Lathes

[Nutball]

Seems hard to find new American made or even new high quality imports in stock for sale in the US, at least in the mid to small size range (4x6 to 12x30). Maybe I'm not looking in the right place? I wouldn't mind paying $2000 or so for a very well built 7" with reverse threading and gear shifters, but I'm going for a 11x26 from Grizzly since I feel it's the most precise and best featured for the money. I started out looking at the 8x16, but reviews were too randomly good or bad on the 8-10" models.

 

[Al Smith]

Try Craigs list .You might find it hard to believe but I found several on some island off Washington state about twenty miles from where the guy lived and I'm over 2000 miles away .I think one was a 10" Southbend heavey .I wouldn't get real concerned about three phase because a rotary converter is both cheap and easy to make .People think it's black magic which it's not .It's just simple physics ,well at least it is to me.

 

[Altamaha]

I am out on the coast of Washington State and live near the Islands mentioned. Puget Sound, lots of lathes and machinery in this area.

Only problem is shipping back east would cost more than the lathe!

Prowl craigs list in your area, go to tools, search for lathes and click on nearby areas over on the left of the screen then hit update. You likely can find one within a hundred miles or so.

I look at craigs list every day. Never know what you will find. I am about 4 hours drive from Seattle so a nice find in that area only takes a day drive round trip.

The advantage of buying used as usually tooling comes with the lathe. Lots of money on the shelf behind one of my lathes, I have 3.

 

[Nutball]

Another thing I'm concerned with is how much wear a used one might have. I had a 13" LeBlonde, but the tail stock was at least a good 1/16" low among other things. It didn't appear to have any easy way to shim it other than to add material to the bottom where it sits on the rails and machine it back to the right height. Way beyond me at the time. I never used it anyway because I only had one tool for it and I couldn't afford $100 per tool at the time.

 

[Altamaha]

The Taiwan made lathes have induction hardened ways. They do not wear. And if the previous owner put a bit of oil on the ways (mainly to lube the tailstock and carriage bearing surfaces) there will be almost no wear.

Keep them lubed folks and they will outlive you. The 14x40 in my photos was purchased new in 1981. I put at least 1000 hours on it yearly chambering rifle barrels and it has no visible wear. Now it has an easy life as I am retired: An occasional rifle job and maintenance items around the farm.

Before I use a lathe, I oil all oiling points and check the headstock bearings for oil and check the apron for oil. Chainsaw bar & chain oil (summer weight) is excellent for lathe ways and all sliding parts. It has anti-wear and anti corrosion additives.

My little South Bend below came from my Dad's truck repair shop, he used it to turn starter and generator commutators. He bought it used just after WWII. It was made in 1907. Before turning the switch on, he gave everything a generous oiling. Ways are in great shape and it still is accurate! I hauled it from the Georgia Coast (St Simons Island) out to where I live (Port Angeles, WA) in 1990.

If I were close to you I would buy that LeBlond. Easy fix, and I have lots of tooling that would fit.

 

[Nutball]

I sold it a couple years ago. The buyer was really happy when he got home and started using it, so that's good. I think it only had a 3/4HP motor on it, so it was a bit weak at higher rpms.

 

[EvilRoySlade]

@Altamaha what model Enco is that? Mine tipped over and broke the gear change arms with previous owner and I’ve been trying to find parts. Mine is not the same model but the gear arms look identical. Enco parts aren’t easy to find though. I did find a Jet model online that is identical but haven’t found parts for those either.

 

[srcarr52]

@Altamaha what model Enco is that? Mine tipped over and broke the gear change arms with previous owner and I’ve been trying to find parts. Mine is not the same model but the gear arms look identical. Enco parts aren’t easy to find though. I did find a Jet model online that is identical but haven’t found parts for those either.

Do you have the broken pieces. They can be welded.

 

[EvilRoySlade]

Do you have the broken pieces. They can be welded.

I do but they’re cast and possibly bent. I haven’t played with them much to see how far they’re off. They took the brunt of the hit when it tipped over while laying on a dolly from a flat tire. I’ll send you some pics just so you can see them for yourself.

 

[Al Smith]

You could have more in the chucks and tooling than you have in the lathe .I was lucky enough to hit some good auctions and access to obsolete stuff from the auto industry that cost me nothing .
That plus making my own dove tail slides for an Aloris type quick change system and adapting carbine tool holders plus the insets by the thousands for free I've got nothing in them but my time .
You just have to be in the right place at the right time with cash in your pocket .

 

[Altamaha]

@Altamaha what model Enco is that? Mine tipped over and broke the gear change arms with previous owner and I’ve been trying to find parts. Mine is not the same model but the gear arms look identical. Enco parts aren’t easy to find though. I did find a Jet model online that is identical but haven’t found parts for those either.

Enco is just a rebadged Jet.

Lever replacements are easy to make, some bar stock and threading.

The banjo fitting looking boss on the lower end of one of my shift levers cracked, (from many hours of use and shifting!) so I just made another, from a piece of 4140. Mostly milling on my 10x54 Vertical mill:

 

[Nutball]

I have a feeling Jet is the one rebadging stuff. Their tools, just like every other modern machinery seems to be getting more cheaply made.

 

[Altamaha]

I have a feeling Jet is the one rebadging stuff. Their tools, just like every other modern machinery seems to be getting more cheaply made.

Jet was just an importer, not the maker.

Most small lathes and mills are made in China or Taiwan.

The Taiwan machines are better quality, although they need a little "tuning up" when you get them. I made better control knobs and handles for my two Jet lathes and added some Bridgeport after market items to my mill, makes the machines easier to use and takes way the cheap look.

Quality has definitely declined over the years. I bought the 14x40 lathe and the 10x54 mill in 1981. Bought the 13x36 lathe used in 1994. All good machines.

One of my friends recently bought a Precision Mathews lathe. $8000. Uses the same headstock and bed as the one I bought in 1981 for $3000. Money surely depreciates in value over the years!

Importers buy from the makers in Taiwan or China. The makers put any name you want on the machines. Most are all the same. No one makes small lathes in the US anymore, in fact, you will be hard pressed to find a lathe of any size made in the US now.

I grew up using a South Bend and a Monarch in my dad's shop. Should have kept the Monarch, but it weighed around 8,000 pounds and was in Georgia, right on the Atlantic Coast (Brunswick). Would have been impossible for me to move it to where I live in NW Washington State, right on Salt Water (Port Angeles). So when I went to Georgia to help my mom dispose of things after Dad passed, I sold it to a long time friend that lived only a mile from Dad's old shop. Even then it was a challenge to move.

 

[srcarr52]

My 13x40 Jet (Green paint) is actually a Camtak/Takang TK-105GL from Taiwan, it's mid 80's I think.

 

[Marshy]

The guy I just bought a Foley chain grinder from last weekend has an nice Craftsman bench lathe in the corner. He was the original owner and its in nice shape. I asked about it and he was a little much. Im going to try and move some old stock and junk saws for him so maybe he will come down on price. He wants $2500, he has tool posts, live tails, 2 chucks, manuals and a few other items like a steady rest. Best I can tell the market for one like it with the quick change gear box is $1200-2000. I might entertain $2500 if he throws in a tool box... I suggested he get some oil on it because it was getting dry and light surface rust.

 

[srcarr52]

The guy I just bought a Foley chain grinder from last weekend has an nice Craftsman bench lathe in the corner. He was the original owner and its in nice shape. I asked about it and he was a little much. Im going to try and move some old stock and junk saws for him so maybe he will come down on price. He wants $2500, he has tool posts, live tails, 2 chucks, manuals and a few other items like a steady rest. Best I can tell the market for one like it with the quick change gear box is $1200-2000. I might entertain $2500 if he throws in a tool box... I suggested he get some oil on it because it was getting dry and light surface rust.

Those are made by Atlas, I wouldn't give more than $1k for it even with a lot of tooling. There are much better deals for more rigid, larger lathes with modern amenities like a 3rd shaft for fwd-stop-rev.

 

[Altamaha]

What size? The 12x36 Craftsman with quick change was a nice lathe. $1200 to $1500 with tooling. Don't buy a lathe without quick change.

Folks with old small lathes think they are gold, just like the guys trying to sell McCulloch 125's.

Automatic transmission oil mixed 50-50 with WD 40 is a good treatment for lathe ways and other bare iron. Rub in in good with a rag. Fine steel wool for the rust, use with the oil mix.




















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[Al Smith]

Often times those big old heavy lathes that weigh 7-8 tons can be bought for less than scrap price ,less than say a 10" South bend .You have to move the damned things then how many people need big old Monarch or American Pacemaker 8 feet between centers ? Might be okay if you are turning drive shafts but not too handy for turning the base of a chainsaw cylinder .
On that I have a toolmaker buddy who unfortunately pickled his brain with too much booze .He turned me a cut down shoulder bolt in a 12" three jaw on a Monarch that was 12 feet between centers just to show he could do it .Damn he was good too bad he went nuts .

 

[Altamaha]

Yes the demand for big lathes is going away. The Monarch my dad had was used for making driveshafts for big trucks. And some side jobs making shafts for saw mills and threading & tapering shafts for inboard boats (his shop was 200 yards from salt water on the south Atlantic coast). It was 18 inch swing and 12 feet centers. A nice, accurate machine, Monarch was the King of metal lathes, very well designed and made. I learned all about running a lathe on the Monarch: Speeds, feeds, threading, turning tapers, grinding tool bits. There was a monorail over the lathe with a 2 ton electric hoist, very handy when I had to machine a 10 foot piece of 6 inch diameter 4140.

Lathes are handy:

Boring a sprocket in the backyard shop:

Truing the receiver ring on a Remington M700:

Chambering a rifle barrel:

Putting an oil groove in a motorcycle con rod. Note the tooling bolted to the face plate, the con rod clamps to a turned area for accuracy.

The adapter has different sized plugs for different bore con rods. I had 40 of them to put grooves in, half standard journal size and half were 0.010" under. This is a 13 inch lathe, the rods just barely fit!

Turning a barrel blank. Smoke is from the coolant, it has a low flash point, helps to remove heat from the cut. Good 'ol machine shop smell!
Between centers, using a dog and a faceplate.

 

[Nutball]

Looks like you go back and rework past projects a lot?