# Mystery Part... At least for me.



## caroni (Aug 21, 2013)

Hello Forum,

This is my first post and I hope that my question is in the right place.  I own a South Bend Model A lathe. when I acquired it years ago it came with several useful attachments.  I have discerned the purpose of all of them except this one.  It is quite possible that it does not even go with the lathe but it is painted in the same color as some of the other accessory components.  So, I am hoping that someone here can clue me in as to what this is for.

Thanking you in advance, 

David


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## Rbeckett (Aug 22, 2013)

Caroni,
I can t help you on the answer to what it is, but I can welcome you to the group and tell you that some one who is smarter than I will come along shortly and identify the mystery part for all of us.  So welcome to the site, and hope you find all that you are looking for and don't forget lots of pics.  We love em and never seem to get enough.  And any question is fair game, there is no such thing as a dumb question or a dumb member.  We all had to start somewhere and we all have progressed at varying degrees since then so don't hesitate to ask any question anytime.

Bob


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## Bill Gruby (Aug 22, 2013)

Looks like a clamp to fit the bed at the back side where it is flat. I don't however know what attaches to it.

 "Billy G"


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## Chuck K (Aug 22, 2013)

Could be something as simple as a clamp for a machine light.  Also could be some sort of stop.

Chuck


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## george wilson (Aug 22, 2013)

I doubt it is a lathe part.


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## Ray C (Aug 22, 2013)

Possibly a taper attachment clamp?

On the old Atlas machines, there was a clamp-like setup on the back of head that clamped to the ways and if I remember properly, it held the bracket for the side door hinge.  Could be something along those lines.


Ray




Bill Gruby said:


> Looks like a clamp to fit the bed at the back side where it is flat. I don't however know what attaches to it.
> 
> "Billy G"


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## Bill C. (Aug 22, 2013)

caroni said:


> Hello Forum,
> 
> This is my first post and I hope that my question is in the right place.  I own a South Bend Model A lathe. when I acquired it years ago it came with several useful attachments.  I have discerned the purpose of all of them except this one.  It is quite possible that it does not even go with the lathe but it is painted in the same color as some of the other accessory components.  So, I am hoping that someone here can clue me in as to what this is for.
> 
> ...



Not sure either.  With that key-way slot it could be a production fixture.  By using a key to locate the fixture and toe clamps to secure it to a mill table I can see it as a light production.  I mean "light" in that no heavy cutting of material.  Nice find, someone took good care of it.  Usually old tooling is really rusted and/or frozen from lack of use.  You may be surprised what new uses you can come up with.  Good luck


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## george wilson (Aug 22, 2013)

We don't really know how large it is(not that that would help much!)


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## AR1911 (Aug 25, 2013)

It's not part of a taper attachment, but it does look like it clamps to the back of the bed.

I think I would send a message to Steve (?) at http://www.wswells.com/ and ask him


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## srjaynes49 (Aug 25, 2013)

Rbeckett said:


> Caroni,
> I can t help you on the answer to what it is, but I can welcome you to the group and tell you that some one who is smarter than I will come along shortly and identify the mystery part for all of us.  So welcome to the site, and hope you find all that you are looking for and don't forget lots of pics.  We love em and never seem to get enough.  And any question is fair game, there is no such thing as a dumb question or a dumb member.  We all had to start somewhere and we all have progressed at varying degrees since then so don't hesitate to ask any question anytime.
> 
> Bob



Tough to be sure with a ruler or dollar bill for scale, but it looks like the rest and miter gauge table for a 6" belt stationary belt sander.  

Steve J.
Portland, OR


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## Cullen (Aug 25, 2013)

Caroni,
The last picture (showing what I believe to be the top) looks very much like the tilting table for a grinder (to grind a relief angle on a tool bit). The horizontal slot is used to hold an adjustable guide that can be slid sideways to present the work to the wheel face for proper side relief. I have no idea as to where it might clamp onto a laythe, but Possibly it is a guide rest ( for your grinder) to sharpen laythe tool bits.
Cullen

View attachment 59299
View attachment 59300
View attachment 59301
View attachment 59302


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## benmychree (Aug 25, 2013)

It is a shaft vise for keyway milling; they come in pairs and are handy for milling long keyways and are nice because in especially horizontal mills, you can sneak up on the backside of it (the side opposite the clamp) with woodruff keyseat cutters, when normally a vise jaw is too wide for the cutter to reach the work.  Yes, I have a pair of them ---


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## george wilson (Aug 25, 2013)

From the bolt I thought the device was a lot smaller than it apparently is. Please post a common object at least,like a ball point pen if you don't have a ruler.


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