# Advice Needed on Lathe



## 350xfire (Sep 29, 2010)

Guys:
I found a nice Craigslist deal on a LeBlonde lathe. It looks to be about a 12x48 between centers (actual bed is about 54"). Spindle bore is somewhat small at about 1" not sure as I did not have a tape measure but my current 12x36 is bigger at 1.5". Comes with 4 jaw and 3 jaw chuck. If I had to guess it's about a 50's-60's vintage. Has a 1hp 3 ph motor on it. I'll need a converter or a replacement motor... That old school motor is HUGE!

The person selling wants $750 which seems like a deal. They were listing it on CL for $500 and was a mistake that should have read $1500, but the lady played it nice and said she would let me have it for $750. At least that's the story I got...lol!

All seems well with the machine, spindle is nice and tight, carriage move smoothly. Has x and y feed.

I'll post some crappy iphone pics tonight... What's everyone's thought on this?

Damn, I just wish I had the $3500 for the huge Bridgeport they have as well!!!

My 12x36 is the Taiwan (San Yuen) unit I bought for $300. The unit is pretty nice, but has a bit of looseness on the carriage that can sometimes become annoying.


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## N2rockets (Sep 29, 2010)

Sounds like a good deal to me! LeBlonde Lathes are very nice, and the older vintage ones (in good condition) cant be beat for the price IMHO! I just recently picked up a 1950's Logan 820 10"x24" in excellent condition, no wear at all just dirty from sitting for 60 years- but it cost me 1,200. (I wanted it for less, but jumped on the lathe because it was the exact model I wanted in near new condition, just old) It didnt even have a chuck so I had to pick up a 6" Buck Set-True 3-Jaw for another 180$. So yea, I would say its a really good deal as long as its not worn out and more work then you are looking for to clean it up and get it running true.


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## precisionworks (Sep 29, 2010)

The LeBlond Regal 12" (as well as most every size Regal) is a well built machine. Like most lathes built between 1950 & 1980, head stock bores run on the small side - my South Bend 10K had a .875" bore 

Parts are often available on eBay, and Joe at Plaza Machinery stocks some parts. If you call LeBlond for a price, make sure you're sitting down or you'll suffer a heart attack :nana:

*IF the condition is nice*, $750 is not too much to pay. At least you don't have to worry about shipping it by truck.


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## 350xfire (Sep 29, 2010)

precisionworks said:


> The LeBlond Regal 12" (as well as most every size Regal) is a well built machine. Like most lathes built between 1950 & 1980, head stock bores run on the small side - my South Bend 10K had a .875" bore
> 
> Parts are often available on eBay, and Joe at Plaza Machinery stocks some parts. If you call LeBlond for a price, make sure you're sitting down or you'll suffer a heart attack :nana:
> 
> *IF the condition is nice*, $750 is not too much to pay. At least you don't have to worry about shipping it by truck.


 
At least the chuck can swallow a big piece of a light, so the spindle bore is not a huge deal!
Looks like it's all there and everything was in boxes so the lady said there may be more parts to it. They just haven't gotten around to unpacking everything. 
This is some type of clearance of some dental implant shop. They have a lot of old school CNC stuff, a swiss second operation lathe, a nice big bridgeport mill, clausing mill, grinders, etc. I wish I had the $3500 for that bridgeport!!! 

Oh, and I am not sure whether it is a 12" or 13"...
Thanks


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## 350xfire (Sep 29, 2010)

Here is what it looks like(this is not it just some Internet pics):
1940s-1950s model. Not sure of size yet!
http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/page3.html


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## archer6817j (Sep 29, 2010)

Do you have any pics of the actual lathe being sold? 

I'd also want to know how the machine was used since it's so old. In a garage, it might still have some life; but in a job shop it was probably run hard. Even if it was well cared for it could be quite worn if it was used every day. 

On the other hand, maybe you can buy it for 750 and if it doesn't work out sell it for 1000, hehe. 

Amazing that it only has a 1hp motor for that size swing. What kind of lathe do you have now?


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## 350xfire (Sep 29, 2010)

I have an Asian (San Yuen) 12x36 I bought for $300. It's a 1970s model and seems a bit loose for any "real" accurate work. It will do what I ask it to but seems to leave too many rough marks. It's a good machine for the $300 I paid and has really made some decent parts for me. I figure I may be able to sell it for $600-900 and be OK.

From looking at this Leblond, it looks good. Everything is tight. It was used in a shop but I bet during the early years. They have a lot of Citizen CNC machines for sale so somewhere in time they probably let it sit around unused. I just hope they find a "golden" box of accessories for it as right now they have not found any and everything is in boxes. May be I'll get lucky. Swing has to be around 12-15" and yes, I was surprised it only has a 1 hp motor. It is 3 phase 220/440.


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## precisionworks (Sep 29, 2010)

> In a garage, it might still have some life ...


Those old beasts were built heavily, unlike today's machines from China. I'm guessing that a 60 year old Regal will outlast a brand new KungFu from China.




> but in a job shop it was probably run hard


Very few job shops run little machines like a 12" or 13", with 18" being the most common "small" lathe. On small machines there is limited swing, small headstock bore, not enough horsepower to do anything fast, etc.

For a home shop, a gunsmith, a prototype maker, etc., 12"-13" is OK. None of those users have the need to take a .250" DOC, or run a 2" NPT tap into a part held in the chuck. An 18" machine with a 10hp motor can do that all day long & never even get warm.


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## 350xfire (Sep 30, 2010)

OK, so here is a picture of the head stock.. It has a 13 on it assume that it is a 13" swing??? Is this one of the servo speed controlled ones? If it is then it has to be a 70s machine, newer than I thought... I have read that the servo control does go out and expensive to fix??? Anyone know where I can get the gear configuration information, owner's manual?
Thanks


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## 350xfire (Sep 30, 2010)

OK, so I looked a bit closer at the website I linked to earlier and it is still a 40s-50s model. It is not a servo shift as those are the squared off headstocks, not the rounded looking ones like this one. Servo shifts are newer...

So that leaves me with another question, what is the dial for on the top? Is that a vari speed controller so you have a range of speeds at a certain gear?

Thanks


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## precisionworks (Sep 30, 2010)

Take a friend when you go to get it ... 2,345# is the factory listed weight 

This link may help: http://www.scribd.com/doc/20235049/Operator-s-Manual-LATHE-Leblond



> what is the dial for on the top? Is that a vari speed controller so you have a range of speeds at a certain gear?


Don't know, but my SWAG is that the dial is a Variac, which is a Variable Auto Transformer. An ancient forerunner to a VFD, but much less efficient. Some older machines used banks of power resistors to achieve the same purpose - I saw such an arrangement on the 72" swing Niles at the mine shop ... bed was 18' long between centers


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## 350xfire (Sep 30, 2010)

Thanks again man... You sure know your stuff!


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## archer6817j (Sep 30, 2010)

That'll be a nice piece of iron if she's square. Nice to own a bit of history. My machines are made in 1973 and 1977...nearly brand new! You can tell a lot by visual inspection if that's an option. Some machines get restored (repainted) and they try to hide the use but it doesn't look like anyone bothered to make it pretty so what you see is what you get...in a good way. Let us know how it works out


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## precisionworks (Oct 1, 2010)

Here's another one to consider, if you can go $1300. It's a Clausing 12x36, listed on the PM board. Located in Kansas *but *one of the members has offered to take it toward Houston in two weeks.

These are very nice machines. It's a Model 5914, like the example below (not the actual machine for sale):


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## 350xfire (Oct 1, 2010)

Thansk Precision. That is a really nice looking unit... However, budget does not allow! Heck in looking at parts prices for that Leblond, I could almost sell the two chucks and tailstock and get my money back for $750.


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## precisionworks (Oct 1, 2010)

Lots of people make two times or three times more money parting out a South Bend, LeBlond, Clausing, etc. Factory prices are always killer high ... same with Dake (band saws).


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## 350xfire (Oct 4, 2010)

Picked up some of the loose parts today. Here is the 10" Cushman 4 Jaw chuck. I also have the Tailstock but did not take pics of it yet. On the machine is a 3 Jaw chuck... Haven't looked at the brand.


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## precisionworks (Oct 4, 2010)

Cushman Industries is one of the few remaining American chuck makers ...Kalamazoo is the other. Been around for a while (1867). Very nice quality.

http://www.cushmanindustries.com/

Here's the catalog ... all 14.64Mb

http://www.cushmanindustries.com/catalogs/Cushman_Catalog_Rev1.pdf


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## 350xfire (Oct 4, 2010)

precisionworks said:


> Cushman Industries is one of the few remaining American chuck makers ...Kalamazoo is the other. Been around for a while (1867). Very nice quality.
> 
> http://www.cushmanindustries.com/
> 
> ...


 
Thanks.. There is a 4 jaw 10" on Ebay for over $600...


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## precisionworks (Oct 4, 2010)

A good thread from a PM member looking to buy a made in USA chuck (some parts are funny): http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/lathe-chucks-we-dont-make-them-anymore-205909/


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## 350xfire (Oct 4, 2010)

precisionworks said:


> A good thread from a PM member looking to buy a made in USA chuck (some parts are funny): http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/lathe-chucks-we-dont-make-them-anymore-205909/


 
Yeah, the great old debate... American vs. Import. Unfortunately most of us doing hobby work can't afford the American stuff!


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## precisionworks (Oct 4, 2010)

> most of us doing hobby work can't afford the American stuff!


EBay, eBay, eBay :nana:

The Cushman, Kalamazoo & Bison are all very close to the same price point. If you don't find it on eBay, Joe @ Plaza Machinery has dozens of chucks & many are high end, lightly used.


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## 350xfire (Oct 5, 2010)

precisionworks said:


> EBay, eBay, eBay :nana:
> 
> The Cushman, Kalamazoo & Bison are all very close to the same price point. If you don't find it on eBay, Joe @ Plaza Machinery has dozens of chucks & many are high end, lightly used.


 

Yeah, definitely Ebay! I cleaned up the old Cushman last night and it looks great! Should I use "chuck" grease on the threads or just any type of automotive grease work?


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## precisionworks (Oct 5, 2010)

> Should I use "chuck" grease on the threads


On a 4-jaw, no matter how cheap or how expensive, the jaw adjusting screws are totally exposed. Use anything that you have, as all greases will attract the same amount of dirt, grit & chips. Remove all four jaws when any of them show the slightest stickiness & clean all four screws ... I use BrakeKleen, which is an aerosol can containing Heptane, Isopropanol & Ethanol, but no chlorinated compounds. Pretty much non-toxic as cleaners go & it dissolves anything but Kryptonite 

In a nice Set-Tru chuck or a collet chuck, the Bison Chuck Grease works well - but none of the working parts are exposed, so a very high quality grease lasts quite a while. When my Set-Tru feels difficult to turn in or turn out, I remove all the jaws, brush the back of each jaw with a clean toothbrush, brush any grit out of the jaw slots, apply a *very small *amount of Bison Chuck Grease to the back side of each jaw & slot, then install the jaws. I'll eventually tear it down & clean the scroll plate & the pinion gears, but that may be a while down the road.

FWIW, Bison Chuck Grease is also called Fuchs Gleitmo-805. The problem with buying from Fuchs is that my local distributor sells only in full case quantities :mecry: http://www.fuchs-lubritech.com/cms/spip.php?page=produkt&id_rubrique=23&id_produkt=2941


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## 350xfire (Oct 5, 2010)

Cool, thanks again...
Here are some pics of cleaned parts:
Cushman Chuck, scrubbed and WD-40 sprayed.











Tailstock stripped down and about to get a coat of Sherwin Williams Industrial paint (Nickel).. Wish I would have taken a pic of the original!


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## 350xfire (Oct 5, 2010)

First coat of paint. As always my color selection skills SUCK!!! Should have taken the wife with me. Looks good but I wanted a darker "battleship gray" type... There was a closer color to it but I thought it may have been too dark.


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## precisionworks (Oct 5, 2010)

> Should have taken the wife with me.


We gotta have a talk :devil:

Wives (and girlfriends) appreciate our tools only when something of theirs is fixed. It causes them great pain to see a "new" tool, never mind that the tool was new 60 years ago.

Any more, the Brown Truck drops off a carton or two or three & SWMBO doesn't even comment. That makes everybody happy :thumbsup:


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## 350xfire (Oct 5, 2010)

precisionworks said:


> We gotta have a talk :devil:
> 
> Wives (and girlfriends) appreciate our tools only when something of theirs is fixed. It causes them great pain to see a "new" tool, never mind that the tool was new 60 years ago.
> 
> Any more, the Brown Truck drops off a carton or two or three & SWMBO doesn't even comment. That makes everybody happy :thumbsup:


 

Haha... Glad I'm not the only one with spending habits that the wife does not approve of!


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