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
This 16-Speed Gearhead Lathe is 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, and faceplate. Models SB1054F and SB1055F also feature a Fagor 2-axis 20iT DRO.
Spindle speeds are controlled by a 2-speed motor and convenient headstock levers, which allow the operator to quickly set the spindle speed within the available range of 40–2000 RPM.
Bed ways are constructed with Meehanite castings that are precision hardened and ground in the traditional 3-V prismatic design—long used on South Bend Lathes for accuracy, durability, and rigidity.
Headstock features quick-change gear controls and an adjustable clutch mechanism that can be set to disable the feed rod to prevent crash damage. Spindle is a D1-6 (camlock type) with an MT#6 taper and 21⁄16" bore. Tailstock quill has an MT#4 taper and offers 6" of travel.
Finally, to ensure long-lasting accuracy in the most demanding shops, the spindle is equipped with Japanese NTN bearings.
16" South Bend Precision Toolroom Lathe
(Circa 1958)
