# Looking For Information About Older Sb Mills...



## thenrie (Oct 18, 2015)

I have located a SB mill for sale in my area and was looking for information about them. Can't seem to find anything but pictures on google. I've gone back several years on this forum and only found a couple if posts with little information.

It is labeled a 1959 SB Round Ram mill.  It is a knee mill. I have found a couple of sales brochures that look like it, but I'd like to hear from folks who know mills and have used this particular model.  The one for sale appears to have a 36" table with power horizontal feed. I read somewhere this model uses a particular kind of taper and does not use a draw bar. That's about all I know. Doesn't appear to come with any tooling and nothing is said about the condition, other than that it "works", but it appears to be complete.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&cat=96&ad=36598253


----------



## brino (Oct 19, 2015)

it looks a lot like this one:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=3535

-brino

update; this one is NOT SouthBend specific, but covers good info:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/resources/how-to-use-a-milling-machine-pdf.1307/


----------



## David VanNorman (Oct 19, 2015)

It don't look to bad from what I can see. If the table is not all tore up it should not be too bad. How does the the movements feel? If things are smooth it is more than likely a decent machine. The price isn't bad.


----------



## thenrie (Oct 19, 2015)

Haven't been out to see it. It's located over an hour away. Thought I'd do a little research on the type before I decided wether to give it a look. Thanks for the info. I had no idea whether the price was decent or not. Seemed a bit high to me, not having a single item of tooling with it.


----------



## 4GSR (Oct 24, 2015)

The spindle maybe a Nat'l 30 taper, but is of the Weldon type that uses set screws to secure the holders to the spindle taper. 
If you do decide to buy it, make sure it has holders.  Trying to find holders are a needle in a haystack find.  You could modify some Nat'l 30 holders to work, but you need one for a pattern.

EDIT: The end mill holders for this mill would look similar to this one, but much smaller.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WELDON-QA-5...hash=item51a3428515:m:mQO1rM1mOAZc_EwgSp3-fNw

This is the larger shank ones Weldon made too.


----------



## thenrie (Oct 24, 2015)

Thanks 4gsr! It appears this particular mill comes with nothing but what is in the photo. With your information, I think I'll pass.


----------



## comstock-friend (Oct 28, 2015)

Unless your heart is set on a mill marked "South Bend", a round ram Bridgeport would cost half as much and have a fair chance of finding spares. For same money or a tad more, a step pulley BP J head on a dovetail ram would be the ticket. (BP spares are all over the net, SB mill spares, not so much...)

John


----------



## thenrie (Oct 28, 2015)

I'll keep that in mind. I need to get a larger shop first....or clear out all my woodworking tools. That's a though.


----------

