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View Full Version : Metal Lathes A new addition to the shop (metal working shop, that is)



Scott T Smith
09-02-2020, 7:30 PM
For years I've wanted to add a good, heavy duty engine lathe to my equipment roster. I have a 12 x 36 Microcut that's in really nice, tight condition, but it's not as heavy as I wanted.

Earlier this year I came across a nice Southbend 17" x 60" Turn-Nado lathe for sale up in Virginia. The Turn-Nado was one of the top of the line Southbend lathe's back in the 60's and 70's. It's a variable speed, geared head lathe with a two speed motor. A 7.5 HP, it can make some serious cuts. It includes the taper attachment, which is a nice addition.

A couple of months back I took advantage of nice weather one Sunday and rode the Harley up to Stafford, VA to check out the lathe. The seller was a retired Fire fighter that had always wanted to get into machine work, and bought the lathe at auction 15 years ago. He never got around to hooking it up though so it's been sitting in his shop all this time. His neighbor was the machinist that operated it for a defense contractor, and he used it to do gunsmithing on the side. I spoke with the operator and he assured me that it was in great condition and held close tolerances

After looking it over I left a deposit and headed back to the farm. Here is what it looked like when I reviewed it.

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And then it started raining. And kept raining. Between the rain, my work schedule, and some truck issues it was over two months before I could get the planets lined up to retrieve it and bring it home. Fortunately the seller was patient (especially after I insisted on sending him payment in full while waiting for the transport stars to line up).

Last month I was able to head up and pick it up. This, coincidentally, was the first trip with the new truck.


440253


My skid loader was able to pick it up (barely - it weighs 4,500 lbs) by slinging it at the back of the forks where the lifting strength is greatest.


440254


After loading it we double tarped it and I put the skid steer back on the trailer and headed home.


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I washed it down with mineral spirits after unloading and set it in the wood shop for a more thorough clean up and painting.

This past weekend we finished cleaning and repainting. I'm pleased with how it turned out. All of the tolerances feel fairly tight, and now that it's clean the lead screws are turning smoothly again. Tomorrow, time allowing, I'll change the lubricants and put it under power to try it out.

440256



I'm looking forward to trying it out and doing some gunsmithing with it later this year.

Jerry Bruette
09-02-2020, 10:27 PM
Nice machine. I see the steady rest and QC tool holder, looks like a bunch of tooling in the chip pan what all came with it?

John Ziebron
09-03-2020, 8:45 PM
Nice find Scott. It makes my 11 inch Logan look like a baby. You're going to need that skid steer to change chucks. :D

Bill George
09-03-2020, 8:50 PM
For years I've wanted to add a good, heavy duty engine lathe to my equipment roster. I have a 12 x 36 Microcut that's in really nice, tight condition, but it's not as heavy as I wanted.

Earlier this year I came across a nice Southbend 17" x 60" Turn-Nado lathe for sale up in Virginia. The Turn-Nado was one of the top of the line Southbend lathe's back in the 60's and 70's. It's a variable speed, geared head lathe with a two speed motor. A 7.5 HP, it can make some serious cuts. It includes the taper attachment, which is a nice addition.

A couple of months back I took advantage of nice weather one Sunday and rode the Harley up to Stafford, VA to check out the lathe. The seller was a retired Fire fighter that had always wanted to get into machine work, and bought the lathe at auction 15 years ago. He never got around to hooking it up though so it's been sitting in his shop all this time. His neighbor was the machinist that operated it for a defense contractor, and he used it to do gunsmithing on the side. I spoke with the operator and he assured me that it was in great condition and held close tolerances

After looking it over I left a deposit and headed back to the farm. Here is what it looked like when I reviewed it.

440251


And then it started raining. And kept raining. Between the rain, my work schedule, and some truck issues it was over two months before I could get the planets lined up to retrieve it and bring it home. Fortunately the seller was patient (especially after I insisted on sending him payment in full while waiting for the transport stars to line up).

Last month I was able to head up and pick it up. This, coincidentally, was the first trip with the new truck.


440253


My skid loader was able to pick it up (barely - it weighs 4,500 lbs) by slinging it at the back of the forks where the lifting strength is greatest.


440254


After loading it we double tarped it and I put the skid steer back on the trailer and headed home.


440255


I washed it down with mineral spirits after unloading and set it in the wood shop for a more thorough clean up and painting.

This past weekend we finished cleaning and repainting. I'm pleased with how it turned out. All of the tolerances feel fairly tight, and now that it's clean the lead screws are turning smoothly again. Tomorrow, time allowing, I'll change the lubricants and put it under power to try it out.

440256



I'm looking forward to trying it out and doing some gunsmithing with it later this year.

It looks very nice and I am not sure if this one was still made in USA? I take it you have 3 phase in your shop or a phase convertor?

Scott T Smith
09-05-2020, 2:30 PM
Nice machine. I see the steady rest and QC tool holder, looks like a bunch of tooling in the chip pan what all came with it?

jerry, it came with a couple of QC tool holders. A steady rest from a smaller machine, chip pan, lube system, wrenches and a dozen or so pieces of tooling.

Scott T Smith
09-05-2020, 2:31 PM
Nice find Scott. It makes my 11 inch Logan look like a baby. You're going to need that skid steer to change chucks. :D

lol. I’m about to find out because I bought a 6 jaw chuck to put on it.

Scott T Smith
09-05-2020, 2:33 PM
It looks very nice and I am not sure if this one was still made in USA? I take it you have 3 phase in your shop or a phase convertor?

Bill, mine was made around 1963 in South Bend, IN. I have a 400hp generator and a 30hp RPC, and am planning to bring in line power soon and sell the generator.

Bill George
09-11-2020, 7:34 PM
Bill, mine was made around 1963 in South Bend, IN. I have a 400hp generator and a 30hp RPC, and am planning to bring in line power soon and sell the generator.

You got one of the good ones.. At one time I had a 1943 SB Heavy 10 for which I paid not much but I replaced just about everything on it!!

Scott T Smith
09-13-2020, 6:45 PM
I also have a 16x8' 1916 vintage South Bend lathe in a storage unit.

A 6 jaw chuck was just scored for the Turn Nado, and hopefully we'll get it moved into the machine shop cabin this week. I'm currently working on running three phase over from the main woodshop.

Bill Dufour
10-31-2020, 11:59 PM
I thought the tur-nado. was made in Brazil? A good heavy German design lathe. For questions ask over at "practical machinist". tractor supply is a good source of the oils needed. Many use tractor hydraulic oil iso 68 or 32.
If it has an oil pump make sure that is working and the intake screen and filter is clean
Bill D.

Bill Dufour
11-01-2020, 4:20 PM
What is the switch on the back of the tailstock pedestal?
Maybe be I was thinking Nardini was made in Brazil?
Bil lD

Scott T Smith
04-12-2021, 3:54 PM
What is the switch on the back of the tailstock pedestal?
Maybe be I was thinking Nardini was made in Brazil?
Bil lD

Hi Bill, sorry for the tardy response. I haven't logged in since you made this post.

My lathe was made in South Bend, Indiana USA. You are correct that Nardini lathes are made in Brazil.

The switch on the back side of tail stock is for the coolant system. It is housed inside the base at the tail stock end of the lathe. It works quite well. I've been running a water based mist coolant mix in it.

Here are some updated pix of the lathe in it's new home. I have an old log cabin here on the farm that I've turned into a small machine shop. It's insulated in the ceiling, and has a mini-split heat pump to keep it comfortable (and low humidity) year round. It seems like every other week or so I'm finding a use for the lathe.

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Charles Coolidge
04-18-2021, 9:41 AM
What kind of surface finish are you getting? Reminds me of my lust for a Mori Seiki 16x50 a few years back but just too large for my 3 car garage. Opted for a Grizzly 12x36 what a mistake that was. Love the lathe and you giving it a 2nd life bravo!

Mark Hennebury
04-18-2021, 9:57 AM
Nice, stout looking machine! A lathe is one of those machines that you find so many jobs for that you wonder how you managed without it. That is some serious moving equipment you have also.

Ronald Blue
09-14-2021, 7:38 AM
Looks like it cleaned up very nicely. Have you got a good feel for it's "tightness" yet? Looks like an appropriate sized chuck on it. When I was in machine shop class in school we had several South Bend belt drive lathes. Complete with back gear reduction for low RPM work. Gear head is hard to beat. That should give you a lot of capabilities. Look forward to updates.

Scott T Smith
09-14-2021, 5:11 PM
What kind of surface finish are you getting? Reminds me of my lust for a Mori Seiki 16x50 a few years back but just too large for my 3 car garage. Opted for a Grizzly 12x36 what a mistake that was. Love the lathe and you giving it a 2nd life bravo!

It's leaving a nice surface finish. I did some work recently with a tool post grinder and the results were great.

Scott T Smith
09-14-2021, 5:14 PM
Looks like it cleaned up very nicely. Have you got a good feel for it's "tightness" yet? Looks like an appropriate sized chuck on it. When I was in machine shop class in school we had several South Bend belt drive lathes. Complete with back gear reduction for low RPM work. Gear head is hard to beat. That should give you a lot of capabilities. Look forward to updates.


Most of it is fairly tight, but there is some wear on the ways that causes the tool holder to move a couple of thousands closer to the center of the lathe in the first couple of inches from the chuck. My solution is to machine a spacer to mount between the camlock plate the the chuck, and simply move the chuck a few inches towards the tailstock.

I'm reasoning that because the lathe was designed for a 200 lb chuck, if I space a 90 lb chuck a few inches further away from the spindle bearings I should still be ok in terms of the leverage on the spindle.