# First Lathe...  How did I do?



## Earlkonig (Feb 27, 2018)

Hey guys I got my first lathe tonight.  A deal I felt that I couldn’t pass up came along.


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## chefjuke (Feb 27, 2018)

Hey Earl,

Well, how you did depends on what you paid and overall condition. 

How do the ways look, especially near/under the chuck? 

Depending on how well in trim it is, and what you paid, it’s likely a tool you can use for a long time and make some nice chips on.

I refurbished my first lathe, a 1944 South Bend 9a 4 years ago and am loving it (although getting about ready to move to a bigger machine).

Enjoy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Ulma Doctor (Feb 27, 2018)

Nice score and well tooled!


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## chefjuke (Feb 27, 2018)

chefjuke said:


> Hey Earl,
> 
> Well, how you did depends on what you paid and overall condition.
> 
> ...



FYI, here are my before/after pics:









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Earlkonig (Feb 27, 2018)

I paid $800. The ways don’t look bad.  It came with 6 chucks.  Looks like a set of 3c collets and draw bar.  A ton of loss stuff in the bucket.


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## Cooter Brown (Feb 27, 2018)

That is an amazing price for that machine alone without 6 chucks.  There doesn't look like there is much wear on the ways. I have a SB H10 with far more wear then that.


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## Earlkonig (Feb 27, 2018)

chefjuke said:


> FYI, here are my before/after pics:
> View attachment 260006
> 
> View attachment 260007
> ...


Looks awesome!


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## Earlkonig (Feb 27, 2018)

Cooter Brown said:


> That is an amazing price for that machine alone without 6 chucks.  There doesn't look like there is much wear on the ways. I have a SB H10 with far more wear then that.


Thanks! I’m going to clean it up and clean the stand.  Ill get this started after I finish another project I’m on.


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## middle.road (Feb 27, 2018)

Quick Change Gear Box and (6) chucks? For eight bills?
I don't think you'll find anyone around here to knock that.
Good Score!


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## Doubleeboy (Feb 27, 2018)

Score!!!  Congrats!


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## Earlkonig (Feb 27, 2018)

So I haven’t found any change gears.  Are any needed with the qcgb?


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## Dave Paine (Feb 27, 2018)

Earlkonig said:


> So I haven’t found any change gears.  Are any needed with the qcgb?



Only if you want to thread some unusual imperial threads which the QCGB cannot handle, or metric threads.


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## Earlkonig (Feb 27, 2018)

Dave Paine said:


> Only if you want to thread some unusual imperial threads which the QCGB cannot handle, or metric threads.


Ok.  Can these still be sourced new or do I need to look into eBay?


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## Dave Paine (Feb 27, 2018)

Earlkonig said:


> Ok.  Can these still be sourced new or do I need to look into eBay?



I will be interested if other replies have sources new gears, I do not know of any sources, so happy to learn.

EBay is often the place to find South Bend change gears, just do not be surprised at the prices.

A recent thread on printing change gears.   Some folks on the forum have started to do this to avoid the EBay expense.

3D printing Atlas change gears

A 3D model site called Thingiverse has lots of models, including some for South Bend.   Not sure which models.

South Bend gears on Thingiverse


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## woodchucker (Feb 27, 2018)

There's a guy that is making a set of gears new for cutting metric , w/gearbox.
http://www.monroelawncare.com/index.html


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## chefjuke (Feb 27, 2018)

Earlkonig said:


> I paid $800. The ways don’t look bad.  It came with 6 chucks.  Looks like a set of 3c collets and draw bar.  A ton of loss stuff in the bucket.


Dang.

Yes.  Good deal to say the least.

If you want to do a full rebuild, I highly recommend getting one of Steve Well's kits.  The full kit is on ebay for 99

https://www.ebay.com/itm/South-Bend...013342?hash=item238333015e:g:k-MAAOSwzqFY~98Q

(no connection other than I used his book and supplies to rebuild my 9a)


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## chefjuke (Feb 27, 2018)

chefjuke said:


> Dang.
> 
> Yes.  Good deal to say the least.
> 
> ...




Meant to note:

The South Bend was the first machine tool I bought for my home shop.  I had never operated one before and started tearing it apart the day after I bought it.   Tearing down, cleaning, painting and rebuilding it was an incredible education on the inner workings and helped me immensely in learning the basics of how a lathe works.


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## Ulma Doctor (Feb 27, 2018)

chefjuke said:


> Meant to note:
> 
> The South Bend was the first machine tool I bought for my home shop.  I had never operated one before and started tearing it apart the day after I bought it.   Tearing down, cleaning, painting and rebuilding it was an incredible education on the inner workings and helped me immensely in learning the basics of how a lathe works.



this hobby(obsession) keeps getting better and better as you learn more and more.
there is no limit to the joy or to the frustration of creating useful things from slugs and billets of metal or other machineables.
the joy comes when you complete your task
the frustration comes from making mistakes that should have been avoided
you will experience both, if you are doing it right


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## ACHiPo (Feb 28, 2018)

Earlkonig said:


> Hey guys I got my first lathe tonight.  A deal I felt that I couldn’t pass up came along.


Congrats!  Looks like a good un!


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## pstemari (Feb 28, 2018)

Earlkonig said:


> Ok. Can these still be sourced new or do I need to look into eBay?



Yes. Amazon has a selection of new gears from Boston Gear. Pricey but good quality. You'll need to know the DP and the pressure angle, but IIRC it's not anything unusual.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## Brento (Feb 28, 2018)

pstemari said:


> Yes. Amazon has a selection of new gears from Boston Gear. Pricey but good quality. You'll need to know the DP and the pressure angle, but IIRC it's not anything unusual.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


Not to hijack the post but how can you find out the DP and the pressure angle? I also am picking one of these lathes up.


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## RWanke (Mar 1, 2018)

You wouldn't want to part with one of those extra 4 jaws you have would you? I'm in the process of restoring  a 9C that I only have a 3 jaw for. It seems to be in really good shape. Haven't measured wear on the ways but no discernible ridges that you can feel. Possible ever so slight ridge on the Vs of the carriage (just barely catch it with a finger nail). I'm hoping for the best. This lathe came out of an electric shop and I believe it spent it's life turning mostly the commutators or armatures or whatever you call the brass end that the brushes wear on motors. The only shavings I have found anywhere on the lathe are brass. Unfortunately it also did not come with any change gears and only has a 16 tooth stud gear, a 54/18 tooth idler gear, a 72/18 tooth idler gear, and an 80 tooth screw gear. I did luck out and won an auction on E-Bay for a complete set of change gears. It also came with a micrometer steady rest, quite a few tool holders and a lantern tool post, and several live and dead centers and mounted to a huge metal bench. The best part is I paid $50.00 for it.


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## Earlkonig (Mar 4, 2018)

Let me get everything cleaned up first.  The lathe is behind another project so it maybe a little before I’m ready to tackle it.


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## RWanke (Mar 5, 2018)

Earlkonig said:


> Thanks! I’m going to clean it up and clean the stand.  Ill get this started after I finish another project I’m on.



Please Keep me in mind when you do get around to it. The project your working on now looks like a great "fun with foam board" endeavor.  Do you use the Grand for overlanding?


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## Earlkonig (Mar 5, 2018)

That's the plan.  It will be a trail/overland build.  I have lockers, skid plates, a rear bumper to build, rear quarter panel armor to install, and axle reinforcements to install.  This isn't including whats already been done.


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## martik777 (Mar 11, 2018)

Looks like you have a spare back gear? If you are interested in selling please contact me at martik777@gmail.com


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## Brain Coral (Mar 11, 2018)

"Not to hijack the post but how can you find out the DP and the pressure angle? I also am picking one of these lathes up."

Get yourself a set of involute gear tooth gauges. The pressure angle will very likely be 14 1/2° with most lathes.





Brian


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## silverhawk (Mar 12, 2018)

Brain Coral said:


> "Not to hijack the post but how can you find out the DP and the pressure angle? I also am picking one of these lathes up."
> 
> Get yourself a set of involute gear tooth gauges. The pressure angle will very likely be 14 1/2° with most lathes.
> 
> ...



The other alternative is mathematics. There are formulas to calculate the diametral pitch in the machinists handbook as well as all over the Internet, e.g. http://www.silverhawk.net/2015/12/gearing-for-my-south-bend-junior-lathe.html. Most south bends come in a pitch of 18, but early ones like my junior were 16DP. Get them right, because they don't mesh if you have different pitches.


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## Bob Korves (Mar 12, 2018)

Pitch diameter divided by number of teeth gives diametral pitch.


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## RWanke (Mar 12, 2018)

Number of teeth + 2 divided by outside diameter should get you real close to Diametral Pitch (Might end up being a number like 18.023etc. DP would be 18).


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