Lathes.....
- lurch85
- 430 crawler
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:11 pm
- Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Lathes.....
I'd like to get a machinist's lathe, was to understand that I might be able to get a decent used one with saddle, tail stock, crossslide, decent head chuch, and feed for threads.... hopefully for under $1200. What's big enough to do what I may want to do with stuff that "we crawler/tinkerer/mechanics/hobbiest" might want to do? Brands? Stories?
Lets start this thread and hopefully some of us will be educated and/or entertained....
and..... GO!
Lets start this thread and hopefully some of us will be educated and/or entertained....
and..... GO!
John Deere 420C, John Deere 350 straight with Gafner loader, John Deere 4020
To kick this off....
I'm not an expert by any means, but I picked up a used South Bend Heavy 10 and rebuilt it. www.practicalmachinist.com is the JD Crawlers forum of machine tools. I knew nothing about lathes (still only know a little), and that board was invaluable during my rebuild. My lathe is vintage 1942, war production tags and all. This picture shows the wrong tool post on it. I upgraded to a quick change.
Also, there is a guy with a Youtube channel that goes by Tubalcaine. He has a bunch of basic videos including how to evaluate a lathe. Again, very helpful.
You should be able to find something pretty decent for $1,200, at least you could in the northeast. Things I learned:
1) My heavy 10 works excellent for most things, but if I had my preference I would have liked something a little bigger, especially for working on the dozer and truck stuff. Maybe a 14" or 16" swing. Mine has a 4' bed, I wouldn't want any shorter.
2) Quick change gearbox is a must, I use mine quite a bit. Some of the older lathes use manual change gears. I bet that is a PITA.
3) I only have a 3-jaw chuck but a 4 jaw is on the top of my list once the money tree blossoms again.
4) A little lower on the priority list below the 4 jaw is a ball turner and a set of boring bars.
5) My lathe has some bed wear but I'm not making rocket parts, and the lathe is still far better than my skills. But even with my rudimentary understanding of machining it is handy as heck.
Now if I could only find a Bridgeport....
I'm not an expert by any means, but I picked up a used South Bend Heavy 10 and rebuilt it. www.practicalmachinist.com is the JD Crawlers forum of machine tools. I knew nothing about lathes (still only know a little), and that board was invaluable during my rebuild. My lathe is vintage 1942, war production tags and all. This picture shows the wrong tool post on it. I upgraded to a quick change.
Also, there is a guy with a Youtube channel that goes by Tubalcaine. He has a bunch of basic videos including how to evaluate a lathe. Again, very helpful.
You should be able to find something pretty decent for $1,200, at least you could in the northeast. Things I learned:
1) My heavy 10 works excellent for most things, but if I had my preference I would have liked something a little bigger, especially for working on the dozer and truck stuff. Maybe a 14" or 16" swing. Mine has a 4' bed, I wouldn't want any shorter.
2) Quick change gearbox is a must, I use mine quite a bit. Some of the older lathes use manual change gears. I bet that is a PITA.
3) I only have a 3-jaw chuck but a 4 jaw is on the top of my list once the money tree blossoms again.
4) A little lower on the priority list below the 4 jaw is a ball turner and a set of boring bars.
5) My lathe has some bed wear but I'm not making rocket parts, and the lathe is still far better than my skills. But even with my rudimentary understanding of machining it is handy as heck.
Now if I could only find a Bridgeport....
- Paul Buhler
- 350 crawler
- Posts: 991
- Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 6:25 pm
- Location: Killington, VT
Last edited by Paul Buhler on Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Paul Buhler
Killington, VT
420c 5 roll with 62 blade, FOPS, and Gearmatic 8a winch
Killington, VT
420c 5 roll with 62 blade, FOPS, and Gearmatic 8a winch
- lurch85
- 430 crawler
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:11 pm
- Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan
so here's what I got....
John Deere 420C, John Deere 350 straight with Gafner loader, John Deere 4020
- lurch85
- 430 crawler
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:11 pm
- Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Yep. Mine now. Its a 14 inch with 10 foot overall bed blaisdell. Someone either dropped it or twisted it in half (scary thought) and its been repaired. Scabbed and brazed. Worse case senario can make my money back easy on scrap... Someone else said just move the head 2 feet tward the tail and should be good. Im going to take some measurents and try ad double check. A machinist friend thought must have been dropped.
John Deere 420C, John Deere 350 straight with Gafner loader, John Deere 4020
A lathe needs to be level within .0002" front to back and side to side. A lot of older lathes have a dip in the ways from sanding and not cleaning which causes them to cut a taper. The tail stock needs to be centered, if it isn't it will cut a taper when using a center and it will break tools such as center drill and flat bottom drill it will do "OK" with twist drills but will build excess heat. If you are not a machinist run the lathe slow until you get used to it. Try not to make blue chips with High Speed tools, blue chips are "OK" with carbide tools. Keep it clean and be careful, lathes have been known to bite amateurs.
Have fun, Old Tool & Die Maker
Have fun, Old Tool & Die Maker
-
- 430 crawler
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 2:58 pm
- Location: www.homegunsmith.com
You can post a pic but it has to be hosted on another photo sharing site and linked on this site:MADJACK wrote:There's some good stuff from the 80s at decent prices, mine is a good size for most medium size work it's 13x40 ....hmmm no way to post a pic?[/img]
http://www.jdcrawlers.com/messageboard/ ... php?t=3690
(1) JD Straight 450 crawler dozer with manual outside blade; (2) JD 2010 diesel crawler loaders; (1) JD 2010 diesel dozer with hydraulic 6-way blade; (2) Model 50 backhoe attachments, misc. other construction equipment
I just bought a Craftsman Industrial, not home yet, couldn't get a really good look at it, but I have done dumber stuff.
Lavoy
Lavoy
Parts and restoration for antique and late model John Deere crawlers.
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com
Lavoy, have you got the lathe home yet?
I have really ramped up the equipment in my shop, that is one reason I have not done much on my 420 yet, that and the last two winters we have had here.
Now you can really start spending money,,,,, The lathe itself is the cheap part.
If you are looking for good information try these two sites.
http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/index.php
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forums/3-General
Dan.
I have really ramped up the equipment in my shop, that is one reason I have not done much on my 420 yet, that and the last two winters we have had here.
Now you can really start spending money,,,,, The lathe itself is the cheap part.
If you are looking for good information try these two sites.
http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/index.php
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forums/3-General
Dan.
1956 420C with GSC blade
Tools are to men as shoes are to women , you can never have too many !!
Used diesel engines are an adventure any way you look at them !!
Tools are to men as shoes are to women , you can never have too many !!
Used diesel engines are an adventure any way you look at them !!
No, won't be here til late September it looks like now.
Lavoy
Lavoy
Parts and restoration for antique and late model John Deere crawlers.
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com
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