# The buff-cream color between the ways ?



## graham-xrf (Dec 28, 2019)

About the cream-color off-white paint color on the lathe bed casting, between the ways.
I have now encountered it on two South Bends, and I start to suspect it may be intentional.
The 9C shown has had the outer painted green by the previous owner, but the cream-buff off-white between the ways shows all signs of being original.
The 9A has the very same color down there.  All the 9A surfaces seem to be in original South Bend paint.




Is it to make things "less dark" down there? Does it maybe have a reflective, or contrast visual purpose. Is it just "traditional"?

I know I can get all shook out about colors - and I know that in the end, I can paint it any color I might like, but this time, the choice may be about more than just aesthetic preference. South Bend wartime lathes makers were not given to frills, so choosing to specially paint the inside of the casting that color might have had a more direct motive.

Even if I am just having a mad speculation, if anyone knows - then do tell.


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Dec 28, 2019)

Very interesting theories you have for the lighter color between the ways and admittedly something I never considered but im interested in learning why as im sure someone in the group will have the answer,  they ALWAYS Do.


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## DavidR8 (Dec 28, 2019)

Interesting. 
Were the two lathes that were painted that way of similar vintage?


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## benmychree (Dec 28, 2019)

That color is common with south bend and other brands, hard to keep clean!


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## DavidR8 (Dec 28, 2019)

I’ll be interested to see what colour the inside of my SB is painted. 
I suspect grey. 


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## Superburban (Dec 28, 2019)

Here is an interesting article I saved from a newsletter type publication, from way back.


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## DavidR8 (Dec 28, 2019)

That makes complete sense. Function over form. 


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## projectnut (Dec 28, 2019)

benmychree said:


> That color is common with south bend and other brands, hard to keep clean!



I agree.  I have a 1916 Seneca Falls Star #20 lathe, and a 1960 Sheldon MW-56-P lathe.  Both have the cream colored paint between the ways.


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## SLK001 (Dec 28, 2019)

The cream on the inside was standard, per South Bend.


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## graham-xrf (Dec 29, 2019)

DavidR8 said:


> Interesting.
> Were the two lathes that were painted that way of similar vintage?


Near enough. The 9A is 130147, which lists as 1940 - 1944.

The was no serial number on the 9C, which has an "underneath" drive. Looking closely at the various catalogs, the shapes of the gear covers etc, and directly checking which 9A parts fit straight onto the 9C, my best estimate for the 9C is about 1938 - 1939. I did get a comment in one post that lathes used at the SB factory for internal work, (i.e. not sold), did not get the stamped numbers like the completed kits. All these (I read), were sold off when SB changed ownership. This one made it to the UK!

The cream color on the insides of all was apparently the norm at least up to 1947.
Curious that the insides of the quick-change gearbox, and the inside of the spindle housings were also given that colour. Maybe it helps spot the chips and bits that drop down there!

Painting machinery grey (gray?) to kind of blend in with the chips and dirty grubbiness they are generating, so there is less motivation to clean them up seems to me to be a tawdry motive. Anyway, this would not be applicable to us guys who, 75 years on, are cleaning them up, restoring them, and using them. In some cases, the final specification of a restored South Bend might far exceed the way it was when it left the factory, and when limited to smaller parts, (tool posts, belt drives, etc.), most of us will likely have given it something of an "upgrade". 

If the "back-to-gray" policy really was motivated by the "spending too much time keeping it clean" philosophy, then these places mentioned may have been the areas where an exception was desired. They are the sort of places where a build-up of crud and old chips is _not_ wanted.

Maybe you only know he really cares if there are not any abandoned sandwiches down there older than the last exterior "rattle-can-sans-disassembly" paint job!


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## graham-xrf (Dec 29, 2019)

DavidR8 said:


> I’ll be interested to see what colour the inside of my SB is painted.
> I suspect grey.


 Ahh - of course. You are still hanging in there for the transportation of your long-sought 10K to make it to your place. By now, it will likely have had a paint job. If it is grey, peep down into the spindle box cover, and see if there is any of the original cream colour remaining.


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## DavidR8 (Dec 29, 2019)

@graham-xrf it arrived! All grey, every bit of it. Well except for all the cosmoline still smeared on it 









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## graham-xrf (Dec 29, 2019)

DavidR8 said:


> @graham-xrf it arrived! All grey, every bit of it. Well except for all the cosmoline still smeared on it


Yup - and at least for a while, you are lost to us while you poke around on it, wipe a part of it here, wind on a handle there, and can't stop the grin spreading most of the time. Forget the cream colours, and the greys also!

Confine your thoughts around where it is to live, eye up the new toolpost on it, and similar such indulgent stuff!


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## SLK001 (Dec 29, 2019)

graham-xrf said:


> The cream color on the insides of all was apparently the norm at least up to 1947.



The page I posted was from a 1963 catalog, so apparently the norm to at least 1963.


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