LATHE: GARAGE SPECIAL ENGINE LATHE who's the manufacturer

[cayusedriver]

I have a lathe that I can find no manufacture marking on. There is a brass plate on the back gear housing that reads GARAGE SPECIAL ENGINE LATHE 10 inch by 4 feet. Any idea the manufacture? I'm leaning toward South Bend. Any idea about year of manufacture? I can provide photos; but, just not right now, I'll have to go over to my storage garage and take them.

Thanks,

Cayuse

 

[ScrapMetal]

I found a couple old posts with Steve Wells (member here) on a Yahoo group...

RE: [southbendlathe] SBL sold by Sears

CZ,
Can you elaborate? Where was it, what did it look like, do you remember if it had the headstock
fingers? was it a 10 inch lathe? Do you have the serial number?
The SBL "Special" 10 inch screw cutting lathe", the number 19, in the early 1920's had serial numbers preceded by an "S".
This may be the model they used for the Sears lathe in the 20's.
in a lower series of numbers, so far not exceeding 4 digits that I have seen.

Steve Wells

In a message dated 10/23/2009 8:24:36 AM Mountain Daylight Time, wswells@earthlink.net writes:

As to "If" it's a rare South Bend/Sears lathe...Let's ask this question to the group, Has anyone EVER seen a Lathe
tagged with the Garage Special ID badge?...I don't think so. I for one would like to have it for sure.

Steve Wells

Without the proper context it's hard to say what they were referencing. I'll bet that Steve could shed some light on it though. ::thumbzup::

-Ron

 

[lazyLathe]

I found a post on Practical machinist where a guy remembers seeing one of them in an old South Bend catalog.
Seems to think it was from the 30's.

Not a very common lathe at all!!!

How about ~~~~~

That will help a lot!!

Andrew

 

[geotek]

A picture would solve the mystery. South Bend had a marketing arm that specialized in sale of machines to the auto repair shops (remember when they were called garages?). SB had written several application notes showing how to use their machines for various automotive repair tasks. Back in the forty's, an auto mechanic quite often had to make the repair part, turn generator and starter commutators, that sort of thing.

 

[cayusedriver]

scrapmetal, lazylathe and geotek:

Thanks for the reply. I am going to try and get over to my storage garage early this afternoon and take some pictures. Beside the front, back, tail stock end, backgears end, headstock and serial number, which I know is located on the tailstock end of the front way, would there be any other views or specific parts to photo that would aid in helping to determine manufacture?

Thanks again,

Cayuse

 

[lazyLathe]

Cayuse,

Have a look here and see if you recognize it.
They have pretty much all the lathes made by South Bend there.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/southbend/index.html

Andrew

 

[cayusedriver]

OK here are the photos I promised:

I took these this afternoon. If these are not acceptable or someone needs different angles or specific parts photographed, please let me know.

Thanks,

Cayuse

 

[cayusedriver]

Two more incase they're necessary.

Cayuse

 

[geotek]

I'd have to say with those dual V ways for the carriage, it would have to be South Bend.

 

[pjf134]

The serial number puts it at 1932, but the casting date does not agree, if it is a south bend, unless it was made from a old cast that was around, which I doubt. In the 20's and 30's the lathe looks like yours from the UK site.