South Bend 9a Restoration (pic Heavy)

wildo

Registered
Registered
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
519
A month ago I brought home my first lathe- a 1941 South Bend 9a. I didn't really intend to do a full restoration on it right away since I'm itching to start turning, but one thing lead to another and here I am. I thought you guys might enjoy the process.

Starting out with a nice lathe, but some factory worker (I assume) slathered this thing in paint. This blue crinkle paint is everywhere. The paint is in good shape in some places, and terrible shape in others. This is the starting point:
1_zpsno1vncwv.jpg

4_zpsdssgodkt.jpg

2_zps0gn0pdpk.jpg

I bought some late model leveling feet and in the effort to mount them, I found so much filth. Lots of used motor oil. Decades upon decades of grease & grim. I only intended to take it apart in order to mount the feet, but I just couldn't put it back together so filthy in good conscious. In order to mount the feet, I had to drill new mounting holes in the bed. That process already has a thread on here.

In the process of getting the feet mounted, I used Zep Purple industrial degreaser to clean and strip the lathe bed. I was happy and surprised to find a nice South Bend name plate under all that paint! I used an 8" diameter cardboard concrete form to soak the bed. Most of the degreaser ran out over night, but it worked well enough. I really wanted PVC, but that diameter was just too expensive.
19_zpsg8lp7gsc.jpg

You can see though that the degreaser worked exceptionally well to strip the paint:
20_zpsi9tovyyx.jpg

Now the bed and feet were painted. I'm using Ben Moore DTM Alkyd Low Luster paint sprayed through a HVLP gun. This is my first time using a HVLP gun and all I can say is that I'm not sure why I waited so long!
29_zpsajp2x49i.jpg

Now, to jump back in time for a moment- when I was talking to the previous owner, I was told that the lathe was a 36" model. Therefore I went out and bought a 36" chip pan. Well it turns out that the lathe is actually a 42" model which is great! However, the chip pan would not fit under both feet at the same time. My solution was to simply offset it like this:
9_zpstruhtlcl.jpg

...And that seemed to work ok with the original lathe feet. However, the new later-model feet are much bigger and that REALLY pushed the chip pan further to the right. I ended up having something like 8" of chip pan extending passed the end of the lathe bed. The more I looked at it, the more it bothered me. So in a moment of what I assumed to be poor judgement, I decided to do something about it.

First the old holes in the pan were filled and ground smooth:
33_zps5pe4mub0.jpg

Then I sectioned out a 6.5" section of the pan:
34_zpsns3rmrdi.jpg

I welded it back together and then used fiberglass bondo to blend the seam. I didn't take a picture of the bondo sanded down:
37_zpsduv2fnlw.jpg

Finally I could paint the pan. I did spray a layer of black first, and then covered it with the machine grey color I'm using. What I thought would be cool is to put some sticky letters down on the bed before spraying it grey. Then I could peel the stickers up and be left with black lettering. In the end, the grey paint over the sticky letters left a VERY cool "embossed" look which I'm leaving for now. If the sticky letters start peeling up, then no big deal; I'll peel them all up and have the black letters I originally intended:
41_zpsaog0hzl1.jpg

Overall I'm MUCH happier with the length of the chip pan, and the weld seam is completely invisible. I'm really proud of how this one turned out!40_zpsq9izecw2.jpg

Next up was the filthy headstock. Now, when I went to purchase the lathe, I saw it in operation. It sounded nice and quiet, smooth, and in really good shape. I'm so saddened to see that there is some gulling on the spindle and cast bearings. One "band" is pretty bad, though the areas around that band seem to be nice and smooth. I really have no idea what to do about this. I've heard that people will stone the high spots, and just move on. Outside of replacing the head and spindle, I don't think anything can be done. This lathe will be used for hobbyist type work from here on out, so I guess it is what it is... :(
43_zps4vqxlexs.jpg

45_zpsvy6lcjvm.jpg

46_zpszijibujq.jpg

The head and drive train were degreased and stripped. I found that the head casting had some kind of rough spots, so I went ahead and smoothed it out with bondo. Not to mention that it had quite a few holes in it that someone drilled. I wanted all those extra holes gone!
51_zpsprydds7r.jpg

54_zpsrfsgjp1b.jpg

56_zpsfkthtndn.jpg

Finally, the head was painted and is looking NICE!
59_zpsj5d3x1qo.jpg

61_zpsvtnlmj1w.jpg

60_zpsofqftmtf.jpg

62_zpspnw37wby.jpg

I painted the non-machined area on the back gear and also did a cleanup on the back gear itself:
64_zpssfvlrchf.jpg

And some other parts with paint:
57_zpsakiskznp.jpg

That's where I'm at right now... LOTS more work to do, but it's coming along!

1_zpsno1vncwv.jpg

4_zpsdssgodkt.jpg

2_zps0gn0pdpk.jpg

19_zpsg8lp7gsc.jpg

20_zpsi9tovyyx.jpg

29_zpsajp2x49i.jpg

9_zpstruhtlcl.jpg

33_zps5pe4mub0.jpg

34_zpsns3rmrdi.jpg

37_zpsduv2fnlw.jpg

41_zpsaog0hzl1.jpg

40_zpsq9izecw2.jpg

43_zps4vqxlexs.jpg

45_zpsvy6lcjvm.jpg

46_zpszijibujq.jpg

51_zpsprydds7r.jpg

54_zpsrfsgjp1b.jpg

56_zpsfkthtndn.jpg

59_zpsj5d3x1qo.jpg

61_zpsvtnlmj1w.jpg

60_zpsofqftmtf.jpg

62_zpspnw37wby.jpg

64_zpssfvlrchf.jpg

57_zpsakiskznp.jpg

1_zpsno1vncwv.jpg

4_zpsdssgodkt.jpg

2_zps0gn0pdpk.jpg

19_zpsg8lp7gsc.jpg

20_zpsi9tovyyx.jpg

29_zpsajp2x49i.jpg

9_zpstruhtlcl.jpg

33_zps5pe4mub0.jpg

34_zpsns3rmrdi.jpg

37_zpsduv2fnlw.jpg

41_zpsaog0hzl1.jpg

40_zpsq9izecw2.jpg

43_zps4vqxlexs.jpg

45_zpsvy6lcjvm.jpg

46_zpszijibujq.jpg

51_zpsprydds7r.jpg

54_zpsrfsgjp1b.jpg

56_zpsfkthtndn.jpg

59_zpsj5d3x1qo.jpg

61_zpsvtnlmj1w.jpg

60_zpsofqftmtf.jpg

62_zpspnw37wby.jpg

64_zpssfvlrchf.jpg

57_zpsakiskznp.jpg

1_zpsno1vncwv.jpg

4_zpsdssgodkt.jpg

2_zps0gn0pdpk.jpg

19_zpsg8lp7gsc.jpg

20_zpsi9tovyyx.jpg

29_zpsajp2x49i.jpg

9_zpstruhtlcl.jpg

33_zps5pe4mub0.jpg

34_zpsns3rmrdi.jpg

37_zpsduv2fnlw.jpg

41_zpsaog0hzl1.jpg

40_zpsq9izecw2.jpg

43_zps4vqxlexs.jpg

45_zpsvy6lcjvm.jpg

46_zpszijibujq.jpg

51_zpsprydds7r.jpg

54_zpsrfsgjp1b.jpg

56_zpsfkthtndn.jpg

59_zpsj5d3x1qo.jpg

61_zpsvtnlmj1w.jpg

60_zpsofqftmtf.jpg

62_zpspnw37wby.jpg

64_zpssfvlrchf.jpg

57_zpsakiskznp.jpg

1_zpsno1vncwv.jpg

4_zpsdssgodkt.jpg

2_zps0gn0pdpk.jpg

19_zpsg8lp7gsc.jpg

20_zpsi9tovyyx.jpg

29_zpsajp2x49i.jpg

9_zpstruhtlcl.jpg

33_zps5pe4mub0.jpg

34_zpsns3rmrdi.jpg

37_zpsduv2fnlw.jpg

41_zpsaog0hzl1.jpg

40_zpsq9izecw2.jpg

43_zps4vqxlexs.jpg

45_zpsvy6lcjvm.jpg

46_zpszijibujq.jpg

51_zpsprydds7r.jpg

54_zpsrfsgjp1b.jpg

56_zpsfkthtndn.jpg

59_zpsj5d3x1qo.jpg

61_zpsvtnlmj1w.jpg

60_zpsofqftmtf.jpg

62_zpspnw37wby.jpg

64_zpssfvlrchf.jpg

57_zpsakiskznp.jpg

1_zpsno1vncwv.jpg

4_zpsdssgodkt.jpg

2_zps0gn0pdpk.jpg

19_zpsg8lp7gsc.jpg

20_zpsi9tovyyx.jpg

29_zpsajp2x49i.jpg

9_zpstruhtlcl.jpg

33_zps5pe4mub0.jpg

34_zpsns3rmrdi.jpg

37_zpsduv2fnlw.jpg

41_zpsaog0hzl1.jpg

40_zpsq9izecw2.jpg

43_zps4vqxlexs.jpg

45_zpsvy6lcjvm.jpg

46_zpszijibujq.jpg

51_zpsprydds7r.jpg

54_zpsrfsgjp1b.jpg

56_zpsfkthtndn.jpg

59_zpsj5d3x1qo.jpg

61_zpsvtnlmj1w.jpg

60_zpsofqftmtf.jpg

62_zpspnw37wby.jpg

64_zpssfvlrchf.jpg

57_zpsakiskznp.jpg
 
Try to ignore the damaged section of the spindle and bearing. The remaining smooth sections look good and will support the spindle just fine.

That's what I figured. There seems to be plenty of "meat" left that is unscathed! :)
 
That's looking really good especially the pan. Hard to believe that it was cut and welded. As far as the headstock is concerned, it is probably okay to use as a hobby machine. If you had to repair it, the best approach is probably to have the shaft metal sprayed and the headstock bushed somehow. Instead of bushing the shaft, you would also get some babbit or epoxy laid in. Nice job though and good to see old stuff fixed up.
 
I really wouldn't worry about the spindle galling, just gently stone off any high spots, do the same in the bearing, refit and adjust. It will run as well as it ever did. It looks like some previous owner has neglected to oil it on every use, and it has picked up a bit. There is PLENTY of contact area, and any low spots will just hold oil. and always oil it every time you turn it on!
Phil
 
I really wouldn't worry about the spindle galling, just gently stone off any high spots, do the same in the bearing, refit and adjust. It will run as well as it ever did.
Phil

Maybe I should start a separate thread on this, but I'll just ask here. When one says to "stone" a high spot- I get that you're essentially sanding down the high spot with a stone. But what stone to use? I'm not sure where to get stones, what quality of stones, etc. Is there a "standard" stone used for this sort of task?
 
And thank you all for the kind comments! I'd like to say I learned a lot from the drill press restoration that I've been able to apply and do better on this lathe restoration. I'm very pleased with how it's coming along! Like I said, there's still so much work left to be done, but it'll be sweet once finished. It will be so nice to not have 75 years of grease & grim on my workbench. :)
 
Back
Top