# SB 9A MINI LATHE?



## pjf134 (Mar 17, 2011)

A friend of mine heard I got a lathe and stopped by to see it, he called it a baby mini lathe. He works in a machine shop for 20 plus years and I guess to him it is. He said he is off the lathe right now, he is working on the milling machine cutting keyways. I asked him how many does he do each day, he showed me a picture of the one he was doing that day, it was 102 inches long, he said the longest he has done so far was 20' (yes 20 feet long). I am waiting to see the lathe he uses!!! I did not know they make a milling machine that would do 20 ft. Any way I do have someone to help me out if I need it.
  Paul


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## Starlight Tools (Mar 17, 2011)

Paul

Don't let your friend get you down about the size of your lathe, first, size is not everything it is how you use it. The Southbend 9A is a very capable tool and can turn out some fantastic work. Also, just about anybody can fit one into his shop. 

Now check out this small lathe. [video=youtube;sSBleYq9cw0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSBleYq9cw0 [/video]It is a real man's lathe. The only problem is you need a real man's shop to house it. And try to make your clock parts on it!

I started with a 6x12 Craftsman Dunlap lathe many years ago, quickly outgrew it and then went to a Logan 9x28. It was only a year and a half ago that I finally decided that I would spring for a 14x40, which is about as big as a "HOME" shop really needs to consider. Most of what you do on a lathe is under 3 to 4" in diameter and usually within 10 inches from the chuck. It is those occasional jobs that are longer and larger that stipulate the bigger machines.

If you are typical, you may never need bigger than your 9A can handle, and the few times you do, you can farm it out to a shop with a bigger machine. Remember the cost of a lathe goes up exponentially to its size except of course jewellers lathe which the cost goes up again exponentially, but inversely to its size.

Now this is true for new lathes, used lathes that are too big can often be gotten for less than scrap value as there are very few out there willing to deal with them, the Baby Lathes like yours can demand a good price as the market for them is much higher.

Walter


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## Starlight Tools (Mar 17, 2011)

http://gunsmithing.web.officelive.com/Calendar_2011.aspx

See the picture on the March Calendar that Dave Smith put out for the Southbend group for a small Milling machine

Walter


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## pjf134 (Mar 17, 2011)

Walter,
 My friend was just teasing me, he knew I would not have anything that big in my shop. I will just have to tease him back and ask him to make some watch parts for me at work. He had to go over my lathe to figure out what everything was doing. He did offer some good advice on things I do need like quick change tool post, drill chuck ect., but I already knew that. I do need some parts like 2 step pulley for my motor which is 5/8" shaft, which I do not have yet and a center for tail post. I am making a list and checking it twice before I order. I did put a 1 HP on it just for running a check on the lathe. The belt was old, but I glued it up twice already, just keeps on coming apart, tryed some epoxy yesterday to see if it works, just temp. fix for now before I get a new belt. I am going to do a teardown again to paint when the weather gets a little warmer. Everything was stuck on it from sitting a long time, the gear box was the worst, but I did get it working, then put it back on for now.
 Paul


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## Starlight Tools (Mar 17, 2011)

Paul

Sounds like you are on the right track.

If this is the flat belt lathe, the popular choice for replacement belts seems to be automotive serpentine belts. I would use one that was not cut in any way if at all possible, I know some of those machines there was no way to get a belt in there if it was not threaded through then joined. 

I have a product here by Fenner belts, Eagle Orange 85 that is a Urethane flat belt that is heat welded together. Comes in round and Vee profiles as well, I would be interested to see how it works in those machines. I use the round stuff for sewing machines and Red Devil paint shakers.

I like Ball bearing Centres for the tailstock, (these are mistakenly known as Live centres, although a live centre is one that is mounted in the headstock and is powered), and I rarely ever use ones without bearings. Get a good one though, I used a Skoda for years on the Logan and it worked well. I ended up going with a Riten extra long nose for the 14x40 because the saddle is so wide. Bull nose centres can be handy if you do anything with pipe.

I have a few different chucks. A good keyless chuck, Albrechtson or equivalent will do you well. I have an import copy and it seems to work good and then a Jacobs key type chuck. You want somewhere in the 5/8" to 3/4".

Another chuck I use a lot is a Bison three jaw ball bearing chuck on a MT taper. This chuck works fantastic when supporting items that do not or can not have a centre hole in them. Since I got it, I rarely use the Jacobs Armature chuck anymore with its brass jaws.

I have a separate thread going about QCTPs, but so far I am leaning towards going back to the Aloris style. I had an AX on my Logan and it worked really well. that would be the one you would want to look at for your 9A as well.

As for paint, well I like to use my tools and so I want it mechanically sound, but as for paint, that is cosmetic and does not affect how well the machine runs, so I don't usually bother. 

Walter


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## Starlight Tools (Mar 17, 2011)

Well every time I order a new toy I ask the saleman for a floor stretcher, but they never have found me one yet.

That extra room would come in handy, and I am sure, matter of fact, I know I would fill it up real quick. LOL

Knudsen, yes a 16x40 or 16x60 would be a nice size lathe, and even at that size you can do smaller stuff. Now lifting it, well that will be a different matter. The Southbend 14x that is being produced is about 3500 lbs. the 16 X is about 3800 lbs.

Compare that to my Gosan at 1800 lbs, which was one reason I choose the Gosan, did not want to deal with that weight. The 2900 lbs of B&S #13 almost killed the hoist! and no way to get a forklift into the shop.

Walter


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## Tony Wells (Mar 18, 2011)

Those guys can say what they want to. I've run machines that could chuck up and spin anything mentioned on this forum, and even the stuff I have in the shop. I've decided though, that for my work, if I need a hoist to lift it to the machine, I don't want it. There is plenty of money to be made hand loading and unloading the parts. My back thanks me, too.

And it is true, go ahead and make watch or clock parts on those machines. I have a little trouble with that on mine. Someday, I'll build a jeweler's lathe myself. Maybe I'll sell plans after i am done. Then I can make all the dial indicator parts I want to.


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