# This logan is on CL now...Opinions of it?



## alloy (Dec 21, 2014)

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/tls/4814106396.html


----------



## Terrywerm (Dec 21, 2014)

From the photos I can see that it has endured a few minor mishaps on the ways, which is somewhat common. It also has or had a taper attachment, as the cross slide is that type, but the part that fastens to the rear of the bed appears to be missing. I see only a three jaw chuck, probably a 6", but no sign of the outside set of jaws for that chuck. It does have a dog drive plate, but I see no dogs, no centers, and no four jaw chuck. I also do not see the spanner wrench for tightening or loosening the spindle collar.

Without a closer inspection, I cannot say for certain if the price is good or not, but from what I see so far I would start at $1000 cash and he throws in the second motor. You could work up from there if necessary. If he really wants to keep the second motor, you can always put a VFD on instead.


----------



## coolidge (Dec 21, 2014)

I'm stunned that you found something on Portland's craigslist that wasn't over priced 250%. I can't speak to the price or lathe quality but it does look like a project. Near term are you looking for a project or a lathe? I restored a 1950's machine last year, it turned out to be a money pit.


----------



## astjp2 (Dec 21, 2014)

My Rockwell 11 is a money pit but I think I will have an awesome lathe that taught me a lot about rebuilding machines like scraping in the crossfeed, carriage  and compound rest.  I am also going to install a name brand DRO and optionalize it to the maximum I can.  I now have the tools to rebuild almost any small lathe and would love to build a grinder from my old bed to make some special tooling that is 48" long.  It maybe fund to make a special machine to do odd jobs for a custom tool.  Tim

If you want a runner, buy one that you know runs well, if not expect to do some things to it so it can be what you want.  Tim


----------



## alloy (Dec 21, 2014)

I see the mishaps on the ways, and some wear and tear pretty much everywhere.  I also saw the taper attachment, but like you didn't see that it was hooked up or had the rest of the parts for it included.

I've not even seen a Logan in person before. Heard about them being mentioned many times, but that's about all.  I do like it that it's a QC gearbox, and from this http://www.lathe.com/models.htm I see it's a 1 3/8" spindle bore, variable speed drive. and weighs 1080lb. I've found this brochure online about it. http://www.sterlingmachinery.com/db-files/logan lathe brochure.pdf

I don't know anything about the variable speed drive, and f can be repaired easily or not. The lathe isn't under power so that's a concern.  I just don't want to buy something that I can't get parts for or that the parts are so expensive it becomes a money pit.
I'm not afraid of a project, I'm actually looking for a project now. I've got 18 day of vacation off and after 4 days I'm going stir crazy already.

Occasionally you can find things on CL that aren't crazy priced.  You just have to check every day and many times per day. I found an Ellis 1600 band saw for $175 last week. It's a $3k saw new, but I didn't see it fast enough, someone got it before I did.  Then Friday night there was a nice Craftsman 12 speed floor model drill press for $175, but unfortunately yesterday I had to go do a family thing and again I missed it also.  

I'm looking for a lathe that will be accurate and I'll put a DRO on it and a VFD since I don't have 3 phase power available here.  I love the VFD on my Bridgeport.

  Talk about overpriced................http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/tls/4813502210.html   :yikes:  Looks to be about a $300 mill to me if that.
And this is probably the same person  http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/tls/4813088805.html.  They both need to "sale" the machines


----------



## alloy (Dec 21, 2014)

Looks like another member here owns this lathe.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/26397-Logan-2527-V-L-question


----------



## JimDawson (Dec 21, 2014)

It might be worth a road trip.  Give you something to do anyway, it'll keep you from going nuts sitting around. :nuts:   If you get really board, my shop needs cleaning:rofl:

EDIT:  That lathe looks like it would fit on my MC trailer just fine.


----------



## alloy (Dec 21, 2014)

My shop does to.  I"m not bored today, tired actually.  Had to put an alternator in my GF's RSX.  Pulled the front bumper cover off, inner fender panel, power steering pump and reservoir and headlight assembly to get to the alternator through the headlight bucket hole.  Why anyone would design a car you have to pull the bumper off to replace an alternator is beyond me.  Shop quoted her $975.  I got he part for $140 and took 5 hours but it's done.

I contacted the guy with the lathe and he is the one that had it on here.  Even knew my first name without telling him. Said he needs the space and a bigger lathe.

I asked if he's seen it under power. That's my biggest concern.  It could be a 1000lbs of scrap and I wouldn't know it.

I'm not afraid of a project, but I don't want it to break me in the process.

Edit: Just got a response.  He hasn't seen it under power.


----------



## Wobbles (Dec 30, 2014)

Don't know if you're still shopping this, and I can't view the CL ad. 

However I do own a mid-50's Logan with variable speed drive. The drive is very simple and consists of a motor belt and headstock belt which meet halfway between at a jack shaft. On this shaft are split pulley sheaves which slide left-right. The sliding action opens and closes the sheave pairs, thereby changing their effective diameter. It's the change in operating diameter that changes the headstock spindle speed. 

You might need new belts, or have some worn mechanism bushes, other than that the drive system fairly simple and robust.


----------



## alloy (Dec 30, 2014)

I didn't buy it.  From what I could see from the posts here was that the top of the compound rest was less than an inch to the centerline of the spindle. I have a lot of 3/4" tool holders and would like to use them. And it also looks like it was only a 1hp motor in the specs I found. I'd like more power than that. 

Ideally I'd like to maybe find a Clausing or something similar.


----------



## Marvelicious (Mar 28, 2015)

coolidge said:


> I'm stunned that you found something on Portland's craigslist that wasn't over priced 250%. I can't speak to the price or lathe quality but it does look like a project. Near term are you looking for a project or a lathe? I restored a 1950's machine last year, it turned out to be a money pit.



The Portland machine market can be a bit rough.  There's a dealer out of Redmond that does his best to buy up the bargains and then re-sells them at a huge markup.  It's a win-win for him: he makes a profit on the sale and controls the market.  He beat me out of a Logan lathe here about a month ago.  I was playing phone tag with the seller, and by the time I finally managed to speak to him he told me that a guy from Redmond was already on his way and he didn't feel comfortable backing out.  A week later it's back on the Bend CL for $2000 over the original asking price.


----------



## coolidge (Mar 28, 2015)

Marvelicious said:


> The Portland machine market can be a bit rough.  There's a dealer out of Redmond that does his best to buy up the bargains and then re-sells them at a huge markup.  It's a win-win for him: he makes a profit on the sale and controls the market.  He beat me out of a Logan lathe here about a month ago.  I was playing phone tag with the seller, and by the time I finally managed to speak to him he told me that a guy from Redmond was already on his way and he didn't feel comfortable backing out.  A week later it's back on the Bend CL for $2000 over the original asking price.



Well more power to him I guess. From what I have seen the vast majority of craigslist metal lathes and mills in Oregon and Washington are filthy dirty abused junk. On occasion there's a nice clean machine that's been well maintained but it seems rare. The pricing wow, there was a guy recently trying to sell a G4003G for $4,200 and the thing only cost $3,295 new. Okay so it was relatively new and had a cheapo DRO but come on.

I'm thinking of selling my G4003G and getting a larger lathe, mine will come with a $1,000 top quality DRO, an Aloris BXA QCTP and 6 tool holders, the factory BXA QCTP and 6 more tool holders, keyless chuck for the tailstock, probably 10 indexable tools plus inserts. I'm into it probably $5,500 or more and I was thinking price wise $2,900. Maybe I'm under pricing it but I generally price my stuff at 60% of new when its in like new condition.


----------



## Marvelicious (Mar 28, 2015)

Portland CL can be pretty amusing when it comes to tools.  Not a day goes by that you can't find something from HF posted for more than it sells for new.  As for machines, from the general drift I get following the forums, I imagine a guy with a good tow vehicle and good contacts back in the rust belt could make a living making regular runs with a trailer load of used machines from that part of the country.

Your price sounds reasonable to my mind for what you have... if I was shopping for a bit more  machine, you would have a potential customer!


----------

