On 2015-09-11, wrote:

I do have a manual, DoN, thanks to you. Your information was some of
the most helpful I located when I started researching Sanford a couple
of years back. I have passed on your design for an improved power supply
for the magnetic chuck to several people.

Great! I'm glad that it can be of help to more through your
efforts.

I spent a lot of time
searching for all the information and photos I could find. I do have
several photos of your Sanford's motor mount.

O.K. I remember that -- and I thought at the time that you were
trying to figure out how to mount a motor to your own machine, not
collect information about all of them. (Or did the collecting
information come later?)

Your machine is listed in
my database with limited information, but no serial number.

Right now mine is on the floor -- waiting for more bench space
to appear in the wake of the fire. And I can't lift it right now
because I am (very slowly) recovering use of my right arm after breaking
it about a year ago.

Looking at the three surfaces which I can see fairly easily (the
back and two sides), I can't see a serial number. The front is facing
the wrong way -- though I could probably tilt it back enough to see the
number if you tell me that is where it is.

I posted a survey on all the machining forums for Sanford owners to
list their machine's features I has asking about along with the serial
number. I got a good response then and I add every new machine I come
across. From that database and the hundreds of photos I have saved, I
was able to generate a pretty thorough time line for all the changes.

Great!

I still spot a running change every now and then, and go back to my
photos to see if I can figure out when it occurred. The last one I
spotted a few months ago was the placement/number of oil cups on the
traversing table.

FWIW, mine has two oil cups very close together at the center
front of the table.

For the back-front ways, there are four cups, one above each end
of each V-way.

I researched Sanford in major libraries, colleges and museums like the
Smithsonian. From that research I have copies of sales brochures going
all the way back to the introduction of the SG in 1941.

Hmm ... it was introduced in the same year that I was. :-) (Any
clue as to which month?

It is
surprising how different the original was, I can spot one from just a
photo. They made less than 400 original spec machines, but I have
located a half dozen, including one completely disassembled and the
owner photographed all the pieces on all sides for me.

Amazing that that high a percentage is still around and
findable. Over 1% so far -- and probably others to be determined.

I have 3 SGs on the bench right now, although 2 have undergone a
complete restoration and will be for sale. I was lucky enough to get a
bunch of NOS parts when I bought the 2 at auction along with all their
spares.

Great! I figured that no parts would be available anywhere
after I got the manual from the factory -- and nobody else could contact
them subsequently. I guess that the impending closure of the factory
explains the rather gruff manner of the fellow on the phone.

Good Luck,
DoN.

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