This Southbend 9” lathe a good buy?

[DaveBarbier]

Thanks Jeff, I’ll look up how to check the bearings.

 

[bob308]

from what I have read about your tools and abilities'. you don't need a super lathe that can hold .00001. easy test run the carriage up to the headstock turn up the carrage lock till it just touches. then run the carriage back towards the tailstock. see if it gets tighter. the more drag the more wear. if there is little or no drag get it.

 

[DaveBarbier]

Thanks Bob, that’s what I like to hear. And correct, nothing I make goes into space. I just mess around.

 

[Bob Korves]

The carriage does not make full contact with the bed ways. Neither does the tail stock. Look carefully for the transition between where they contact and where they don't for a linear step in the bed ways, in line with the travel. That will show the amount of wear in the ways. If you can catch it with a fingernail, you have found significant wear.

 

[DaveBarbier]

The carriage does not make full contact with the bed ways. Neither does the tail stock. Look carefully for the transition between where they contact and where they don't for a linear step there, in line with the travel. That will show the amount of wear in the ways. If you can catch it with a fingernail, you have found significant wear.

Ah interesting. That makes sense to me!

 

[ericc]

I don't see "thousands of dollars" of accessories. Even though this looks like a good deal from the pictures, I hate people who inflate their descriptions as part of their "salesmanship". Accessories, or tooling can add a lot to the price of the lathe. Make sure the bearings are good, everything moves smoothly (apron, tailstock, change levers, reverse, etc) and that the ways aren't too worn.

 

[DaveBarbier]

I hear you Eric, it does sound like he’s going a bit too far with the value of accessories. I’ll keep y’all posted, maybe he has extra stuff stashed away that’s not in the pictures.

 

[DaveBarbier]

Just watching some tubalcain where he picked up a Southbend model A, similar to the one I’m looking at. I took a screenshot of what looks like a wear line on his ways after he took off everything (carriage, headstock, etc.). I drew arrows where it LOOKS like there is a huge amount of wear. Is this where I am going to be looking when I check out the lathe?

 

[mikey]

Dave, I presume you're aware of this article. It's a good one if you haven't read it already.

 

[DaveBarbier]

I haven’t seen this article, thanks, reading through it now!