Subject: Re: South Bend Questions

From: [email-masked] (Gregory P. Widin)
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 08:09:25 -0600

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
(-F.KERFOOT) wrote:

> > 1. Does anybody know if you can tell the age of the unit by the 
> >    serial number.
> 
> I was very impressed. I have heard others say that SB can do this for
> much older lathes as well, and they seem (or seemed) happy to do it.

I sent them a letter with the serial number of my 9C, and they replied
that it had been shipped in 1941, so the records appear to go back at
least that far.

Greg

-- 
Gregory P. Widin
3M Hardgoods and Electronics Support Division
Building 260-6A-08   3M Center
St. Paul, MN  55144   USA

---

From: [email-masked] (gary preckshot)
Date: 16 Sep 1994 19:51:52 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
(Bill Brachold) wrote:
> 
> I have several questions regarding a South Bend Model C metal lathe:
>  

Only if you have access to the production records.
  
>  2. Does anyone have a 5" or 6" 3-jaw chuck ( 1 1/2"-8 thread ) for
>     sale, or a recommendation on the purchase of a new one.

Enco sells new, Taiwanese-, Chinese-, or American-made chucks, with and
without backplates.  You can also get backplate blanks and turn one to fit
yourself, but 1 1/2-8 is a pretty common thread.  I think I remember that
Enco supplies backplates to fit that thread.  For hobbiests, off-shore
chucks work fine and will probably outlast you.

>  3. What type of oil would be used to lube the bearings on this 
>     machine. 

Machine tools used to be made with fine plain bearings that required
low-viscosity, non-corroding spindle oils because of the close tolerances
and the bearing materials used.  Most modern machine tools use tapered
roller bearings that require grease.  The oil cups are a dead giveaway that
your South Bend has a plain-bearing spindle.  What you need is a 5 or 10 wt
oil with anti-corrosion additives.  You don't want a detergent, because
that keeps fragments and crap in suspension, and you aren't worried about
cleaning carbon off your piston rings.  30 wt non-detergent automotive oil
works fine for the ways and other bearings - just use lots of it and wipe
down regularly.