# 16 in. South Bend,new to me.



## RHayden2k (Jan 10, 2015)

Hello, I'm fairly new to this forum and I just brought home a 16 in SB. I was looking for the ID plate for the serial number and have not yet found it. I know it is a 16 in. because it is cast into the front of the bed. 

I'm not sure how good/bad of shape it is in. It has sat in a unheated shop being neglected for several years and has accumulated quite a bit of rust, but I think it can be restored to a usable condition. 

I need to find the ID plate to get an idea of how old it is. 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Bob


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## rafe (Jan 10, 2015)

Stand facing the lathe like you were operating it,on the far right side the way on the same side as you will have the serial number on it. You may have to move the tailstock if it is all the way down there. You may have to clean off the rust to see it ....That number should be able to date it and tell you if it had any special features. The 16 is a very good lathe I have the next size down a 14 1/2 Mine is a 1947 w/ a single tubbler gear box ...does yours have one or two handles on the quickchange gear box that will get you in the ballpark....put up some photos too ...that will help


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## RHayden2k (Jan 11, 2015)

I plan on getting some photos today. Will check under the tail stock. It is sitting on the far right and the cross slide is right next to it. I was trying to get a little more balance when loading.

The guy I bought it from busted a hydraulic hose on his tractor while trying to pick it up to get it on my trailer. Had to fix that to complete the job. 

At the present it is wrapped in a tarp on my trailer waiting to get backed in the barn/shop and unloaded.  That will be an interesting operation. 

I'm hoping my new 2 ton HF cherry picker/engine hoist has enough ability to lift it enough to get some 5/8 threaded rod or pipe under it for movement.

After the unwrapping a coat of WD-40 to arrest the rusting will probably be the first move. 

What do the members feel about using _hydraulic fluid _for coating machinery? I have several gallons of it picked up at farm sales etc. that I wouldn't feel good about putting in my equipment, but I think it would be ok for a coating, any thoughts? 



Bob


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## dbassing (Jan 11, 2015)

RHayden2k said:


> I plan on getting some photos today. Will check under the tail stock. It is sitting on the far right and the cross slide is right next to it. I was trying to get a little more balance when loading.
> 
> The guy I bought it from busted a hydraulic hose on his tractor while trying to pick it up to get it on my trailer. Had to fix that to complete the job.
> 
> ...


Hi Bob, When I purchased my SB 13"-  7' bed last year the previous owner had used 2 pieces of angle iron placed under the machine to make moving it with pipe much easier. The angle iron was 2"x2" and about 1' longer than the foot print length of the lathe. The "L" was turned so that the vertical leg was outside of the cast iron undermount base and the legs. The horizontal part was under the machine. He drilled through the vertical sections in 4 places and used some 1/2" all thread with nuts on each side of the angle iron to squeeze it together. It allowed me to use a bar and wedges to lift one end and slip 3/4" pipe under and from then it was quite easy to roll it. Just move slowly and think through each move and the machine will be in your shop and no one hurt. 
Good luck,
David


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## OldMachinist (Jan 11, 2015)

A 16" South Bend lathe weights between 2300-2600 lbs. depending on bed length and model. Even more if it got a bed longer than 8'. They are very top heavy as many people have found when trying to move one and had it fall on its face. Without knowing how high your trailer is I can't recommend a method for unloading it.


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## rafe (Jan 11, 2015)

I had mine under tarps on my trailer for 2 months before I was able to get it in my shop ....keep it oiled down and check it every day ...that's what I did ...but I just liked looking at it.I don't think hyd. oil would hurt it,but I don't know for sure. I took off the tail stock and apron to load mine and they were heavy, might knock off 300 or so pounds ....mine was also on slides 4x4 and it made it easy to roll on pipes, I tilted my utility trailer as much as the jack allowed and lowered it slowly and surley with a come-a-long and safety chains off onto tracks of 4x4's pipes under it at all times....I know that when you lose control of a ton your done ....so I erred on the side of safety and no one got hurt and the lathe made it safely....yours is only a couple hundred pounds more....good luck


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## 4GSR (Jan 12, 2015)

I favor using tractor hydraulic oil on all bare metal surfaces. It has rust and other inhibitors that can help in preservation of the old lathe.  WD-40 does not possess these things.

I use a similar fluid, R & O 46 oil for basically the same thing.  When you get set up and start using the lathe, get you a gallon of Mobile Vatra #2 way oil or Chevron #2 way oil, to use on the ways and slides.


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## jlrice54 (Jan 13, 2015)

OldMachinist said:


> A 16" South Bend lathe weights between 2300-2600 lbs. depending on bed length and model. Even more if it got a bed longer than 8'. They are very top heavy as many people have found when trying to move one and had it fall on its face. Without knowing how high your trailer is I can't recommend a method for unloading it.



I unloaded my South Bend 16" 12' bed, Model 117H by myself using an A-frame hoist with a 2T chainfall.  We had loaded it on my 16' utility trailer. I was lucky as the previous owner had moved it a couple of times so he had made a support frame out of 2"x4" square tubing and bolted lathe to the frame with 5/8" bolts.  I used a leftover piece of 4" H beam that was in the shop, drilled it for eye bolts and made a quick and dirty spreader beam.  I used lifting straps wrapped around the lathe bed and bed internal webs and some big high test shackles to connect the straps to the eye bolts.  I lifted the lathe off the trailer about 3" and pulled the trailer out from under the lathe.  Then I lowered it down to rest on 1" black iron pipe rollers.  After that it was just a matter of King Tutting it across the shop with pry bars and a Harbor Freight  comealong.  The frame added a couple of hundred pounds to the total weight but actually lowered the CoG quite a bit.  The lathe is still bolted to the frame while I disassemble it for cleaning and paint. It took more than a year to free the 12" 4-jaw chuck off the spindle but that's a another story.

I'm going to use the A-frame to unload my recent Wells-Index 55 mill purchase after my dualie gets out of the shop.  I was never a rigger but I spent 30 years as a master electrician and industrial electrical/control/instrumentation contractor, so I have moved my share of multi-ton transformers and switch gear.

Just be careful, these things get out of control before you can react.  And if it does, just get clear, don't try to stop it.  Cast iron can be replaced.  Limbs and lives can't.

James


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