x 36 LeBlonde Regal. I've had it for about 30 years. I have a book on it I dig out and try to post some of it.
High school metal shop had 5 little lathes of some brand i dont remember, and 1 LeBlond lathe that was 2 times the size of the rest. I was the only one who would touch it. I loved that thing
The Jalopy Journal
