- Joined
- Dec 24, 2020
- Messages
- 1,247
There really isn't any standard for the term "tool room lathe" across different manufacturers so it really doesn't matter. Clausing didn't use that term, and certainly it wasn't used for that model.
As far as that specific lathe, it has definitely been painted...and they painted a lot that shouldn't have been. It also has the older style round master hydraulic cylinder, which is a negative. The seals for the round style, when available, cost several times more than the relatively affordable seals for the newer square master cylinder. Without taking off the lower side cover there's no way of knowing if it has the older round lower slave cylinder, or the newer square slave cylinder. I don't think they offer much, if anything, to support the round slave cylinder. Many years ago they stopped supporting the round slave cylinder and essentially offered a kit with instructions to upgrade to the square master cylinder. Just the parts to make that swap now would be $3-400.
I've had four different 6900 and 5900 series Clausings, so I'm pretty familiar with them. They're a very nice machine when they're running properly, but by now a lot of them have seen a lack of care and maintenance which can cause issues. For example, the lower variable speed sheaves aren't available (and were like $450 each when they were still available a few years ago). If people continue to run the machine after either the epoxy on the male sheave wears, or the Delrin bushing on the female sheave wears it will start to destroy the key and keyway that keeps the two aligned. If that happens you have to pull the sheaves, cut a new keyway on the male side, maybe make a new key, re-coat the male side with new epoxy (Moglice at about $100 a pop), buy a new bushing from Clausing for the female side ($27 as of last month), and then turn down the epoxy and bore the bushing to less than .001" clearance...all with a machine that doesn't have a working drive system, so you have to rig up something like a drill to drive the spindle if you don't have another lathe.
That's the long way of saying you want to see it running, with the side covers off so you can watch for any wobble as the lower VS sheave opens and closes (the top rarely develops issues as it's supported by an outer bearing the lower doesn't have). If the VS system doesn't stay at the set RPM it can be just air in the system (often meaning time for new seals) or issues with the upper control housing which has a spring that keeps tension on the lever...the springs can get damaged by people who don't know what they're doing, but they also fail with age.
If it's been sitting there's a good chance it's time for new belts...they have a thick variable speed drive belt and a long timing belt that add up to about $100.
Based on how they have it on a pallet on a pallet jack, I'd say it's someone who doesn't know much about lathes, and certainly not how to move them. At $3K you could run into a money pit where you wind up with another couple grand into it to get a machine that's really ready to use. For example...a steady or follow rest will run $300 if you're lucky, and often quite a bit more.
Location drives price quite a bit, but I just sold a 5904 to a buddy that was much nicer, had a taper attachment, steady rest, 3J and 4J Pratt Burnerd chucks, dog drive plate, slotted face plate, BXA QCTP, live center, dead center, a half dozen different BXA tool holders, Jacob's chuck and a couple of other things I'm forgetting, and it was $2700. I replaced the drive belt, replaced the female sheave bushing, drained and flushed the headstock and apron, then refilled them, drained flushed and adjusted the hydraulic system, and had over 100 hours into working on it when it left. It was smooth, quiet and ran perfect....it even had a custom backsplash built onto it that was a nice plus.
As far as that specific lathe, it has definitely been painted...and they painted a lot that shouldn't have been. It also has the older style round master hydraulic cylinder, which is a negative. The seals for the round style, when available, cost several times more than the relatively affordable seals for the newer square master cylinder. Without taking off the lower side cover there's no way of knowing if it has the older round lower slave cylinder, or the newer square slave cylinder. I don't think they offer much, if anything, to support the round slave cylinder. Many years ago they stopped supporting the round slave cylinder and essentially offered a kit with instructions to upgrade to the square master cylinder. Just the parts to make that swap now would be $3-400.
I've had four different 6900 and 5900 series Clausings, so I'm pretty familiar with them. They're a very nice machine when they're running properly, but by now a lot of them have seen a lack of care and maintenance which can cause issues. For example, the lower variable speed sheaves aren't available (and were like $450 each when they were still available a few years ago). If people continue to run the machine after either the epoxy on the male sheave wears, or the Delrin bushing on the female sheave wears it will start to destroy the key and keyway that keeps the two aligned. If that happens you have to pull the sheaves, cut a new keyway on the male side, maybe make a new key, re-coat the male side with new epoxy (Moglice at about $100 a pop), buy a new bushing from Clausing for the female side ($27 as of last month), and then turn down the epoxy and bore the bushing to less than .001" clearance...all with a machine that doesn't have a working drive system, so you have to rig up something like a drill to drive the spindle if you don't have another lathe.
That's the long way of saying you want to see it running, with the side covers off so you can watch for any wobble as the lower VS sheave opens and closes (the top rarely develops issues as it's supported by an outer bearing the lower doesn't have). If the VS system doesn't stay at the set RPM it can be just air in the system (often meaning time for new seals) or issues with the upper control housing which has a spring that keeps tension on the lever...the springs can get damaged by people who don't know what they're doing, but they also fail with age.
If it's been sitting there's a good chance it's time for new belts...they have a thick variable speed drive belt and a long timing belt that add up to about $100.
Based on how they have it on a pallet on a pallet jack, I'd say it's someone who doesn't know much about lathes, and certainly not how to move them. At $3K you could run into a money pit where you wind up with another couple grand into it to get a machine that's really ready to use. For example...a steady or follow rest will run $300 if you're lucky, and often quite a bit more.
Location drives price quite a bit, but I just sold a 5904 to a buddy that was much nicer, had a taper attachment, steady rest, 3J and 4J Pratt Burnerd chucks, dog drive plate, slotted face plate, BXA QCTP, live center, dead center, a half dozen different BXA tool holders, Jacob's chuck and a couple of other things I'm forgetting, and it was $2700. I replaced the drive belt, replaced the female sheave bushing, drained and flushed the headstock and apron, then refilled them, drained flushed and adjusted the hydraulic system, and had over 100 hours into working on it when it left. It was smooth, quiet and ran perfect....it even had a custom backsplash built onto it that was a nice plus.
