On 2009-01-19, Michael Koblic wrote:

"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
First minor critique -- it is a "lathe" not a "lahter". The
work done on it is called "turning" not "lathing".

Actually it was "lather". Alcohol and typing do not mix...

Alcohol and machining even less so IMHO.

Wiring status is fairly common on machines removed from
commercial shop service, as they were typically wired directly to the
power line (through the breaker box, of course), and thus did not have a
power cord with a plug.

Whether it would have been disconnected at the wall or at the
box on the back of the lathe is a tossup and does not signify much.

Either way - could not be run.

Not that you would have been able to anyway in a storage
facility. They tend to be rather shy on outlets. :-)

O.K. 50 years old is not a problem, if it is in good condition.
My Clausing (12x24") is now 52 years old and quite useful.

The point was that I doubted that the people he had bought it from were the
original owners (turning copper armatures only).

Agreed -- unless someone had tested it with other materials
before putting it in storage.

[ ... ]

4) The machine was covered in chips and swarf, not copper either, a fact
somewhat at odds with (2).

So -- they lied. Were the chips aluminum or steel/iron?

Did not think to identify. In retrospect I would say steel but cannot be
sure.

O.K. Heavier work than aluminum. If it were just from test
turning, it probably would not matter, but if it had many years of work
with serious metals, that is different.

And I think that it probably has had many years, given the bed
wear.

[ ... ]

Of course, if the jaws slide in very easily, they and the chuck
may well be worn enough to indicate that you would want a new chuck
anyway.

I thought that the fact that the owner could not be bothered to put the
chuck back together in the proper order spoke (amongst other things) to the
likely care the whole machine had received.

Of course -- it could be that another potential purchaser had
removed the jaws, and seen enough wear there (and elsewhere) so he
decided to skip that machine.

7) The gear box was exposed. There was grease on the gears with a liberal
helping of chips. I did not see any superficial damage to the gears.

You mean the one at the end of the headstock away from the ways,
or the quick-change gearbox (if any) on the front of the headstock?

End of headstock. I could not see inside the quick-change gear box (which
was indeed present). By this time I did not bother.

O.K. The quick-change was a plus -- and could have been used to
upgrade another machine of the same make and size -- if the price were
low enough. And it is helpful to have a small mirror along to allow you
to view the gears through the typically open bottom.

Grease on the gears is *good*. Chips on the gears are not. But
if they are aluminum chips, are probably not a serious problem. Tough
steel chips which have been captured and squished by the chips between
teeth are bad news.

There are those that say that grease in the gearbox is evil because it
attracts chips.

Well ... grease on the gears, and a closed cover to keep the
chips away. Just oil is usually too light, and tends to be lost too
quickly. A light grease tends to stay put where it is needed.

[ ... ]

I don't think that they are going to get their $800.00 --
especially if they don't take the time to clean it up significantly and
lube the ways with Vactra No. 2.

I am sure at this stage a knowledgeable person would know what could be
repaired and what could not.

And what can be used to repair other machines.

I know enough to see that the ways would make
it prohibitive.

Unless another machine is around to provide a relatively unworn
bed, to be combined with other parts from this machine. You can often
pick up a change-gear style SouthBend for a lot lower price, and if you
have another set of parts to switch in, you can upgrade an otherwise
useful machine.

The other issue with the machine was it size. When I checked the
dimensions
in relations to the available space I would have been pushed to be able
to
use some of my other tools, mainly due to its depth of almost 3 feet.

It is what I consider the minimum size of a useful lathe.
Figure out how to *make* room for a machine of this size.

I am thinking building a bigger house. Well, a bigger garage.

O.K.

Still, it was a useful experience. I am sure there will be next time...

Certainly. At which point, you will either continue to find
reasons to not buy, or you will dive in and start learning with an
inexpensive machine.

This is a third one I had a look at. I stumbled on the first one about a
year ago. If I knew then what I know now I would have probably bought it.
The second one was in an auction house and falling apart. I went to the
auction just to see what will happen to it. Nobody would touch it

O.K. So your judgement on that second one was pretty good.

Good Luck,
DoN.

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