What do you think of this Logan 210

[Cane_man]

seriously looking at this Logan 210, 10x24, 1/2hp 110v, no quick change box, but really clean and lightly used for a 1940s-1955 era lathe, comes with not much tooling (4 jaw, dead center, change gears, stand, tail stock chuck)...

all i want is a real lathe to make swaging dies with since my 7x12 chinese is very limiting, i want the lathe to be able to cut 7/8-14 threads on 4140 or O1, i am somewhat limited on garage space and this is about the largest lathe i can fit....

tell me your honest opinion of this lathe, the good, bad, and ugly, i can get it for $750:



here is the listing on CL:

http://modesto.craigslist.org/tls/4308771410.html

[Prospector Howard]

I wish I knew more about lathes but that sure looks like a good possiblity especially if it's not all worn out. Looks like a good size for what you want to do.

[GRUMPA]

I just got 1 of those just about 2 weeks ago. Mine is also the model 210 but it came with the quick change holder that looks Chinese if you ask me. I'm still looking for more tooling for the cutting part, things have gone up last I looked. But mine has the thread gearing attached to it already, have yet to use it for threads yet, I don't have the right tooling for that just yet.

Mine has the 1/2HP motor as well and draws 2amps from my system, living on solar has its perks but you gotta watch how much power things use. I've taken .015 cuts with it so far from bolts I have without so much as it slowing down.

And mine I got from a member, costs me $1,300

[Cane_man]

The guy who owns it got it from a winery, said they used it for turning wood!

Can't help it, i think i have a man-crush on the Logans.


How big of a deal is it to change out the gears the long way for threading?


I could see if you used the lathe everyday the QC gear box would be big, but i am just an on and off again weekend guy farting around in the garage, i don't think i would mind.

[GRUMPA]

The 1 thing I would look at is what's inside the machine, and by that I mean the gears. Broken teeth will tell you real quick if that machine was abused. I was looking for the smaller lathes and it seemed that most of the newer ones have plastic gears, not what I would call a promotional bell ringer.

If you want me to take a picture of mine just say so and I'll post a few.

[GRUMPA]

The 1 I have and the 1 that's in the ad are very close but not exact. Here's what my threading control box looks like.



As far as the gears someone else is going to have to chime in on that, mine didn't come with any other than what the machine came with. If you go into Evilbay and search for "Logan Lathe model 210" I've seen the same thread set-up all by itself but it wasn't cheap either. They also have other things for the older Logan Lathes in there as well, might be worth a look see.

[JSnover]

Can you get a good look at the thread/feed chart? If it will feed .071" per revolution and the only thread you care about is 14 that might be close enough.
I've been able to work around missing change gears on more than one lathe by using the power feed and matching the pitch.

[ElDorado]

It's motor is 1/2 hp. I don't know about your Chinese Mini Lathe, but my harbor freight 7x10 CML has a 3/4 hp motor. I'm no mechanical engineer, and maybe there's some gearing in the Logan that provides more torque, but motor size may be something to think about if you're finding your CML is a little gutless. That may be the best you can do if you're limited to 110 volts.

I don't have any experience with Logan lathes, but I don't suppose changing the gears will be much different than on the CML. Grumpa's machine has quick-change gearing, which is different than the one you're looking at. If most of your threading is going to be 7/8-14, then you probably won't change it much, so that's not an issue.

The one in the ad doesn't appear to have power feeds, so you'll have to feed by hand, just like the CML. That really no big deal either.

Unless the ways or lead screw are excessively worn, it sounds ok. I would just be worried that it might not have any more power than the lathe you want to replace.

[Cane_man]

here are the gears that come with it:



here is the original sales brochure for this lathe, and it says it it supposed to have 11 extra change gears to cut 4-216 thread speeds, pretty sure they are all there:



also says "power longitudinal feed" and "power cross feed" I assume this refers to the lead screw

[ElDorado]

also says "power longitudinal feed" and "power cross feed" I assume this refers to the lead screw

Perhaps I was wrong. I'm basing my statement on the fact that I don't see any feed levers on the apron, where I would expect to see them. I see one lever on the apron that I assume is for threading.

I am a machinist, so I am not ignorant of a lathe's operation. Like I said, I don't have any experience with Logans.

I just looked at it again and I still don't see how it feeds.

It looks like you're doing some good research on it, though. Have you gone down and looked at this in person, yet?

[Cane_man]

i am going monday to look at it, 3 hour drive north, guy is a farmer or something lives in the country... if the lathe checks out like the pic and the speeds change and the power feeds work i am coming home with it

i should know why the 1/2 hp on this lathe has enough power and i was an engineer! or at least i bought a piece of paper that says i lernt meckanicle engunearing, but that was a long time ago.

maybe Grumpa can weigh in and tell us how it works

[GRUMPA]

The one that's in the picture does have power feeds. The lever on the apron that you see on the right is the cross feed, the other one is located behind the infeed wheel, you have to reach behind it and pull it to activate it.

And I have (I believe) the owners manual in pdf format, hard to find it took me a couple of days to find it. If you want it I can send it to you via e-mail if you PM me an address.

[Cane_man]

^^^ LOL, I was just getting ready to buy one! pm inbound

[Cane_man]

The 1 thing I would look at is what's inside the machine, and by that I mean the gears. Broken teeth will tell you real quick if that machine was abused. I was looking for the smaller lathes and it seemed that most of the newer ones have plastic gears, not what I would call a promotional bell ringer.

If you want me to take a picture of mine just say so and I'll post a few.

here it under the hood, looks pretty clean for a 60 year old machine, what do you think?

[GRUMPA]

Looks kinda like mine, what do you think?

[GRUMPA]

And I'm talking about these gears anyway.

[257]

hi you can buy die blanks from pacific tool and gage od turned and threaded 7/8 14 solid or with pilot hole drilled thru

[Reg]

Change gear stack looks about right. If you only do occasional threading, a change gear lathe works just fine. Look at the condition of the ways ( the bed) especially up closer to the chuck. Look for severe wear , scouring of the shears or the tapered section in the front and the flat section in the rear. Look for wear on the rear like the tailstock might have been slid back and forth and it was dirty underneath.
Put the chuck on. Grab the chuck and try to feel for movement in and out. Front to back is OK as it can be adjusted but in ( to you and away from you ) and out could show bad bearings. Actually, overall the lathe looks clean and not badly abused and nowdays for 750.00 would be a bargain.
The Logan tended to be more solidly ( heavy ) made than most of the small lathes and should make a excellent lathe for making swaging and other small parts. You can find most repair and any other parts it might be missing on fleabay.

[Cane_man]

alright i hear what you guys are saying, this lathe might not have enough power, weight, or bore thru to do what i really want it to do some day... sure it might be fine and get by for 7/8-14 threads but not the best tool for this job...

i think a 13 to 16 inch swing by 36-54 bed with 2hp 220v and a 1" to 1.5" bore would be in the $1500 to $3000 range and out of my budget right now... this machine would also probably be too large for the space i have for it in my garage...

no delusions on this Logan 210, I know it was marketed back in the day to be a hobbyist/home bench top lathe to compete against Atlas/Craftsman, and they even sold a more stripped down version in Wards back in the day... however, this lathe will fit in my garage, runs on 110v, will get the job done for threading 7/8-14 if i am careful with material selection and depth of the passes, and it will always hold its value if i take care of it... the Logan's are quality machines and well built, the ways are hardened and ground... i am thinking it is worth the risk to see if i can get it to work out for what i need with swage dies and if it doesnt i can always Craigs List it and get my money back and look for another machine...

i am driving up there tomorrow and check it out and if it does what it is supposed to do i will most likely come home with it, unless i am convinced otherwise before then... thanks for all your input i do appreciate it

[customcutter]

Cane, check the link in your other thread. It's worth a look and not much bigger, but it is heavier and QC.