Lathe

[danski26]

Several months ago I bought my first lathe. It is a South Bend Heavy Ten. It had a few issues that I have almost all worked out and i am getting tooling as money permits. I have been learning as i go and am having a lot of fun.

My first gun project will be a rebarreling of my 270 win. I am getting close to having the tools I need. I hope to have this done by Christmas.

It was quite a chore getting the lathe into the basement. I thought about leaving it in the garage but I know I will use it more, being in the basement. I included some pics of the move into the basement and one of it set up.

I built a ramp of 2x4's going down the stairs, strapped the cabinet and then the headstock and ways to a heavy duty hand cart and lowered the whole ring down the steps by a 2 ton winch attached to my truck. It worked perfect.

so far I love having the lathe and look for little things i can make with it all the time. I have two gunsmith friends and one machinist friend who are helping me with learning how to use the lathe. It is very satifying!

[No_1]

Great ingenuity for getting it down there. You will enjoy it I am sure. Keep us posted of your projects.

Robert

[danski26]

Will do! I am working torwards my own part time gunsmithing buisness. I hope within a year or two that I am up and running.

[PatMarlin]

Nice piece of iron there Dan. One thing you sure don't have to worry bout' is someone walking out with it ...

[elk hunter]

Your going to like the SB, they're good equipment. Next you'll want a Bridgeport mill. Getting that down the stairs may be a little more of a challenge.

Good luck on your rebarrel.

[PatMarlin]

Yaw- You can take the Bridgeport apart in sections easily. I've lived in areas and been in business's before where constantly had to worry about theft. Not with this stuff. I think I read somewhere Grizzly I think was going to remanufacture a line of SB parts?

[dragonrider]

This is just the first stage of the illness that will consume your spare spare time untill such time as you will be using that engine crane and a harness to hold you up at your lathe. There are support groups for this illness, all you need to do is stand up at a meeting and say>
"Hello, my name is (insert name here) and I am a home shop machinist, it all started........................................... ........

[deltaenterprizes]

There is a great support group at "The Home Shop Machinist" site!

[danski26]

A bridgeport you say? Kinda like this one I am trying to get set up in the garage?

[PatMarlin]

Yeah- one just like that one ...

[danski26]

I've been trying to get my buddy who is an electrition to come over and wire the mill up but he is going through a divorce and hasn't had the time yet. Soon hopefully.

[ricksplace]

Nice machine. My lathe is in the basement too, and it's great. Warning -as the folks above have said, home shop machining is an illness...

[Deputy Dog]

I am going to look at a bridgeport mill in the morning I have a jet mill just want a bridgeport it is addicting.

[white eagle]

I worked as a machinist for 15 yrs or so
I loved making things on the lathe used to get a kick out of running the bridgeport to
I too thought about getting a lathe for barrel work but as of yet have not
Looks as though you are on your way just take your time and contrary to what some of the old timers use to tell me good machinists do have all their fingers ,be careful have fun

[Buckshot]

.............Getting a lathe and a mill can be the answer to a life's dream. But getting them is like buying a horse. All the real expense comes afterwards Every new tool catalog is a veritable gold mine of stuff you just KNOW you gotta have! The accessory craze was so bad for me I had $2800 (bought over a couple years) worth of milling machine accessories a solid year before I had the scooties put together to buy the mill

...............Buckshot

[Oyeboten]

Nice to see!


I got an older South Bend Lathe a couple years ago, been so darned busy with Work and family things, I have not even set it up yet.

Nice to see someone go for the gusto!

[PatMarlin]

We tithe at ENCO.

[MtGun44]

The heavy 10 is a good machine. I have a friend that has one and it is a good old machine.

He really trumped that a few years ago by buying a Hardinge.

Before I used the Hardinge I didn't know that there were machines that
nice.

Bill

[Buckshot]

We tithe at ENCO.

..............HA! You bet, and we feel SO guilty. Don't we?

..............Buckshot

[ricksplace]

We tithe at ENCO.

Yup. Spent some money there alright. Try KBC tools. They have a USA and Canadian office. I bought some specialty thread taps for making muzzle breaks (.500/28tpi, etc) made in Poland. Beautiful high speed steel, razor sharp and very reasonably priced . The hss tool bits they sell from India are excellent too, far better than the China stuff I tried from enco. The KBC catalog is great.