Lathe condition guidance?

T

TomKro

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Hi – Lathe newbie in need of advice.
I’ve been looking at a few Logan lathes in various conditions and wondering about how to evaluate the condition of the machines.
The other day I saw a model 200 with a tooth missing on the small gear next to the belt drive on the spindle. Replacement parts appear to be available, but I’m curious as to how difficult it is to get the spindle apart and back together to replace the gear? Are any of these gears pressed in place?
Also, what is the proper way to evaluate wear on the bed/carriage? One machine I looked at appeared to have a bit of a rocking motion to the carriage. I’m not sure if it was the carriage itself or maybe some wear in the bed. Is there any way to assess how much“play” is too much? (the owner was asking $500, so I wasn’t expecting anything pristine). How much of the “play” is dependent upon the oil used on the ways? This one appeared to have only a thin coating of very light oil.
Not really related to condition, but I was a bit surprised to see screw heads that appeared to be holding the forward rail down against the bed. Is this the way these machines were originally built? I guess I expected the rails to be integral to the bed, with everything ground as one piece. Is the rail surface itself replaceable, or would it be re-ground in place if in need of serious repair? I’m not considering any repairs of this type, just curious as to the construction.
If anyone with expertise on this subject can provide guidance, the assistance would really be appreciated.
Thanks, TomKro
 
Tom,

None of the gears are pressed on. It's not real difficult to remove the spindle but they can sometimes be stubborn. The front bearing is pressed onto the spindle and is usually stuck in the headstock casting pretty tight. I had to make a puller using threaded rod to get mine out.

The screw heads you're seeing secure the rack to the bottom side of the front way. This rack engages a gear in the apron so you can move the carriage right/left using the large handwheel.

How much wear is too much just depends on what you are going to do with the lathe and how much accuracy you need. The rocking you described was probably just the gibs being too loose. Most of these old lathes are fine for home hobby machinists. Just use some common sense when you look at it - if it looks like it has been abused you may want to keep looking. But remember that these are old pieces of equipment and may not be a thing of beauty when you first look. Don't let the cosmetics (dirt, grease, peeling or missing paint) discourage you. My Logan is over 65 years old and does everything I ask of it.

Hope this helps.

Steve
 
Gary - Thanks for the link. The main article on lathe evaluation was really helpful, and one of the other links on the "praise of clunkers" was informative and sort of entertaining.

Steve - Thanks for the info on the Logan construction. I didn't even realize the carriage was equipped with adjustment gibs. I still have a whole lot to learn. The next time I see one of these Logans, I'll have to look over the edges of the carriage to see where the adjustment screws are located.

The lathe I saw on Saturday appeared to be in decent shape. I was a little turned off that the motor had to be "kick started", and at the time I wasn't aware of the availability of replacements. Also, I wasn't really looking for a rehab project (the paint was about 90% stripped), so I decided to pass on the machine.

I thank you both for all the assistance.

Tom
 
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