# 9 in. Southbend tailstock extension



## sdelivery (Mar 2, 2021)

Well I didn't build it but the old timer that last owned and used the lathe did.
What I was told is he passed some 10+ years ago.
It was on his 9x48 inch Southbend lathe
When I received the machine.
It is a spring loaded center.


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## benmychree (Mar 2, 2021)

Looks like a good thing to gather dust under the lathe bench.


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## Janderso (Mar 2, 2021)

Hmm,
I wonder how accurate it is in relation to the spindle datum??
I would agree with John on this one.
Maybe it was a one time build for a special project?


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## sdelivery (Mar 2, 2021)

I have no idea except one....
I have been in this business either building, machining or repairing machine tools since the 1980's I have seen many many things I didn't think were good, accurate or would even work.....I learned to think outside of the box.
I have been amazed at what I have seen and when I got past my immediate reaction I  learned to look at things differently i.e. what are the requirements of this project? Anything beyond functionality and safety are icing on the cake.
Most of the shops never repainted there equipment,  things were never pristine and money was spent to achieve production.
As far as accuracy I have seen skilled men make a beautiful on size part on a POS while the man on the new machine struggles.....
Glad I taught my boys the old way.


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## Janderso (Mar 2, 2021)

sdelivery said:


> As far as accuracy I have seen skilled men make a beautiful on size part on a POS while the man on the new machine struggles...


I agree there.
I was in Port Au-Prince Haiti in the early 80's. The equipment to manufacture baseballs in the facility were US made in the early 20th century.
I had a 13" South Bend at my disposal. A few times I took a part to be made or repaired that was beyond my ability.
There was this old Haitian working out of a dirt floored lean to that had a piece of junk old lathe. He could do anything I asked with that old machine. Boy did he smell!!


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## silverhawk (Mar 2, 2021)

If be wary of the extension introducing spring between centers and ending up at an angle. But, if careful enough, it would still work. If you work within limitations, pretty much anything can work. It's the principle of David Gingery's shop-from-scrap books. Know your limits. 

joe


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## martik777 (Mar 2, 2021)

I made some wooden risers for my 9A to increase the swing to 11" - looked like crap but worked fine with light cuts


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## Suzuki4evr (Mar 15, 2021)

I would think it looks a bit unstable and could cause a LOT of chatter.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Mar 15, 2021)

well that's an interesting way to get a bit more bed length! I thought you meant an extension to tailstock travel, like the one pioneered by jackofthelowveld on PM (part way through making one myself). Didn't expect to see this


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## Logan Novice (Mar 15, 2021)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  And I see a beautiful example of creativity in that tail stock extension.  
About thirty years ago my wife found (and had to have) an antique table with a split along about 30% on one leg.  The piece that had split off was missing.
I had never worked with a wood lathe before but I found an old Monkey Wards "hobby" lathe with an 18 inch bed at the flea market. l used clamps and a few lengths of scrap wood to extend the bed to accomodate the length of the damaged leg, then ground something that resembled a wood lathe cutting tool.  I glued a hunk of similar wood to the split leg and went to work.  The shape of that portion of the leg was detectable by watching the ghost of the original as the piece turned and I used that to guide my cuts.  The table is still in our living room; my wife is happy, and I learned not to be concerned about having the finest tools for every task. Tool snobs aren't usually very interesting people.  Just make sure the tool will get the present job done and wonder if it might come in handy tomorrow.  I believe that's what the former owner of the Southbend had in mind.


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## sdelivery (Mar 16, 2021)

The comments are funny and I thank you for all of them.
I know the previous owner was a machinist for his lifetime and the machine came out of a still active machine shop.
I am tempted to set it up and try it...as long as the cuts are towards the spindle ( no 1 rule I learned in 1978) it will not effect the spring loaded center. (as a machinist you must have an idea where your cutting forces will go)


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