# Help Iding Lathe



## JPigg55 (Apr 28, 2016)

This lathe coming up for auction in a couple weeks.
Auction service just lists it as 4" lathe.
I'm not familiar enough with Clausing lathes to ID from picture.


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## Silverbullet (Apr 28, 2016)

Nice machine, from what I read they have some problems with the variable speed set up , and they are a bit noisy to run. Now if I found it for sale reasonable I'd buy it in a heartbeat, they are in my opinion a great machine. I think most problems are caused by the owners who don't take care of there equipment. I hope your able to get it , the lathe looks to be at least a 10 to 12" swing , there 4" must be over the the compound on the cross slide. Yupp if you can buy it I don't think you'll be sorry , heck if you don't like it ship it to me and I'll try not to like it too.


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## hvontres (Apr 28, 2016)

That looks like a Clausing 5900 series.  It has a variable speed drive similar to a 2J bridgeport, but it uses hydraulics to actuate the pulleys. From the picture it looks to be in pretty good shape and all of the basics seem to be there. I have had pretty good luck getting factory parts for my old Clausing when I could not souce used parts. All in all it looks like a nice lathe. Actually, I think the 4" might refer to the size of the chuck  One thing about these is that they have a L00 Taper spindle, which is not quite as common as some of the others. But you can still get backplates and used chucks to come up on e-bay now and then. The other kind of oddball thing is that the spindle has a Morse 4-1/2 taper, which is also not very common. I found a reasonable  MT 4-1/2 to MT 3 sleeve, but I am still looking for a 5C nose piece.


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## JPigg55 (Apr 28, 2016)

Thanks for the info.
Auction companies around here, I've found, aren't very knowledgable about machine tools or accessories. I think they probably meant 4' lathe, but who knows.
Figured I'd go to the auction since  it's close. Might go cheap or there may be other accessories worth buying.
Small auctioneer company with not much listed usually means low turn-out and good deals.


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## JPigg55 (May 22, 2016)

Went to the auction yesterday. Turns out it was a model 5914 12" lathe.
Came with 3 & 4 jaw chucks, QCTP, one dead center, and box full of drills & reamers.
Went for $2300 and pretty sure buyer would have gone higher.
It looked to be in great condition, but was not hooked up to power to be able to run it.
Some parts were off of it, but there so think it was complete.


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