Help With Grandpa & Dad's Old Machines!

Monmouth, Illinois is a very small town. Only about 8,000 people at most. Small farm community. I don't think there is any place there that could ship it. There are some larger towns like Peoria, Illinois that may be able to ship it. I can try to give you any information you would like. I know it still works as my husband has used it within the last few months. And Grandpa used it for everything! Let me know what I can assist you with and I will try!
 
Maria Cooper said:
Monmouth, Illinois is a very small town. Only about 8,000 people at most. Small farm community. I don't think there is any place there that could ship it.
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You might be surprised. Ask at the farm stores, the coop, the implement dealers, and the tractor repair places.
 
Sorry to hear about the deaths of fine men.

Cool lathe. Flat belt with the line shaft system above. These need to be kept together. A buyer will want to see pics of the lathe bed (ways) to learn if they are dinged or worn. Any additional pics or information of tooling will drive the price up quickly.

The grinder is a 3phase. A deal killer for some buyers. Should be a powerful grinder! If you are in a residential areas you likely don't have 3phase electricity. Thus, you probably have a rotary phase converter hiding somewhere, could be in the attic or a corner, possibly near the electrical panel. Depending on the size of the RPC and complexity it may also have value. Alternatively, it might just be a large 3phase motor with a pull cord (old school).

There are two companies with similar names. Wells and Wellsaw. Wells still sells parts for their saws, not sure about Wellsaw. That may encourage a buyer who doesn't know.

Daryl
MN
 
Welding tangs are fussy. Some welding services may not be willing to mess with them unless you have papers showing ownership. I've been told there is rampant theft of tanks from various job sites. You may be best off taking the tanks to whoever last filled them. Otherwise they may actually be difficult to sell and/or dispose of.

Value of everything depends on local supply/demand.
I don't know Indiana.

Daryl
MN
 
Several of the machines I think are very worth having. If I were close and had the room the drill press would be my request to buy and the wellsaw . I'd love to own the threading machine. Those you don't find anymore. The bender with all the tooling should be able to bring $200.00 if it's a brand name . Not a China knockoff. I'd say make a package price if you want , but you make more individually. Ask $3,000.00 and you may get $2,000.00 . We all like a good deal right.
 
ID like to chip in with a couple of comments. The Canedy -Otto drill press looks like it is in very nice condition. Maybe the second best looking drill press of this size and vintage I've seen. Prices vary on these around the country, but easily should go between $250 and $1100. At the high end these machines usually stay for sale a long while. This DP looks like it has power down feed - which is very desirable for drilling through large steel work with 1" and larger bits. If you check out the drill chuck probably you will find the make and size it opens to. Maybe a "1/2" chuck if it is modern and small, or possibly up to 2" chuck - considering your dad and Grandad's original professional use. Does it have any drills with it? It so, that would be an added selling point. Also take a look at the motor and publish what horsepower and power rating ( 220volts maybe). also whether three phase or single phase power. These things will help sell the machine for a fair price, and let prospective buyers know what capability the machine offers.

Regarding your lathe - that is a fabulous old South bend late - I've never seen one with the particular gear change box / data plate yours displays. This certainly is a 1920's maybe earlier vintage machine. And it may be a collector's item, hence worth more than usual if the ways still have little scallop like scrap marks showing. These lathes were hand scraped to be perfectly flat and the scrape marks are designed to retain way oil - lubrication to prevent the machines surfaces from wearing each other out of true. Take some oil and a rag and clean up the ways a bit under the chuck. If they still show small circular stirations, then you may really have something!

The catalog number relates to the year made. Over on Vintage tools web site you should be able to find a listing of early day SB lathes, by catalog number. That should help you date the machine. It won't be the same physical build as the more popular, and more common Ww II SB 9" lathes. But this one looks like it could be a real keeper!

Edit: As FYI, your lathe appears to have the original 'Japaning' finish - same as Henry Ford applied to his early day Model T's " you can have any color you like, as long as it is black." Japaning was made by melting a mineral known as Gilsonite or mineralized asphaltium, then thinning with turpentine and linseed oil then adding 3% lamp black to produce a liquid finish. This was baked onto the lathe at 400 degrees until dried, then repeated three times to build the coat. Stuff lasts forever and protects the underlying iron/steel from rust remarkably well. It also dates the lathe to pre 1925 or so.

If your prospective buyer doesn't want the wall mounted drive assembly currently with the lathe, please let me know. (Many people upgrade these drive systems with a newer style SB 9 motor mount. My lathe, similar vintage, does not have this drive assembly and I would like to restore it to original condition with these brackets and drive line. Previous owner inexplictly threw the back gear assembly away! They aren't available anywhere now, as they have very little utility- except to mate up with these early day machines. Thanks much!

Regards
Glenn B.
 
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