New to the forum, Logan 200 and 1875

Here are the pictures he sent me of the gear box. He said that everything was smooth until he put the lead screw in and now it's running a little stiffer than he'd like so he said he wants to get that figured out before I buy it, if I buy it... What do you guys think?

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I have an 1875. To me from the looks of the QC gears there are only 1 or 2 that look even questionable. These gears "look" like they would do a good job for a long time. Of course there is also the question of the bushings, but if your guy spent the time and effort to put this back together he probably checked those. Mine I put several new gears in it and it does still make a bit more noise than another Logan that i have seen/heard run. But mine still works and i just make sure that i lube the gears occasionally. There may be some who say not to actually lube the gears for swarf and dirt, but when I relube them i also clean off the junk. It is getting quieter over time with use. For me i would not want to go to a change gear machine. I change feed speeds quite often between rough cut and finish cut.

As far as the leadscrew being tight it may need the bushing reamed or possibly it's just to tight with the collar on the outside of the gearbox on the leadscrew. Just my thoughts and I am NOT an experienced machinist, though I did play one in my garage last night!
 
Just to clarify, you have a 200 change gear and a 1875 with a QCGB? Are you going to keep both lathes? Not sure why you would want both of them as they are the same size. Some parts are interchangeable, some are not. There were many changes made by Logan throughout the years. Personally I would not spend any money on "upgrading" the 200. You didn't post any pictures of the 200 so we don't really know what kind of shape it is in. My advise would be to clean it up, make it usable, and sell it.

The 1875 looks to be in pretty good shape from the limited pictures you posted. However, it could just be a cosmetic job - as you've already discovered a problem with the cross slide. It does have the larger dials which are very desirable. It is a much better lathe than the 200 assuming all the condition is equal.

The QCGB picture that you posted looks to be an older version based on the castings. Also the gears show some definite wear. IMHO that gear box is not worth $300. Again, I wouldn't spend any money to upgrade the 200.

Here's a pic of my 1946 QCGB to compare the castings and gears.

View attachment 60774

Hope that helps.

Steve
 
You got it right... Here's the problem. Like all inexperienced newbs that don't do enough research I bought the 200 not knowing fully what I was getting into. It is nowhere near as nice as the 1875, at least cosmetically. It needs completely rewired and definitely gone through and inspected. I bought it not really realizing the difference between a change gear machine and a QCGB machine. I paid $500 for the 200. It came with a proper logan steady rest a few chucks, live centers dead centers and a ton of miscellaneous items the guy threw in to make me part with five bills. I probably still got taken. Having committed to that machine ( I thought ) I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a complete original lever collet closer system, with a pretty much complete set of 3AT collets. That set me back $350. Now I'm in that lathe $850 deep and it's not a runner. I was hoping the collet closer would work with the 1875. I now don't believe it will. My problem is that if I put the lathe back together again, and I get it all spiffed up and running, including the collet closer I'm not sure I'll get my money back. My thought process on the QC box was that if I either include that in the sale, or actually do the conversion, that it might be a desirable enough machine to break even or maybe make a hundred bucks. At the end of the day I may just have to chalk up a loss to the price of experience.

Now, when you say it looks like an older unit, are you saying it looks like around the same vintage as your 1946 model, or older than that, or just an early vs. late... I'm still so green it hurts when it comes to these machines but I'm eager to learn.

Thanks for your time. I'll try to get some pictures of the 200. I had it stored in my grandfather's garage until last week. I had to go up there and tear it down in order to transport it alone. So now it's in pieces in my garage. I'm not sure when I'll get to put it back together again. Life has become a goat rodeo in the last month!
 
You are learning faster than you know;

You can spend all kinds of dough on all kinds of neat stuff in this racket, for sure. However, if you start at the beginning and build the tool box between your ears first, you'll eventually find that a lot of that neat stuff was superfluous. Learn to do the basic jobs with basic tools and you will be able to handle anything. You are finding out that you have been very busy about getting going, without knowing where. But... that's water passed by. Let's deal with what is.

I think there is a thing called Machine Karma. Doing right by each component pays dividends in the end. Working to make each part function better pays off in many future ways. What you are learning in working with that old 200 is invaluable. It doesn't work right now, and it is already better than you are. It has more potential than you can even fathom, and it will take you YEARS to pass it by. Getting good at doing this stuff means learning how it all works. Making an old machine work is the best way to get all of that knowledge. The old timer hands the apprentice mechanic a pile of parts and says, "Here... make this work. Come get me when it does"

It should be about enjoying the journey. Don't miss out on that.
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Taken last night.....

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Breaking a 200 down into smaller pieces and loading it into a truck can be done in about 30 min. Putting it back together will take a little longer assuming your cleaning and lubricating things along the way. The wiring on it is minimal. The collet closer makes it worth a little more. If you have the change gears and the machine is not completely worn out you can probably get your money back out of it. I don't see you getting an extra 350 for the qc box....but I don't know what the market is like in your area. I had a really nice 200 that I sold for 750 last year. I thought that was about right considering the condition of the machine.

Chuck
 
Redlineman said:
You are learning faster than you know;

You can spend all kinds of dough on all kinds of neat stuff in this racket, for sure. However, if you start at the beginning and build the tool box between your ears first, you'll eventually find that a lot of that neat stuff was superfluous. Learn to do the basic jobs with basic tools and you will be able to handle anything. You are finding out that you have been very busy about getting going, without knowing where. But... that's water passed by. Let's deal with what is.

I think there is a thing called Machine Karma. Doing right by each component pays dividends in the end. Working to make each part function better pays off in many future ways. What you are learning in working with that old 200 is invaluable. It doesn't work right now, and it is already better than you are. It has more potential than you can even fathom, and it will take you YEARS to pass it by. Getting good at doing this stuff means learning how it all works. Making an old machine work is the best way to get all of that knowledge. The old timer hands the apprentice mechanic a pile of parts and says, "Here... make this work. Come get me when it does"

It should be about enjoying the journey. Don't miss out on that.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Taken last night.....
Click to expand...


Thanks for that... I see where you're coming from and I appreciate the thought behind it.

Chuck K...

Unfortunately I live in the crazy world of Los Angeles County, California. Prices on these machines seem to be inflated significantly over what I see in other parts of the country. The 1875 I posted cost me $1200, and that was a REALLY good buy compared to most machines I see advertised around here. I see them for well north of 2K regularly that are not nearly as nice, and that same ballpark for 200's with little or no tooling. Maybe running but clearly needing to be gone through. Anyway, If at the end of the process I end up learning something I'll call it a win. I'll let this guy know I'm not going to be able to get the gear box from him. If anyone here is interested in it I'll pass along his information. He seems like a real nice guy.

Thanks for all the help. Gonna have to get the paint code for that early dark blue grey for the 200!
 
Well, you're kind of in a pickle. If the 200 is in decent shape, $500 was a pretty good buy since it included the change gears and a steady rest. I'm assuming that it has the cast iron legs and drip pan as well. As said, the wiring shouldn't be a big deal. I would think that if you clean it up, fix the small things you'll no doubt find (worn bushings, etc., which your other lathe should handle), you should be able to make a couple hundred on just the lathe. A paint job will pay benefits on the resale (some will argue that) and is relatively easy to do since you have it torn down.

Unfortunately I don't think the collet closer will work in your favor here. Since the 200 is a change gear lathe, kind of a starter lathe, most buyers aren't going to want to pop another $350 for something that they probably don't really need. Your best bet is to sell it separate. The problem will be you really don't know what it will fit. That may take a little investigation. You can join the Logan Yahoo group and maybe someone can help.

From the pic's of the gearbox, the casting shapes just appear to be older versions based on ones that I've seen. Many folks have added QCGB to their change gear lathes, but it is usually when it is their only lathe and they intend to keep and use it. I wouldn't put that much money into it if you intend to sell it. It'll kind of be a Frankenlathe which may scare some buyers off.

Just my two cents. Hope it helps.

Steve
 
The 200 is complete as far as I can tell. It does have the cast iron legs, and it has the cast iron leg and rubber isolator for the motor mount... Before I bought the collet closer, I emailed pictures of it to Scott Logan, and he confirmed that it was the correct on for the 200, and the exploded view he sent me confirms that it's the same unit. I wanted it for being able to work on real small stuff (firing pins) as my instructor said that a collet closer was invaluable for the type of work I intend to do. So, I guess they don't have "hot rod" lathes? Only "franken lathes?" I was hoping putting the QCGB would be like dropping a close ratio trans, a tall geared rear end, and a 324 Olds in your Model A pickup... :))
 
OK, it's good to know you've been in touch with Scott and know what the closer will fit. You might shoot him an email and ask what other models it will fit. That will make it easier to sell.

I'm sure you've seen the legs and pans on ebay. I don't know if they ever sell, but the prices are staggering. And the steady rests usually bring $100-150. I think you should be able to get around $750 for it if you get it running and make it look "purty".

Hmmm, a hot rod lathe? Maybe.

Steve
 
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