First, there was the fifty-dollar-find in a barn of a tired 9x48 southbend with worn ways, lead screw, change gear train, broken cover (and bracket) and broken handle on the cross slide.
Then there was the ongoing search for parts to do some fixin' on "The First".
Lo! Looky, lookie! "Thar be Lathes Here!"
And not just any lathes!
One is a STUNNING, absolutely GORGEOUS 1916 Seneca Falls "Star" treasured by its first owner, and tended by a life-long machinist. As best I can tell, from what little I know, Seneca Falls equipment were then and still are essentially "The Leicas of Lathes". Simply the finest. In 35mm photography, and now in small-format digital photography none of the competitors even pretend to compare themselves to Leica, knowing any comparison is laughable.
For example, see this, and this and this, and this. The last is especially amusing to "Those in the Know". It reveals that a **1964* Leica lens provides better optical performance than the very latest designs from Nikon and Canon. And that 1964 Leica lens fits every Leica rangefinder made since 1954. The author wryly says, "I should have used a modern lens on the Leica. Using a 45-year-old sample puts the Leica at quite a disadvantage, but tough, it still comes out on top."
With Seneca Falls, "Same, Same, Only Different."
The second is a nearly-as-beautiful specimen of a South Bend 9x36 in great condition, with everything "Present and Accounted For, Sir!", right down to the original cast iron stand with matching chip tray in original paint. And, while we're at it, don't forget "all the tools and accessories" this life-long machinist can't use on his Seneca Falls. It's anybody's guess exactly what "everything" includes, since he'll not have time to gather all the pieces-and-parts from his garage shop and separate the "Seneca" from the "South Bend".
Ohh, ohh, ohh! Can't wait to find out!
Then, for extra giggles and lessons, the same machinist doesn't use an and OLD (circa 1910s) horizontal mill with a cubic-boatload of mills, and adapters, and accessories and "stuff", and he needs the space in his garage. It takes a full size pallet, and he can't use it, lacking even 220v in his garage, much less 208v 3 phase.
So, for one "Low Low Price!", I'm the soon-to-be-proud-new-owner of a nice SB 22-Y 9x36 "with all the trimmings" (Thxgiving is coming up.... Need a thread on how to best spend a thanksgiving day in the machine shop without missing the goodies or the ball games...)
Naturally, there's some work to do to get these new articles safely esconsed in their new home. The lathe is pretty easy to move, once disassembled into headstock, ways, carriage, tailstock, jackshaft/countershaft (anyone wanna clear up the terminology for me?), chip tray and support, along with two meaty, cast iron legs.
I'm so glad to have a new HF 40x48 trailer with a full 840 lb capacity.
The mill is a different matter. Still palletized from the future-former-owner's move-in about 10 years ago, it's 5 feet high and 800 pounds, maybe 1000. Plus tooling and accessories.
That needs professional machinery movers. Handy enough for me, there's such a company about 10-walking minutes from me, and they're willing to let me "piggyback" on another customer's transport when there's something nearby. After waiting all those years to get the mill out of their garage, the seller is OK with a little longer. I'm OK waiting a while, since I've got considerable preparation to complete. I'm also OK waiting a while to snagb 75% (or more) discount on machinery moving, compared to the company making a special trip just for me. It would've been disappointing to spend twice as much on moving as spent on the equipment.
This raises questions such as the following:
* What to do about the tired SB 9x48 I mentioned first?
* Are parts interchangeable between the two SB lathes?
* Do I keep the 3-phase motor on the mill or replace it with a single phase?
* What's the best way to start learning to use these lovely tools?
Sooo many chips to make!
Sooo little time!
Sigh.
Then there was the ongoing search for parts to do some fixin' on "The First".
Lo! Looky, lookie! "Thar be Lathes Here!"
And not just any lathes!
One is a STUNNING, absolutely GORGEOUS 1916 Seneca Falls "Star" treasured by its first owner, and tended by a life-long machinist. As best I can tell, from what little I know, Seneca Falls equipment were then and still are essentially "The Leicas of Lathes". Simply the finest. In 35mm photography, and now in small-format digital photography none of the competitors even pretend to compare themselves to Leica, knowing any comparison is laughable.
For example, see this, and this and this, and this. The last is especially amusing to "Those in the Know". It reveals that a **1964* Leica lens provides better optical performance than the very latest designs from Nikon and Canon. And that 1964 Leica lens fits every Leica rangefinder made since 1954. The author wryly says, "I should have used a modern lens on the Leica. Using a 45-year-old sample puts the Leica at quite a disadvantage, but tough, it still comes out on top."
With Seneca Falls, "Same, Same, Only Different."
The second is a nearly-as-beautiful specimen of a South Bend 9x36 in great condition, with everything "Present and Accounted For, Sir!", right down to the original cast iron stand with matching chip tray in original paint. And, while we're at it, don't forget "all the tools and accessories" this life-long machinist can't use on his Seneca Falls. It's anybody's guess exactly what "everything" includes, since he'll not have time to gather all the pieces-and-parts from his garage shop and separate the "Seneca" from the "South Bend".
Ohh, ohh, ohh! Can't wait to find out!
Then, for extra giggles and lessons, the same machinist doesn't use an and OLD (circa 1910s) horizontal mill with a cubic-boatload of mills, and adapters, and accessories and "stuff", and he needs the space in his garage. It takes a full size pallet, and he can't use it, lacking even 220v in his garage, much less 208v 3 phase.
So, for one "Low Low Price!", I'm the soon-to-be-proud-new-owner of a nice SB 22-Y 9x36 "with all the trimmings" (Thxgiving is coming up.... Need a thread on how to best spend a thanksgiving day in the machine shop without missing the goodies or the ball games...)
Naturally, there's some work to do to get these new articles safely esconsed in their new home. The lathe is pretty easy to move, once disassembled into headstock, ways, carriage, tailstock, jackshaft/countershaft (anyone wanna clear up the terminology for me?), chip tray and support, along with two meaty, cast iron legs.
I'm so glad to have a new HF 40x48 trailer with a full 840 lb capacity.
The mill is a different matter. Still palletized from the future-former-owner's move-in about 10 years ago, it's 5 feet high and 800 pounds, maybe 1000. Plus tooling and accessories.
That needs professional machinery movers. Handy enough for me, there's such a company about 10-walking minutes from me, and they're willing to let me "piggyback" on another customer's transport when there's something nearby. After waiting all those years to get the mill out of their garage, the seller is OK with a little longer. I'm OK waiting a while, since I've got considerable preparation to complete. I'm also OK waiting a while to snagb 75% (or more) discount on machinery moving, compared to the company making a special trip just for me. It would've been disappointing to spend twice as much on moving as spent on the equipment.
This raises questions such as the following:
* What to do about the tired SB 9x48 I mentioned first?
* Are parts interchangeable between the two SB lathes?
* Do I keep the 3-phase motor on the mill or replace it with a single phase?
* What's the best way to start learning to use these lovely tools?
Sooo many chips to make!
Sooo little time!
Sigh.
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