Bore the spindle on a south bend model A

G

gpantaz

Guest
I inherited a south bend model A 9" lathe. The spindle I.D. is too small for fitting a barrel inside (Less than .875").
Currently, I chamber in a steady rest.
I have been considering boring the spindle I.D. to accomodate chambering through the headstock.
Has anyone attemtped this?
Are there good reasons not to do this?

Any advice is appreciated.
 
gp

jkolb said it so eloquently, although his spelling needs work.;)

The hole thru the spindle was designed that way for a reason. Measure the outside of the spindle at it's smallest diameter and you'll see just exactly how thick the walls are. Probably less than you would think.

I suggest that you concentrate on simply doing some jobs on the steady rest. Many old time master gunsmiths did it that way and some still do it today. Accuracy can be just as good if you take the time to set everything up straight.

JMHO

Ra
 
gpantaz said:
I inherited a south bend model A 9" lathe. The spindle I.D. is too small for fitting a barrel inside (Less than .875").
Currently, I chamber in a steady rest.
I have been considering boring the spindle I.D. to accomodate chambering through the headstock.
Has anyone attemtped this?
Are there good reasons not to do this?

Any advice is appreciated.
Click to expand...
This is a good little lathe but not for barrel chambering work. Sell it or trade it for something like a South Bend Heavy 10 before you get too much tied up in it.
 
Use it for things not related to barrels. It is nice to be able to do a job on the smallest lathe that will handle it well. It is easier to set up, quicker. If it is well tooled, you can do small things fast on a 9" that would take more effort to change tooling on a large lathe than the job itself. Also, if you inherited it, you may want to keep it. The ideal shop would have a jeweler's or modelmaker's lathe, a 9"-10", a 12"-14", a 16"-18", and a 24" out in the back someplace.
 
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