New lathe due diligence.

[Shrek]

I've been researching and looking at buying a lathe. My needs will be basic chambering and action truing work. I'm not going to be doing any production work so speed isn't an issue. Space is somewhat limited as is the slab to support a lathe so no 8+ foot long or two ton lathes. I've talked to my electrician friend and he has experience with odd voltages used on military base machine shops and can work out anything that doesn't need more power than the line to my house can supply.
I know very little and the only lathe time I have is in my dreams so please bear with me. I think I need a minimum 1 3/8" spindle bore and a recommended 36"+ center to center lathe. Bigger would be better for the work but not the work space. I have about 7.5' of wall space and a bench to each side i can work over for putting barrels through the headstock.
I want old American iron and what I'm coming up with as the usual suspects are Clausing 5914 , 6913 , LeBlond Regal 13" and 15" , SB 10L , 12" , Cincinatti 12.5". I'm not really sure about the SB 10L. What other lathes should I look for and of those which is probably the best of the bunch to hunt for ? I was looking at a chambering method that uses a backing plate with a spider? behind a 4 jaw Chuck to dial in the bore. If I have a longer headstock that the barrel does come all the way through can I use this method without a way to support the other end of the barrel inside the headstock ? It would allow a shorter lathe and more options for lathes. A 20" center to center 10ee would be a possibility then along with some other monarch lathes. I'll have more questions but that's plenty to sort through for now.
Btw , my total budget is somewhere around $2000 so I need to find a lathe I can work on. Tooling I can chip away at over time so I'm not including that in the $2000 and I'm in no rush. I just need to narrow my search so I'm ready when a steal of a deal comes along.

 

[Christopher crucilla]

It's not American made but I have the grizzly gunsmith lathe, 36 in centers. When I chambered a short 18 inch barrel in 260 I chucked it in the 4 jaw and put the steady rest on and it chambered great.
I've contoured a 28 inch blank on it. 1 5/8 inch bore too.

 

[Christopher crucilla]

But it's also over the posted budget. I think grizzly makes a bench top lathe that might fit your bill.

 

[Shrek]

Let me be really clear. I have absolutely no interest in putting a piece of Made in China pot metal in my garage. If it comes to that I'd just as rather keep paying professional gunsmiths to build my rifles. I'm a nationalist and a nativist at heart and I want a connection to my grandfathers who worked machines like these during WW II. One in a bomb plant stateside and the other in the hanger bay of the USS Wasp. This about me and my hobby not about practicality or productivity.

 

[eww1350]

Ebay has several in your price range, and finding one in your proximity is common...check it out

 

[Shrek]

I want manual American iron from the 50' , 60' , 70''s or later if I could find it. American manual iron is part of the puzzle I want to complete.

 

[Shrek]

I've seen some on Craigs List but I'm trying to narrow down the best of the best to look for. I know there are guys here who've worked these type of machines for a lifetime and know their strengths and weaknesses.

 

[eww1350]

Here is one on Ebay in your state a good solid machine (for bomb making old school ;0) for the price

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leblond-Engine-Lathe-13-/111863818051?hash=item1a0b9a6743:g:bpEAAOSw3xJVb1Lo

 

[Shrek]

I have looked at the CraigsList ad for that machine it appears to be very short and then ways up by the headstock have what look like big gouging in them in one of the pictures. There's a 12.5x42 Cincinatti in Osteen Fl. which is about 3 hrs south of me. The Cincinatti looks to be pretty large but I may ride down to see it if it's still there b

 

[jdh47]

The SBL heavy 10 is not too heavy and is a good lathe to learn on. It has a 1 3/8" spindle bore. You can concentrate on a short bed and chamber through the headstock.

The Rockwell, Clausing, Sheldon and Logan are also good lathes. Most of the Logans have a small spindle bore though.

Most Cincinnati and Lablond run heavy and the EE is about 3500 lbs. and has a small spindle bore.

Good luck

Joe

 

[Hal]

The SBL heavy 10 is not too heavy and is a good lathe to learn on. It has a 1 3/8" spindle bore. You can concentrate on a short bed and chamber through the headstock.

10EE's have a 1 & 13/32" bore and are a GREAT lathe. Most have a 20" beds, a few 30"beds. The headstock is a little long for gunsmithing but can be worked with.

The thing that makes the Heavy 10 a great lathe for gunsmithing is the short headstock . It's easier to work on shorter
barrels.

To me it's more than worth the extra money
for a machine in premium condition. Unless you like rebuilding machines.
It's hard to fix worn out.

Hal

Hal

The Rockwell, Clausing, Sheldon and Logan are also good lathes. Most of the Logans have a small spindle bore though.

Most Cincinnati and Lablond run heavy and the EE is about 3500 lbs. and has a small spindle bore.

Good luck

Joe

 

[Crosswire3]

Look for an old LeBlond Regal 13, one of the South Bend 10s, or any of the lesser known names. As has been said, you should be able to find something locally on CraigsList or eBay for $1000-2000.

 

[butchlambert]

The SBL heavy 10 is not too heavy and is a good lathe to learn on. It has a 1 3/8" spindle bore. You can concentrate on a short bed and chamber through the headstock.

The Rockwell, Clausing, Sheldon and Logan are also good lathes. Most of the Logans have a small spindle bore though.

Most Cincinnati and Lablond run heavy and the EE is about 3500 lbs. and has a small spindle bore.

Good luck

Joe

Now Joe, My 10EE does not have a small bore. It is just real short between centers.

 

[me124704]

Another vote for the South Bend Heavy 10....

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

i picked up a Sheldon EM-56P lathe very reasonable on Craigslist, its a 60's model and very heavy duty. In my opinion i think they are a little heavier and better built than the Southbend heavy 10. USA made is the way to go.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Whats the headstock length on that sheldon? Thats the beauty of a heavy 10

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

i would have to measure it tomorrow to tell you for sure but i believe its around 23" or so.

 

[Shrek]

Reasonable SB 10L's are looking hard to come by. I was going to look at the 12.5×42 Cincinnati but reading it has less than an inch through hole has crossed it off. There are a few Clausing 5914 and 6913 lathes around that appear ok. Finding the right machine at the right price may take a while.

 

[NickB1075]

My vote is for the heavy 10. I love my 1967 SB HEAVY 10 and pretty much had the same exact budget/wants needs as you. It did take me a while to find one, almost to the point where I started looking at alternatives. I actually got mine from a retireing gunsmith. That had it in his shop for 35 years.

I will add the guys on here have been great and are beyond helpful. Listen to them. They kept me from the edge of Chinese machines and I couldn't be happier.

Good luck and keep up the search.

Nick

 

[Shrek]

There's a Clearing down south which is a rebadged Harrison and it might be something but I couldn't talk to the guy who might be able to tell me something about it because I don't speak Spanish and he doesn't speak American English . 5 and half hours is a long way to drive for a weak maybe.