Cheap but fixable South Bend 5 ?

[Beanwood]

I know I've bored many on here with my aspirations of getting a lathe. I want one (No real need) so don't want to spend a lot.
I've seen a few which are very poor for the money.
Today I saw this one - which is CHEAP.

It doesn't have a motor - but the seller has one he can throw in. (And he thinks there might be a 4 jaw chuck somewhere)

Biggest problem I can see apart from the 'fixed' saddle is a lack of countershaft pulleys, which I have assumed I need to slow the motor to a sensible speed. And the tailpost that looks bizarelly diconnected?

For £75 what do you reckon? Can I get it working for £50 or so?

 

[Screwdriver]

Not sure what you mean by "fixed" saddle but the bed ways look wrecked. You'll be needing a replacement bed. Ok price if you're buying it for parts but it looks a few hundred quid short of being a working lathe.

 

[Richiew]

I think it will cost you more than £50 to get it running unless you get another good deal elsewhere. It is still worth buying even if you end up parting it out. A dealer on ebay is selling a compound slide from that lathe for 144 quid if memory serves me well.

The ways look a bit funny. Cant make my mind up whether it is a stupid amount of wear on the bed or just some old grease that has been pushed along.

Boxford parts will fit this lathe.
I have a Southbend lathe model 10k that I can provide pictures and measurements from if you do buy it.

 

[Beanwood]

Not sure what you mean by "fixed" saddle but the bed ways look wrecked. You'll be needing a replacement bed. Ok price if you're buying it for parts but it looks a few hundred quid short of being a working lathe.

These pics don't show it well, but there's an old repair that has been welded at some point.

I think it will cost you more than £50 to get it running unless you get another good deal elsewhere. It is still worth buying even if you end up parting it out. A dealer on ebay is selling a compound slide from that lathe for 144 quid if memory serves me well.

The ways look a bit funny. Cant make my mind up whether it is a stupid amount of wear on the bed or just some old grease that has been pushed along.

Boxford parts will fit this lathe.
I have a Southbend lathe model 10k that I can provide pictures and measurements from if you do buy it.

That's the worry really. If I break it, I don't know enough about lathes to state parts are working, worn or whatever. It may also cost quite a bit to get the parts to make it work well again. South Bend aren't as populous as Myford or the other derivatives as far as I can see

I'll Probably go take a look to see if I can determine the state of the ways.

 

[Screwdriver]

If you do go and have a look take a couple of questions with you:

1. How does one break a lathe saddle?
2. What happens to the bed when you rip off the saddle?

 

[minimutly]

We've had this nonsense before - "its a wreck, don't do it, scrap etc etc.
£75 for something you can spend time on and learn from - how much does it cost you to fill the tank on your car?
I can see the weld, strange place to damage a saddle, but hey, have a good look around it. It's true that it takes some energy to break a casting - but sometimes it takes very little.
Buy it, fix it (but don't try to turn it into a Rolls Royce), learn from it.
Just my opinion of course.

 

[minimutly]

Not sure what you mean by "fixed" saddle but the bed ways look wrecked. You'll be needing a replacement bed. Ok price if you're buying it for parts but it looks a few hundred quid short of being a working lathe.

Absolute nonsense, sorry.

 

[gaz1]

I think it will cost you more than £50 to get it running unless you get another good deal elsewhere. It is still worth buying even if you end up parting it out. A dealer on ebay is selling a compound slide from that lathe for 144 quid if memory serves me well.

The ways look a bit funny. Cant make my mind up whether it is a stupid amount of wear on the bed or just some old grease that has been pushed along.

Boxford parts will fit this lathe.
I have a Southbend lathe model 10k that I can provide pictures and measurements from if you do buy it.

my view on it the bed ways are damaged you will not get near the chuck with lathe way damage

 

[tigdlo]

my view on it the bed ways are damaged you will not get near the chuck with lathe way damage

I first thought the top of the ways had been chopped off for clearance, but I think its gunge that has been scraped up by the saddle contrasted with the oily part where that saddle has been moved.

If the ways haven't been modified then a good strip down and derusting may be most of what's needed to get a usable lathe. My ML7 looked like that when I got it, used MC-51 to de-rust, did a good job.

 

[Munkul]

The people who are saying the ways are "wrecked" don't seem to understand, loads of bodgers operate lathes in this condition, they get accuracy to 6-10 thou... not great, but you can generally use a file or emery or something Not something I'd personally want, but some people do it. The pictures don't show the full story anyway, the ways might be better or worse than we can see right now. Usually a load of scotchbrite and wd40/APC will bring the ways up properly, as good as they can go anyway, considering the restof the condition.

It's not gonna be a £50 fix though, you're talking a few hundred to rig up a motor and pulleys, start/stop electrics etc. If you're determined and resourceful enough, you might get it done if you're lucky enough to get a suitable motor and pulley sheave... Then what about the changewheels on the end? Guessing most of them are missing, so you'll be very limited for feeds, and you won't be able to thread anything without the correct changewheel combination.

Will it be good? No. Will it turn stuff? Yes.

 

[Screwdriver]

@Munkul I don't understand why you appear so angry. It looks to me like there is a chunk taken out of the ways and I would be curious as to how anyone could break a saddle. The OP says they want a lathe, not that they are looking for a project. To my mind there's unknown damage and a ton of time and expense before that one can turn a chuck.

There must be hundreds of machines like this dotted around the country in various states of disrepair and if you spent as much time restoring damage/repairable equipment as I do, you would soon realise that sometimes even free can be too expensive.

 

[Beanwood]

You guys are good !! I hadn't noticed what looked like damaged ways on the photos I posted. It prompted me to take a closer look at a different photo, and it appears to be grease or similar pushed up by the saddle. I have no idea how the saddle got broken, but I can ate least check the area around fro damage.

All being well, I'll likely take a trip out tonight to look and see what it's like in the flesh so to speak.

I'm certain there are better deals at £350 - £500 for a Boxford or similar, and whilst I'd love one, right now, I can't justify the money.

Interesting point @Screwdriver that sometimes free is still too expensive. It's being sold by a guy who has too many projects on the go - perhaps I ought to take a leaf from his book and walk on by.

Maybe I'll buy it, clean it, cover it in green hammerite and stick it on Eb@y as 'Good Condition' it's certainly better than many I've seen with that description....

 

[Munkul]

@Munkul I don't understand why you appear so angry. It looks to me like there is a chunk taken out of the ways and I would be curious as to how anyone could break a saddle.

That's your interpretation of the picture. To me it could be crap and grease appearing darker than the rest of the ways.
Regarding the saddle, again it isn't clear how (or even if) it was broken and how well it was fixed. Castings do break in random and unstressed ways sometimes.

Me, angry? No, not at all just providing a counterpoint.

Ultimately Beanwood needs to get a far better look at it if he's seriously thinking about it.

if you spent as much time restoring damage/repairable equipment as I do, you would soon realise that sometimes even free can be too expensive.

I hate repairing/restoring equipment personally. My tools are for part time business, not hobby, and apart from my own saga with my Harrison M400 lathe, I tend to buy machines that are ready to start work immediately and make/save me money.

 

[Seadog]

Looking closely at the photo, I agree that it could well be grease. The line from the top of the "V" follows through the image. There's lots of grease on the lead screw as well, so not unreasonable to assume that the ways were slathered in it.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Currently there is a very decent looking Raglan Little John bench top lathe with motor, gear set, and steady rest on offer. Looks to be in original unabused condition and is at a reasonable buy it now price. Ebay item # 125 25 25 68 381

Personally, if I had the room and didn't already have two lathes, I would but it.

 

[Screwdriver]

You guys are good !! I hadn't noticed what looked like damaged ways on the photos I posted. It prompted me to take a closer look at a different photo, and it appears to be grease or similar pushed up by the saddle. I have no idea how the saddle got broken, but I can ate least check the area around fro damage.

All being well, I'll likely take a trip out tonight to look and see what it's like in the flesh so to speak.

I'm certain there are better deals at £350 - £500 for a Boxford or similar, and whilst I'd love one, right now, I can't justify the money.

Interesting point @Screwdriver that sometimes free is still too expensive. It's being sold by a guy who has too many projects on the go - perhaps I ought to take a leaf from his book and walk on by.

Maybe I'll buy it, clean it, cover it in green hammerite and stick it on Eb@y as 'Good Condition' it's certainly better than many I've seen with that description....

If that's the case then it's probably just where the saddle has been sat in one spot for years and left a rusty trail when it was moved recently. While that in itself is a nightmare for buyers of older equipment (if it's been stood for years and I'm buying it, the last thing I want the seller to do is start "freeing up" stuck items!) if it is just rust/dirt then that's better than having a chunk knocked out of it. It is certainly a decent candidate for spares, it will sell in pieces for way more than you pay for it - if that's what you want.

FWIW, if you do go for a looksee, the two most critical items are the condition of the bed ways and any play/graunching in the headstock. Headstock bearings or bushes can be astronomically expensive though I have no idea on pricing for a South bend. It is the sort of thing I used to collect and the right sort of price too since it will always give me my money back

Personally I'd pass just because of the damaged saddle. I say that because if I restore something, it has to have the potential to maximise resale value unless I am keeping it in which case it has to be cheap enough to get going. I estimate you're looking at North of £200 plus a couple of fun weekends to get that going.

Finally, having spent years scratching around for damaged/repairable stuff I can afford to equip the workshop, I am now surrounded by tools which are to one degree or another, all slightly broken...

 

[Richiew]

All being well, I'll likely take a trip out tonight to look and see what it's like in the flesh so to speak.

The suspense is killing me. Did you buy it?

 

[Beanwood]

The suspense is killing me. Did you buy it?

Not yet.... Mrs B has been unwell, so I have been playing nursemaid.

 

[Beanwood]

I did however see a Harrison 12" copy lathe in excellent condition complete with hydraulics go for just £162 on 'bay, and it was only 20 miles from me. Again - no idea what I need it for (And it was a massive 3ph machine) but surely that was a bargain.
But not as much of a bargain as the single phase modern lathe (With steadies etc.) that was being given away FOR FREE straight from the commercial workshop as it was well worn. I just couldn't get there in time.....

 

[minimutly]

I did however see a Harrison 12" copy lathe in excellent condition complete with hydraulics go for just £162 on 'bay, and it was only 20 miles from me. Again - no idea what I need it for (And it was a massive 3ph machine) but surely that was a bargain.
But not as much of a bargain as the single phase modern lathe (With steadies etc.) that was being given away FOR FREE straight from the commercial workshop as it was well worn. I just couldn't get there in time.....

DON'T buy it!