My Logan 816

[mwestcott]

This is my first lathe, and I have no training other than from books, videos and great forums like this one. I fell into this one several years ago when a friend's father passed. She ended up with it when all was divided up, but had no interest and it sat disassembled for quite a few years. I always wanted one, so I expressed interest and we made a deal.

It was made in 1948 according to the serial number. It was a bench model, and someone put a home made base and kinda ugly chip pan on it. I don't know what they used for a motor support, but I'm using a 4x4. It came with three chucks - a 6 inch Westcott three jaw and an 8 inch Westcott four jaw (which I though was cool since that's my name, no relation so far as I know) and a brand new in the box 6 inch Craftsman four jaw. There were a ton of 1/4 tool bits, most ground but some new, as well as a lot of 3/16" and 1/2" bits. There were a left, right, and straight tool holders for the lantern post, all for 1/4", I have no idea why he had all the 1/2" ones, and about four or five cutoff tool holders, a Jacobs chuck and a live center, several dial indicators and holders, and some stuff I'm still working on identifying.

No steady or follower rests or boring bar holders, but there was most of a partly home made taper attachment I'm working on (posted on the main part of the forum).

It seems to have been used a lot but not abused, and in my attempts at checking the accuracy, it seems OK. The leather belt was stretched and unusable, so I tried an automotive serpentine belt. The glue method didn't work, so I laced it with high end Kevlar fishing line. That worked until the line rotted away. The belt squeals, so I tried squirting some belt dressing on it. Bad idea, I think it melted my fishing line. I replaced the line with some small stainless steel wire, which is really ugly but seems to be holding.

 

[francist]

Great story, and nice looking lathe too!

-frank

 

[Nogoingback]

Very nice looking machine: it looks as though it was well cared for.

Logan can sell you a new belt with a clip in it, or if you're willing to remove the spindle you can use a serpentine belt, or the glued one from Logan.
Logan changed the motor support on the 10'' lathes at some point: if you have the early style bench stand, you might be able to use the early style
support post. Pictures?

 

[CluelessNewB]

And the early style post was basically just a piece of pipe. My 820 didn't come with one. I used pipe and made a shoe for the bottom using a scrap piece of synthetic deck material (Trex).

 

[Mister Ed]

That lathe looks pretty nice and very lightly used, at least from the what seems to be original paint.
There was a different leg that allowed the bench models 816, 210, etc, to be converted to a floor model. I think it is like the latter legs.

Take a pic of your motor support and how its sitting on the 4x4. I suspect there is a round "rubber foot" that is supposed to sit on a bench. The conversion motor support had a cup that the foot sat in and then went to the floor. Probably just like you are doing with the 4x4.

I have a 210 (actually on a bench) I could take a pic of the foot, but don't have a real easy way to do it.

Here is a pic of that conversion post from Ebay. Part at top mounts to floor. The bottom area of the pic is what the "foot" under the motor would sit in.

 

[mwestcott]

Yes, the motor mount has the little foot, on an adjustable rod. I bored a shallow hole in the end of the 4x4 and put a rubber washer of some kind in there, thinking it may help somehow. I haven't attached it to the floor, it just sits there, stabilized by a highly engineered and meticulously crafted support structure as shown in the photo. It hasn't seemed to move around any. Should I try to attach it to the floor?

 

[Nogoingback]

It looks like you have the early style support, like this. Logan calls this casting a bench stand.



That's meant to be supported by the cast part shown in Mr. Ed's post above, and yes, the intent was that the lathe and post would be bolted down. Those posts are available on eBay fairly often. If you want,
the lathe can also be bolted to a workbench without the legs, and the bench stand resting on,
(you guessed it), the bench.

 

[Mister Ed]

Yes, the motor mount has the little foot, on an adjustable rod. I bored a shallow hole in the end of the 4x4 and put a rubber washer of some kind in there, thinking it may help somehow. I haven't attached it to the floor, it just sits there, stabilized by a highly engineered and meticulously crafted support structure as shown in the photo. It hasn't seemed to move around any. Should I try to attach it to the floor?

If it works, and is sturdy, probably no need. My 210 sits on a bench, so I don't have real experience. The only forces on it would be down, so you have that covered. My thought is, as long as it can't get hit from the side and knocked loose ... it should work.

If you decide to switch from the wood ... I would make one from metal before paying the ebay price.

 

[TomKro]

That "meticulously crafted support structure" appears to work fine.
The wood probably soaks up vibration pretty good, the base is wider, and it's a lot easier to move around compared to the iron post.
Looks like a winner to me.

TomKro