South Bend

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Signguy

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I came across this South Bend for sale.
They want 800.00. It came out of a Motgomery Wards several years ago and has been in storage. He says he has a whole pallet of tooling for it as well but I have not gotten a price on that yet.
I'm thinking for 800.00 it is well worth it, you think?
Isn't there plenty of parts still around for these things?

Tim
 

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Signguy said:
I came across this South Bend for sale.
They want 800.00. It came out of a Motgomery Wards several years ago and has been in storage. He says he has a whole pallet of tooling for it as well but I have not gotten a price on that yet.
I'm thinking for 800.00 it is well worth it, you think?
Isn't there plenty of parts still around for these things?

Tim
Click to expand...
It looks like a mid-model Heavy 10. (Made from about 1942-1970, give or take a few years since it has the 1-lever gearbox for feeds and threading.) How long is the center distance or bed length.

Or better yet, what is the model number? On it somewhere, either the threading box or the bed will be a number like CL187Y If so,this is a standard Heavy 10 (CL187-the letter is the bed length like the CL187Y is a 3', CL187Z is 3 1/2", CL187A is 4', CL187B is 4 1/2'.
A CL818Y is a tool room model 3', etc.

Looking at the picture, it would part out for about $2,000 or more. For example, that little micrometer carriage stop will sell for about $150. A steadyrest $250-$400. The tooling not included.

IMO, the Heavy 10 is the most suitable gunsmith lathe ever built.

Enlarging the photo, it may be a 13".
 
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The add syas it is a 16 inch by 7ft. I have a hard time with the 7ft bed.
It does not look that big in the photo.
I am going to try and get a closer look at everything tomorrow.

Thanks Jerry,

Tim
 
If you can find the model # we can figure it out from there. It just doesn't look like larger models. They were 16"-24" and bed lengths to 126", but the riser I see under the tailstock looks too thin for the larger South Bends.

If you can see the lathe itself also measure the distance through the spindle to the face of the chuck jaws.
 
Thanks Jerry,

I will check it out tomorrow and let you know.

Tim
 
The serial# is on the bed

at the far right. Between the flat and the V.
517962569_K8Cxi-M.jpg
517962679_XdCBp-M.jpg
563923206_XWR7m-M.jpg
 
M.D.Spencer said:
at the far right. Between the flat and the V.
Click to expand...

MD, impressive setup on the in-steady spider.

See if you can find the model number on that lathe. It may be on the thread/feed gear label. It will be like CL176x, CL195x, CL198x, or CL179x. And, is it a 3-step or 4-step cone pulley?

We still have some 13" and some 16" South Bends at Northeast State Tech but I haven't been there but 3-4 times since I retired.
 
Signguy said:
I came across this South Bend for sale.
They want 800.00. It came out of a Motgomery Wards several years ago and has been in storage. He says he has a whole pallet of tooling for it as well but I have not gotten a price on that yet.
I'm thinking for 800.00 it is well worth it, you think?
Isn't there plenty of parts still around for these things?

Tim
Click to expand...

If you can't say "yes" fast enough, just nod your head. It wouldn't replace any of my current lathes, but trust me on this, as good as it looks, for that price, I'd find a place for it.

The way SB figures bed length, that is probably about a 16x40 lathe the way they are measured today.

Fitch

PS, it looks just like my friend's 16" SB only his has a longer bed.

frw
 
frwillia said:
If you can't say "yes" fast enough, just nod your head. It wouldn't replace any of my current lathes, but trust me on this, as good as it looks, for that price, I'd find a place for it.

The way SB figures bed length, that is probably about a 16x40 lathe the way they are measured today.

Fitch

PS, it looks just like my friend's 16" SB only his has a longer bed.

frw
Click to expand...
Fitch, if he doesn't buy it, you need to saddle up to Washington State. That lathe will come apart in modules like the other SB's. You can hayl it easily in a van or 1/2 ton PU. The bed may weigh about 350# or so (if it is a 7', about 550??) , the headstock about 150#.
 
JerrySharrett said:
Fitch, if he doesn't buy it, you need to saddle up to Washington State. That lathe will come apart in modules like the other SB's. You can hayl it easily in a van or 1/2 ton PU. The bed may weigh about 350# or so (if it is a 7', about 550??) , the headstock about 150#.
Click to expand...

<LOL> That's a 5 day, each way, haul from here in PA for a 67 year old guy with eyes that don't see well in the dark. 4 nights on the road each way, a night or two there - travel cost including fuel would be close to $2,500. Brings machine cost to $3,300. Sort of takes away the bargain.

If I was going to get one like that, rather than disassemble it, I'd bolt it to skids, winch it onto my tiltbed trailer, bolt the skid to the trailer, spray it with a protective film, tie a canvass over it, throw a couple of 10,000 lb test nylon straps over the bed in appropriate places mostly to keep the canvass in place and head out. I could easily unload it with what I have available at home (skid steer with fork attachment or my Nephew's 1044 Lull).

Fitch
 
Fitch

frwillia said:
<LOL> That's a 5 day, each way, haul from here in PA for a 67 year old guy with eyes that don't see well in the dark. 4 nights on the road each way, a night or two there - travel cost including fuel would be close to $2,500. Brings machine cost to $3,300. Sort of takes away the bargain.

If I was going to get one like that, rather than disassemble it, I'd bolt it to skids, winch it onto my tiltbed trailer, bolt the skid to the trailer, spray it with a protective film, tie a canvass over it, throw a couple of 10,000 lb test nylon straps over the bed in appropriate places mostly to keep the canvass in place and head out. I could easily unload it with what I have available at home (skid steer with fork attachment or my Nephew's 1044 Lull).

Fitch
Click to expand...
$3,300 is still a bargain for a lathe like that. Montgomery-Ward? Boy, they sold everything back then.

I see you still have millwright skills and have already thought this trip out!!
 
Jerry,

The lathe was sold when I got there today.
I just talked with him last night and everything was good to go. I did not say "I'll take it" because I like to look before I buy.
Anyway, thanks for your comments.
I have a lathe and love the heck out of it.
I just thought this would make for a nice project.

Tim
 
JerrySharrett said:
$3,300 is still a bargain for a lathe like that. Montgomery-Ward? Boy, they sold everything back then.

I see you still have millwright skills and have already thought this trip out!!
Click to expand...

And equipment. <G> When I retired I moved my shop across the country myself. It was a bit of an adventure. All went well. Glad it's here and operational.

Fitch
 
Signguy said:
Jerry,

The lathe was sold when I got there today.
I just talked with him last night and everything was good to go. I did not say "I'll take it" because I like to look before I buy.
Anyway, thanks for your comments.
I have a lathe and love the heck out of it.
I just thought this would make for a nice project.

Tim
Click to expand...
Tim, can't win them all but you already have a lathe so all is not lost.

Fitch, unhook the lowboy. The trip is off.

Oh well, back to trimming brass.
 
M.D.Spencer said:
http://www.southbendlathe.com/serial_numbers.aspx
serial_numbers.aspx
This the code system for the serial no#s
Click to expand...
M. D. there were apparently 3 different numbering systems used at South. Bend.

-the one you link to at the South Bend web site.

-the "catalog" numbering system used in their catalogs.(CL187Z for example)

-a special numbering system that doesn't use alpha characters. this system was apparently used on machine tools made for the US military.
 
South Bend lathe

JerrySharrett said:
IMO, the Heavy 10 is the most suitable gunsmith lathe ever built.
Click to expand...

Jerry,
I learned to run a lathe on one of these South Bends in the mid 60's in high school. We had three in our machine shop and they took alot of abuse. One of the forgiving aspects, at least on our machines, was the leather belts would slip when a unattentive student allowed the carriage to feed into the chuck. The shop instructor would come out of his office, dress down the student, get him properly set up and allow him to continue. In spite of the abuse these lathes were subjected to, they performed very well.

The tailstock on our lathes had a little dash pot that contained red lead that we used as a lubricant when using dead centers. The instructor had a bag of powdered red lead that we would mix with heavy cutting oil and put in those dashpots. This was before we knew about the dangers of lead.

Most products that were manufactured from that time period were made to last, from farm tractors to industrial equipment. That was, in my opinion, the height of American manufacturing durability.

Lou Baccino
 
Did I screw up???

Even my lathe I'm not totally sure of the no#s. I have a "X" (11464HKX15) in my lettering. It's referred to as special. She looks like the rest of them. Well, I will find out today. I'm inquiring about a bearing kit for the head. I'll bet it will be at least $500-600.00.
 
Called on new bearings

Bearing kit. Front large bearing includes a Felt wix and expander. $395. Rear or what is considered the small bearing. Includes a Felt wix and expander. $385. So, that not to bad??? :eek:
 
Francis

Thank goodness they don't make replacement parts for Sharrett model. Somebody might try and rebuild him and that's all we need is newer fresher version.

Dave
 
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