On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 09:37:16 -0500, "Mike Henry"
wrote:
"CAMCOMPCO" wrote in message
roups.com...
Hi all,
I am considering upgrading my lathe and have gotten a 'wife approved"
budget of 2500 bucks. The most important thing to me is quality and
longevity. I can slowly acquire tooling and such. I want a tool that
will last me my whole life and never be the weak link in my shop (home
hobby).
I am torn between concentrating on South bend or Clausing. I believe
the tooling is more readily available for the southbend but have heard
some good things about Clausing (5903 for example) too
What should I expect for 2500 bucks? I purchased a Bridgeport mill a
year and a half ago for 5500 and couldn't be happier (it was totally
rebuilt to original specs, new oil lines, acme screw and nuts, motor
was re wired, etc..) but I struggled with the decission for months
before comming to grips with the $$$$ for something made 30 years ago
(just rubbed me wrong for the longest time)
any feedback would be great...I checked the archives but am hoping for
some new insight..never hurts...
What are you upgrading from? Where will you be putting the lathe and how
difficult will it be to get it there? A shop with wide doors and ground
level access gives you a lot more options than a basement shop with limited
access. Your general location can also make a pretty big difference in
what you can expect, both in terms of condition and avaliable brands.
Unless you are in an area with a wide selection of available used tools you
will probably have to buy whichever brand you can find within cost and time
budget that meets your criteria for condition, utility, and included
tooling.
My shop is in a towwnhome basement with only inside stairway access and I've
found that my Clausing 5914 (~ 1,000 lbs) is about the biggest that can be
moved into the shop, even after tearing it down to the main components.
Mine was $1300 as bought and right around $2500 with repairs and basic
tooling upgrades a few years ago, but prices seem to have dropped a bit
since then for a similar lathe. The 5903 is a 24" C-C lathe and you might
want to consider a longer bed like the 5914 with 36" C-C unless you are
sure that you will never need the extra bed length or are very limited in
shop space. I've found the 5914 to be a vast improvement over the 12x36
Craftsman lathe that occupied it's previous spot in the shop. Finishes are
much better and I've found parting off to be much less nerve racking, even
on stainless steel.
I'm quite happy with the 5914, but you should be aware that the vari-speed
system on these can be a problem if not maintained properly. There's a $25
sleeve on the hub between the two motor pulley halves that needs to be
replaced periodically and the pulley can be severely damaged or destroyed if
this isn't done in time. A quick check of the lathe may not reveal the
damage, as I can verify from personal experience. The pulley is $700+ from
Clausing so it will pay to do your hoemwork and inspect the lathe thoroughly
before committing to a purchase. Other versions of the 5900-series lathes
used a stepped belt drive and you could retrofit them with a VFD to provide
variable speed if the lathe is fitted with a 3-phase motor. A combination
of the stepped drive and VFD is the safest way to go, but the VFD can't give
you the same speed range as the vari-speed system without changing the belt
between pulleys.
On the plus side these lathes have flame-hardened beds so the bed wear on
them could be a lot less than that on a lathe with non-hardened bed,
assuming similar service for both types. The headstock and apron have oil
baths which minimize wear to their internal components, assuming that
previous owners kept the sumps filled and changed out once in a while. Many
of the 5900-series lathes had a clutch and brake, which can come in handy
for some work. Clausing still supplies quite a few maintenance parts, which
can be a real plus, compared to other brands with no factory around to
support them any more.
I see that other brands have been suggested. You might add Rockwell and
Logan to that list. The Rockwell 11" lathe is good brand that you might
want to consider and it's variable speed system is less prone to damage than
the Clausing, but parts can be very hard to find. Logan still offers
support for their lathes. There are probably a lot of other brands that
would work as well for you, South Bend among them. Jim Rozen can probably
fill you in on what to look for in a SB.
Tooling shouldn't really be a problem as most of the basic stuff, like
chucks, toolpost sets, collets, etc. should be available on the used or new
market. Exceptions would be things like steady and follower rests, taper
attachments, or other tooling that will only fit the lathe under
consideration. As an example, it took about 3 years to find a steady
follower and TA for my lathe and cost a considerable fraction of the puchase
price of the lathe.
Mike
Hey Mike,
There have been a number of good posts on this thread, but you've
taken the time, as did the others, to post a really nice reply. I'm
merely an observer on this one, but even I appreciate it, and
recognize that it takes more than just few minutes of your time to
write it.
Undoubtedly, the replies already sent to the OP have been well
receivied by him, as he has said, and I'm sure if "CAMCOMPCO" sticks
around long enough here, he will come to realize just what effort was
done to help him out.
Besides, it's been interesting!
Thank you.
Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
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