Photo Index - South Bend Lathe Works - 42-inch Silent Chain Motor Driven Brake Drum Lathe

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
South Bend Lathe Works
South Bend, IN

True Manufacturer:
South Bend Lathe Works, South Bend, IN

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Metal Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Lathe, Metal
Machine Size:	42"
Submitted By:	Paul Terry

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	42-inch Silent Chain Motor Driven Brake Drum Lathe
Date of Manufacturer:	1930's??
Serial Number:	47743
Last Updated	11/30/2019 10:21:22 PM

Comments:

I found this lathe for sale on Craigslist and asked our Park's Friends Group to purchase it. I intend to use it for turning out large 16" OD aluminum hubs for cannon carriage wheels at the old fort I work at. I had a bit of trouble finding information on this machine, but am fairly certain that it is the 42-inch Silent Chain Motor Driven Brake Drum Lathe found in the following South Bend catalog from 1930 (http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=18536). The best I can tell it is an 18" or 24" model with riser blocks under the headstock and tailstock. The feet under the bed are very low, and I suspect I will need a low rolling stool to sit on in order to operate it comfortably. If anyone has any further information on this machine I would love to see it. The most unusual thing I have found so far with this machine is the cross-feed screw is cut with a 6 tpi pitch. This seem very strange to me, 4, 5, 8 or 10 tpi seems like it would be more practical. If this was normal or odd please let me know. Thanks,
Paul

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Comments: Name Plate on gear guard: "42in Swing 8ft Bed Cat. No.305BE
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Comments: Close up of the cross-feed dial. If this was not from the factory, someone did a very good job making it. The screw pitch is 6 tpi so the dial goes from 0 - .166”. The compound is 10 tpi with a normal dial that goes from 0 - .100.”
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