# ID this rescued Southbend



## keeena (Mar 6, 2022)

This little guy ended up following me home today. I know it's a Southbend but I'm not familiar with models. Looks to be about a 8 or 9" swing? Any idea what model and vintage?

I saved it from the dumpster because I was interested in repurposing the chuck and spindle. But when I saw it in person I realized that it was in better shape than I expected. Its mostly complete and original (motor and paint appears original). Its not something I need or have time to restore, but I'd rather not hack it up if there's a market for it. The worst thing I can see is that one of the end gears is missing 3-4 teeth. I was shocked that the chuck still works (not seized up), everything turns/moves surprising smoothly (for what it is), etc...


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## G2 (Mar 6, 2022)

Looks to be a 9" Model C Bench Lathe
Serial number will reveal more...
Go Here


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## Jim F (Mar 6, 2022)

nope, has top oilers, is most likely a model 405.


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## Shootymacshootface (Mar 6, 2022)

I'm glad you snatched that from going in the trash, that would have been a crying shame.
It doesn't look like there is much of anything wrong with it.


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## SLK001 (Mar 6, 2022)

It looks like a 9" Workshop lathe, model C, circa 1934.


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## keeena (Mar 6, 2022)

Shooty - my buddy who had it lives right by you (Paxton). He bought it at an estate sale years ago but he never attempted to use it. He's not a machinist but bought it because it looked neat and thought he might learn out to use it. But it just sat in a corner for years getting covered in filth.

I just looked up Model C's...that looks like what it is. The bed has the # 5736S cast into it. Other than the SB placard, I don't see any other labels or serial number. The motor is a Driver but the rest of that nameplate is bare legible. Looks like a 1/2HP 1750 RPM, but very hard to read. Motor part or serial # looks to be 335BG 732708


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## Shootymacshootface (Mar 6, 2022)

keeena said:


> Shooty - my buddy who had it lives right by you (Paxton). He bought it at an estate sale years ago but he never attempted to use it. He's not a machinist but bought it because it looked neat and thought he might learn out to use it. But it just sat in a corner for years getting covered in filth.
> 
> I just looked up Model C's...that looks like what it is. The bed has the # 5736S cast into it. Other than the SB placard, I don't see any other labels or serial number. The motor is a Driver but the rest of that nameplate is bare legible. Looks like a 1/2HP 1750 RPM, but very hard to read. Motor part or serial # looks to be 335BG 732708



I didn't even notice that you are in Ma. That could easily be a sweet little lathe.
If you haven't already checked out the Worcester Tool Shed you should. He puts out a new video on YouTube every Tuesday with his newly acquired items. His prices are very fair for used tools. Every now and then he gets a cache of tools from a retired machinist. I have made out very well over the years.


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## Jim F (Mar 6, 2022)

keeena said:


> Shooty - my buddy who had it lives right by you (Paxton). He bought it at an estate sale years ago but he never attempted to use it. He's not a machinist but bought it because it looked neat and thought he might learn out to use it. But it just sat in a corner for years getting covered in filth.
> 
> I just looked up Model C's...that looks like what it is. The bed has the # 5736S cast into it. Other than the SB placard, I don't see any other labels or serial number. The motor is a Driver but the rest of that nameplate is bare legible. Looks like a 1/2HP 1750 RPM, but very hard to read. Motor part or serial # looks to be 335BG 732708


serial # is stamped into the right hand end of the front bed way.


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## keeena (Mar 6, 2022)

Jim F said:


> serial # is stamped into the right hand end of the front bed way.


Had to clear off the grime. sn is 69834


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## silverhawk (Mar 6, 2022)

It is old enough that the serial number won't tell you the model. That would be on the gear cover on the headstock end. The number can get you an approximate date, if you want. Look for the south bend disk numbers list. 

Or you can buy the serial card from grizzly, which should tell you the model and year of manufacture. 

Sent from my SM-T500 using Tapatalk


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## Manual Mac (Mar 6, 2022)

Dumpster??


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## lordbeezer (Mar 6, 2022)

Might be set up for metric.


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## SLK001 (Mar 6, 2022)

keeena said:


> Had to clear off the grime. sn is 69834



Makes it 1936.  The earlier Workshop models didn't have a reversing lever like this one does.


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## Manual Mac (Mar 6, 2022)

It should have a pretty high spindle speed judging by the size of the counter shaft V-belt pulley. Keep the spindle well oiled.
appears to have a later large dial cross slide.
it may have been painted green sometime in it’s life.
looks pretty complete. It should make accurate parts once again.
Don’t part it out.


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## markba633csi (Mar 6, 2022)

Dumpster? Holy cow
Daddy Warbucks with cash to burn?


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## keeena (Mar 7, 2022)

Yep, you read that right: dumpster. It was about to be taken to a scrap metal facility.

Were these painted from the factory? This paint looked original to me because I don't see any other colors where the paint has chipped; no brush marks or runs either. But I can't see everything yet due to all the grime.

I'm also noticing that the countershaft pulley didn't look the same as old brochures or pictures online; definitely quite a bit smaller.


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## Manual Mac (Mar 7, 2022)

My original countershaft pulley was 11” in diameter.
it gave me spindle speeds of 50-668 rpm
With the now 10” pulley the speeds are 61-890 rpm
you appear to have a 7” to 8” pulley?
You will have a much faster spindle RPM. My reason for more spindle oil needed.
 I also mentioned a re-paint as some things are painted that shouldn’t be.
i don’t think SB ever painted their lathes green, but I have seen factory red ones, so I guess anything is possible.
BTW, I got these RPM figures with a digital tachometer.
Cheers


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## keeena (Mar 7, 2022)

Thanks for the measurement! The pulley on this one is even smaller than that: OD is 6"


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## silverhawk (Mar 7, 2022)

In the early 30s (and I may be wrong, my 1929 had the finish), things weren't painted, but had a coating called Japaning. It's a thicker, lacquer-style coating that was far better than most painted coatings I've seen today (that doesn't say much, as I don't spend any time engineering machine coatings). Epoxy finishes might compare, but that original finish was amazing. I don't know if it was always black.

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## Choiliefan (Mar 9, 2022)

If its that old, someone retrofitted that big dial on the crossfeed.
The Driver brand motor is from a misc Walker Turner machine.
Have you measured the actual swing yet?


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## keeena (Mar 9, 2022)

If this is a large CF dial I can't imagine what a smaller dial would look like   

It does measure a hair over 4.5" between the center of the spindle to the closest thing that would hit (the back far v-way)...so yes: 9" swing.


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