Foreword
"The screw cutting engine lathe is the oldest and most important of machine tools and from it all other machine tools have been developed. It was the lathe that made possible the building of the steamboat, the locomotive, the electric motor, the automobile and all kinds of machinery used in industry. Without the lathe our great industrial progress of the last century would have been impossible." —How To Run a Lathe, 15th Edition, South Bend Lathe.
The lathe represented in this manual is a modern day version of the screw cutting lathes that trace their roots back to the 1700's, which were themselves technological improvements of the bow lathe that can be traced back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians.
Now, almost 300 years later, these modern "screw cutting" lathes are not just a piece of refined machinery, but a culmination of human ingenuity and knowledge embodied into the design and synergy of thousands of interworking parts—some of which represent the life's work and dreams of many inventors, mechanical engineers, and world-class machinists—including the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Henry Maudsley, and the founders of South Bend Lathe, John and Miles O'Brien.
And now the torch is passed to you—to take the oldest and most important type of machine tool—and carry on the tradition. As the operator of a South Bend Lathe, you now join the ranks of some very famous and important customers, such as Henry Ford, who used the machines he purchased to help him change the world.
Capabilities
This 16-Speed Toolroom Lathe is built for daily use in a busy industrial setting. Loaded with many nice features and high-precision parts, this lathe excels at making fine tools, dies, thread gauges, jigs, and precision test gauges—however, it is by no means delicate. Thick castings, heavy weight, and quality construction throughout provide the necessary brawn for demanding production and manufacturing tasks.
Features
These 16-Speed Gearhead Lathes are packed with standard features and equipment, such as a complete coolant system, easy-to-clean chip drawer, one-shot way lubrication system, included steady and follow rests, chuck guard, adjustable work lamp, foot brake, powered cross feed, 3- and 4-jaw chucks, faceplate, and premium Allen-Bradley contactors, thermal relays, and fuse system.
Spindle speeds are controlled by convenient headstock levers, which allow the operator to quickly set the spindle speed within the available range of 50–2570 RPM.
The beds of these lathes are constructed with Meehanite castings that are hardened and precision-ground in the traditional three V-way prismatic design—long used on South Bend Lathes for its accuracy, durability, and rigidity.
The headstocks feature quick-change gear levers and the carriages include an adjustable clutch that disables automatic carriage feed when it contacts the included feed stop or in the event of a crash.
To further ensure a high degree of accuracy, these lathes are equipped with Japanese spindle bearings. The spindles are D1-5 camlock with an MT#5 taper and 1.57" bore. The tailstocks have an MT#3 taper and 4.5" of quill travel.
South Bend Precision Toolroom Lathe
(Circa 1958)
