Parts For A Leblond Lathe

I finally got the Leblond in the shop this weekend. Started cleaning and looking it over really well. Found that the t bolts for the compound were stripped. So I now have it torn apart in the shop to get the t bolts out. To get to it, the compound screw has to come out. While I have it this far apart I thought I would change out the compound nut just so I dont have to go this deep into it for a while. I called Leblond and the nut is $190! Is this high or the going rate? Is there anywhere else that I could find one or is it a Leblond only part? Is there anything else that I should look at or replace while I have it apart this far? The taper attachment looks like it is in good shape.

Well if leblond wants that much for it, that's the going rate lol.
Is it something that you can make? Lotta guys have success with the delrin nut halves melted around the lead screw, very low backlash. I'd look into that option someone will chime in with the correct name for it.

Zachp said:

I finally got the Leblond in the shop this weekend. Started cleaning and looking it over really well. Found that the t bolts for the compound were stripped. So I now have it torn apart in the shop to get the t bolts out. To get to it, the compound screw has to come out. While I have it this far apart I thought I would change out the compound nut just so I dont have to go this deep into it for a while. I called Leblond and the nut is $190! Is this high or the going rate? Is there anywhere else that I could find one or is it a Leblond only part? Is there anything else that I should look at or replace while I have it apart this far? The taper attachment looks like it is in good shape.

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What's the thread? Acme or standard? R or L? Offhand, I'd expect it to be LH Acme 1/2-10 or some such. In any case, go buy a hunk of 954 aluminum bronze and make one (or have it made). And by all means, check out people like Miller Machine, Fred Eisner, Logan, etc (most are HSM advertisers) and e-bay. Pretty good chance that you can find one, rework a standard -much cheaper- item to fit, or have one made. Don't forget that many of these parts are interchangeable across multiple models and even brands (good example is midsize Standard Modern lathes- very high parts commonality across models; Grizzly/Rong-Fu; Atlas/Sears; etc).

For OEM aftermarket parts from an original manufacturer or authorized supplier, the price seems to be about 3 times what the traffic will bear. Can't prove it, but I strongly suspect these get made to order rather than being stock items (which is why the silly prices).

The shop I apprenticed in was a support shop for a Kelsey Hayes factory. Some wise guy in production didn't like the idea of their having to repair work on the production floor so they put sand in the oil hole on the cross slide of one of their LeBlond lathes. They got their way, the factory scrapped the rework idea. The tool room got the lathe. By the time it wore out, the cross slide screw was without threads and the nut was just a ragged hole. Maintenance ordered new parts, my foreman suggested that I try to make a new screw and nut, see which one got to him first. I beat the delivery by a week. I made the screw, 5/8 10 left hand and the nut, made a tap for the nut. Still have it. He was a good foreman.

You can make almost anything you need.

T Bredehoft said:

You can make almost anything you need.

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Couldn't agree more! In fact, we're machinists...we should be able to repair our own machines.

A tap for that nut would sure be handy for ZachP.... (LH taps are stupid expensive). How close is St. Louisville to McArthur?

(BTW- wouldn't, personally, use the Delrin trick. I don't think it'd be a good long term fix, might not be very stable under load, either. Delrin might be OK for a Sherline or some other very light duty machine -I don't know- but I'd careful using it on a nut that faced much load at all. I really would stick to cast iron, bearing bronze, or something similar. I've had excellent luck with 954. Machines well, not dirty like cast iron, wears very well.)

GLCarlson said:

Couldn't agree more! In fact, we're machinists...we should be able to repair our own machines.

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:+1:

You would be surprised at how strong and durable that plastic is, long term, not forever but let's be honest, we are HOBBY machinist, that aren't usually pushing things too hard cause we usually have used machines that we wanna make last another 50yrs, if possible I too would opt for making a direct replacement from bronze, as mentioned the tap ain't super cheap. The delrin nut would be cheap to make and most likely give years of dependable service. I have a triplex pump at work (oil field) that uses delrin valves, it's rated to 4600psi. The valves slap continuously open and closed against a stainless valve seat.... they last a long time in this severe duty application

Thank you all for the comments and help. I ended up ordering the part from leblond. I have the machine torn apart to fix the t bolt and didn't want to put it back together until I fixed it correctly. I also am still waiting on my rotophase so I can run the machine. I am going to keep the old one and once I figure out what I'm doing I may try to make one. I am not a machinist by any stretch. I just purchased this machine along with a Bridgeport j head. This will be a large learning curve but hopefully I can learn enough here and by experience to be dangerous. I have a few simple parts to be made to learn on. That should get my feet wet.