Subject: Lathe Identification

From: [email-masked] (Mark McDade x36841)
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 15:07:56 GMT

A friend and neighbor of mine has a lathe with no nameplate and we'd like
to identify it.  It is a nominal 10" swing with about a 48" bed, mounted
on a chip pan and cast legs.  The motor is mounted behind the headstock,
like a South Bend 9".  The bed is prismatic, also like South Bend, not
flat like an Atlas.  The most distinctive feature is that the backgear
countershaft runs under the headstock spindle and is engaged using a knob
on the left front of the headstock casting rather than the more typical
lever at the back.  Another tiny but distinctive feature is that the
thread dial is attached to the apron with a countersunk flat head slot
style screw rather than a bolt.

The machine was purchased from a retired railroad man in his '80's who
says he bought it new.  He provided a South Bend manual with it but the
machine doesn't look like a South Bend - I suspect that the old man truly
doesn't remember the complete story of the lathe's origin.  The machine
is quite unworn aside from having several back gear teeth missing or
broken.  It generally has an early '40's look about it.

Anybody got any ideas?

Thanks,

Mark McDade

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Mark McDade x36841)
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 15:16:04 GMT

Mark McDade  x36841 ([email-masked]) wrote:
: A friend and neighbor of mine has a lathe with no nameplate and we'd like
: to identify it.  It is a nominal 10" swing with about a 48" bed, mounted
. . .

p.s.

A couple of other things I remembered:

1. The spindle is 1-1/2 8tpi.

2. The change gears go on a two position fork and the stud gear coming
   off the reverse assembly can be changed so, for example, a 20 tpi
   thread is cut with a 16 tooth stud gear and an 8 tpi thread is cut
   with a 32 tooth stud gear.  The gear mounting studs have 7/8" inch
   flats at the back and have to be tightened with a thin spanner behind
   the gears, unlike the Atlas where the nut at the outside tightens both
   the gear and the stud.

: Thanks,

: Mark McDade

: [email-masked]