Hi Guys,

Please forgive me if this is a stupid question, but what is a second
operation lathe? I have a nice Circa 1980 South Bend Heavy 10 lathe. Well
tooled, but I a have the bug, and I am always looking for a larger more
rigid lathe. I am always perusing ebay and local ads for lathes. I come
across a lot of Hardinge 2nd operation lathes and I am confused by the term.
Would love to get my hands on a LeBlond, Clausing, Hardinge, Pratt & Whitney
or Monarch to compliment my SB.

Thanks for the insight.

Joe...

If you are looking for a large heavy lathe you don't want a second op.
It's a small light weight lathe used for finishing off parts roughed
out on larger lathes. They often have a turret tailstock. Only useful
for production work and now obsolete due to cnc lathes that work faster
and cheaper.

Thanks for the insight Gary.

Joe...

"Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
If you are looking for a large heavy lathe you don't want a second op.
It's a small light weight lathe used for finishing off parts roughed
out on larger lathes. They often have a turret tailstock. Only useful
for production work and now obsolete due to cnc lathes that work faster
and cheaper.