Southbend #8117E Lathe ????
- Thread starter RoyB
- Start date
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George Tucker
Guest
I would think so, providing its not sprung out of shape or something, George.
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ShadowChaser
Guest
I'd say that's an excellent price if its in working condition...
I've lost track of the price of scrap iron on today's market but my guess is you could get a lot more for it as scrap iron if it didn't work out. I paid $1500 for the last flat belt Southbend toolrom lathe I bought, a 13" x 2ft between centers and consider it a bargain ...
I also have a 16" 1961 vintage Southbend that is pretty much as you describe and if my memory is correct, if the lathe you are looking at has the taper attachment, it may be what Southbend called the toolroom model and has hardened ways. Its a great machine, a bit underpowered when compared to modern gearhead lathes however for precise turning and good finishes especially when single point threading, it can't be beat... Southbend Lathes last, and last, and last...
If you buy it, be advised Grizzly is now the supplier of parts for Southbend and Southbend supports service needs for just about everything they ever built...
Happy Shooting,
Mitch & Shadow...
I've lost track of the price of scrap iron on today's market but my guess is you could get a lot more for it as scrap iron if it didn't work out. I paid $1500 for the last flat belt Southbend toolrom lathe I bought, a 13" x 2ft between centers and consider it a bargain ...
I also have a 16" 1961 vintage Southbend that is pretty much as you describe and if my memory is correct, if the lathe you are looking at has the taper attachment, it may be what Southbend called the toolroom model and has hardened ways. Its a great machine, a bit underpowered when compared to modern gearhead lathes however for precise turning and good finishes especially when single point threading, it can't be beat... Southbend Lathes last, and last, and last...
If you buy it, be advised Grizzly is now the supplier of parts for Southbend and Southbend supports service needs for just about everything they ever built...
Happy Shooting,
Mitch & Shadow...
Pete Wass
Well-known member
My South Bend
Heavy Ten Toolroom lathe sits on a thick wooden topped bench with angle Iron frame. The drive for the lathe is mounted under the machine so it does require a frame sort of thing to function. Question: Should I be trying to find a metal cabinet to sit this on? Another one: Is the wooden surface the lathe sits on a detrimental thing? Thanks. Pete
Heavy Ten Toolroom lathe sits on a thick wooden topped bench with angle Iron frame. The drive for the lathe is mounted under the machine so it does require a frame sort of thing to function. Question: Should I be trying to find a metal cabinet to sit this on? Another one: Is the wooden surface the lathe sits on a detrimental thing? Thanks. Pete
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ShadowChaser
Guest
Pete,
As long as the frame the wooden bench top is attached to is reasonably rigid and does not develop a rhythm at any of the lathe speeds, it should work just as well as an original Southbend cabinet base. Actually I would expect an advantage to the wooden bench top as it will help deaden vibrations...
Many years ago when I was in Alaska, I worked part time in a contractors maintainence shop doing machine work such as making shaft adapters and replacing bronze bearings. In that shop were two lathes, a 20" LeBlond and a 12" Atlas. The 12" Atlas was a light weight bench lathe mounted on a bench made of 2x4 and 2x6 construction lumber and was an amazingly nice running little lathe. The LeBlond had noisy bearings and was not good for small work and that little light weight Atlas on the wooden bench was the shop workhorse for anything that we could fit in it... Years ago, after coming back from Alaska, (1969) I worked in an oceanographic instrument shop for a couple years with several 10" Southbend toolroom lathes on the cabinet bases and frankly, I see no difference... Only advantage to the cabinet base is keeping the lower unit enclosed and protected from chips etc. To my way of thinking, the only real advantage is in the cast iron pedestal bases of the bigger lathes such as the 13" & 16" models due to the mass to absorb vibrations and efficient use of floor space.
Happy Shooting,
Mitch & Shadow...
Pete Wass
Well-known member
Thanks so much
I bought this lathe back in 69 from an old man who had it in his cellar. It had been govt surplus and everything was colorcoded with paint. In the late 70's it was stripped and the bed sent out and ground flat on a big grinding machime ( we use to do that to all the small lathes we rebuilt) then the saddle scraped in along with the cross slide and the tail stock. It is still in pretty good shape. Oh and the man I worked for gave me a larger lead screw with the bigger dial on it; nice.
I never learned a whole lot about actually machining things but do try to make things nevertheless.
I bought this lathe back in 69 from an old man who had it in his cellar. It had been govt surplus and everything was colorcoded with paint. In the late 70's it was stripped and the bed sent out and ground flat on a big grinding machime ( we use to do that to all the small lathes we rebuilt) then the saddle scraped in along with the cross slide and the tail stock. It is still in pretty good shape. Oh and the man I worked for gave me a larger lead screw with the bigger dial on it; nice.
I never learned a whole lot about actually machining things but do try to make things nevertheless.
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