As primarily a wood turner and cabinet maker I don't really need a metal lathe and don't know much about them, but I've always been fascinated by metal turning and dreamed of owning a real tool room lathe. Not that I really need one, but that has never stopped me before. Several years ago I bought a small Chinese metal turning lathe to use to make jigs and tools for my woodworking. Now I'm not saying the Chinese lathe is junk, but I found it unsatisfying to use due to flimsy construction and sloppy fit. So the other day this old lathe dropped into the bed of my truck and followed me home, much to the surprise of my wife. Now I need to rent the forklift to get it back into my workshop.
The ways don't look badly worn and the gears in the headstock seem crisp with no broken or badly worn teeth. Everything turns smoothly. The carriage, cross slide and compound all travel with the silky smoothness that is sadly missing in my Chinese lathe. The motor is 460v 3 phase so I've sourced a new Baldor 220v single phase motor which should fit. There is a film of dark oil and grime on most of the machine and I think most of the paint will look really good with just some cleaning up. I think the headstock is the only piece which could use stripping and repainting. I'll give the bright parts a good polishing and I'll be ready to start it up.
My new lathe is a LeBlond Regal 13" swing x 18" between centers, too small for a lot of you guys but just right for my needs. I wonder if these old LeBlonds are popular among home machinists? They seem much sturdier than the Atlas lathes that so many home turners have, much more like a real lathe. I'd be interested in hearing from others who own or have used a vintage LeBlond. Also, can anyone tell me the best QCTP to put on my machine? I'd much prefer one to the tool post that's on it now.
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