# Did I just get SUPER lucky on Ebay?



## ErichKeane (Jun 21, 2021)

So, for a quick background, I have a fairly rare/not often seen lathe, a Reed Prentice 16" lathe.  Unfortunately when I bought it, it didn't come with a steady or follow rest.  I have a separate thread in my post-history about adapting a different large steady rest for use for a different project (which was great!).   Additionally, about 4 months ago, I ran into someone who had the same lathe, AND managed to have the follow rest!  He let me take the attached pictures to it.

Fast forward to this weekend.  I stumbled upon THIS listing on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/402920061028

The seller doesn't list anything about it other than being a follow-rest.

I bid on it and won (despite the super high shipping!).  As far as I can tell, this is the SAME steady rest, right?  The casting itself looks dead on!  I think I've actually managed to get a follow-rest for my machine!  So, anyone want to check out the pictures and listing and burst my bubble?


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## brino (Jun 21, 2021)

It sure looks identical to me!

-brino


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## Papa Charlie (Jun 21, 2021)

It appears to be the same animal. You will know for sure soon enough. Congrats.


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## markba633csi (Jun 21, 2021)

See, that's why you should always buy green lathes. Easy to find parts for.
-M


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## guero_gordo (Jun 21, 2021)

if'n you're looking for a lil' brother for that lathe, there's a 10"x6' on CL in the Bay Area ;-)


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## darkzero (Jun 21, 2021)

ErichKeane said:


> So, anyone want to check out the pictures and listing *and burst my bubble*?


Nope, no no no, sorry..... that's for a 7x14 mini lathe.  

Congrats, nice score!


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## ErichKeane (Jun 28, 2021)

So I just got it in the mail yesterday!  It is bigger than I figured it would be, but it "fits" on the lathe, and appears to be at the right height!

It is covered/filled with some really weird molasses consistency shmoo, so nothing really moves all that well, but I think it is the right thing!  It probably needs a GOOD cleaning, but I think I got lucky!

Pay no attention to the flash-rusted dividing head part


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## jakes_66 (Jun 28, 2021)

I'll try to not act jealous...  Trying...


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## ErichKeane (Jun 28, 2021)

Oooh, wow!  I didn't know there were any more RPs around here!  You've got a nice long one!


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## Papa Charlie (Jun 28, 2021)

ErichKeane said:


> So I just got it in the mail yesterday!  It is bigger than I figured it would be, but it "fits" on the lathe, and appears to be at the right height!
> 
> It is covered/filled with some really weird molasses consistency shmoo, so nothing really moves all that well, but I think it is the right thing!  It probably needs a GOOD cleaning, but I think I got lucky!
> 
> Pay no attention to the flash-rusted dividing head part


The only things that looks out of place is I have never seen a follower that is not mounted on the side of the carriage between the cutting tool and the chuck. It is suppose to support the part opposite the tool.


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## ErichKeane (Jun 28, 2021)

Papa Charlie said:


> The only things that looks out of place is I have never seen a follower that is not mounted on the side of the carriage between the cutting tool and the chuck. It is suppose to support the part opposite the tool.


I actually don't know if I have bolt holes over there   I'd be pretty sure I did if it goes on that side (which it must based on where the knobs are).  It made sense to me to be on this side (since it 'follows' the cutter? who knows?), but you could totally be right.


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## brino (Jun 28, 2021)

Papa Charlie said:


> I have never seen a follower that is not mounted on the side of the carriage between the cutting tool and the chuck.



My ~1947 SouthBend 9" only has tapped holes to mount a travelling steady of the tailstock side of the carriage.

-brino


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## sdelivery (Jun 28, 2021)

Papa Charlie said:


> The only things that looks out of place is I have never seen a follower that is not mounted on the side of the carriage between the cutting tool and the chuck. It is suppose to support the part opposite the tool.


Hahaha...Yep


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## Papa Charlie (Jun 28, 2021)

brino said:


> My ~1947 SouthBend 9" only has tapped holes to mount a travelling steady of the tailstock side of the carriage.
> 
> -brino



Well that is interesting and a first for me.


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## brino (Jun 28, 2021)

Two things

First, here's a picture from the 1936 SouthBend document How to Cut Screw Threads in the Lathe - Bulletin 36A


It does show the follow rest on the right side of the carriage, but the tool is moved over across from it.


Second, from Erich's photo above in post 7:



Would this cast support rib (yellow arrow) preclude mounting it on the other side of the carriage?
It's not flat.

.....and is the notch in green a cut-out for working around the follow rest?
or does it have some other function?

-brino


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## ErichKeane (Jun 28, 2021)

brino said:


> Two things
> 
> First, here's a picture from the 1936 SouthBend document How to Cut Screw Threads in the Lathe - Bulletin 36A
> View attachment 370581
> ...


You're probably right about the rib.  Green cutout is the angle measurement for the compound


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## Papa Charlie (Jun 28, 2021)

brino said:


> Two things
> 
> First, here's a picture from the 1936 SouthBend document How to Cut Screw Threads in the Lathe - Bulletin 36A
> View attachment 370581
> ...



Thanks for sharing this. As I said, this is a first for me. I have only seen followers mounted on the left side of the carriage. I have been around machines most of my life, but that by no means means I am an expert and I would never label myself a machinist, even though I have done machining. 

The variations and variety of the different machine configurations never ceases to amaze me.


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## sdelivery (Jun 29, 2021)

Machines are just like cars or appliances, different manufactures had different ideas of what was most effective and used these to  help sell their equipment.
VIVA LA DIFFERENCE


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## ErichKeane (Jul 2, 2021)

Tuns out my follow rest only bolts on the trailing side!  I don't even have bolt holes on the leading side.  Interesting/annoying note:  The bolt on the back side had a bunch of room behind it, so the bolt turns all the way in, but the front one goes into the side of a rib just enough that it is only tapped about an inch!  So not enough to use a shorter bolt without being able to bolt it on!  
Just a touch annoying    Anyway, I still haven't cleaned it up, but I did some measurements with some scrap stock, and it seems to line up perfectly!  SO I think I managed to find the stock steady rest!

I think that means I have a full-set of the important accessories.  No idea when I'll ever use this, but I used the steady rest I adapted (found a cheap "large lathe steady rest" a year or two ago, and cut the bottom off/bolted a replacement plate on it) quite a few times.


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## Ulma Doctor (Jul 2, 2021)

Congratulations on finding a follower rest.
I was able to accomplish the very same feat about 5 years ago. Like your follower, my follower was unidentified and purchased on faith that it would fit my lathe. Turns out that it was the correct follower, although the gray/blue color didn’t match my yellow 1236 lathe.
So I eventually bought another 1236 lathe with the contact color to match the follower.
BTW, My mounting bolts are on the chuck side of the saddle


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## ErichKeane (Jul 2, 2021)

When I bid I was about 90% sure, but just got lucky to search at the right time! I fortunately had pics of someone else's with the same lathe, so my only risk is it was to the other model RP lathe.

I need to someday clean it and paint it to match


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## Ulma Doctor (Jul 2, 2021)

ErichKeane said:


> When I bid I was about 90% sure, but just got lucky to search at the right time! I fortunately had pics of someone else's with the same lathe, so my only risk is it was to the other model RP lathe.
> 
> I need to someday clean it and paint it to match


or buy a lathe to match it!!!


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## yota (Jul 23, 2021)

I was lucky enough to find these for my SB9A, although they were a mess when I got them.  my follower rest also mounts to the tailstock side.


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