Older Leblond Model 21

Photo from Tony's site (http://www.lathes.co.uk/leblond/) is below of a 25" lathe. Looks like dfletch is correct about the riser blocks. The bottom edge of "HEAVY DUTY" on the 25" lathe pictured below lines right up with the top of the bed. Looks like yours is setting higher to the bed. Looks like the back side head stock cover fits higher to the QCGB than in the picture below.

View attachment 118017

I see it now!
The reason the head stock looks lower than tail stock is th way is covering part of spacer.
 
Perhaps the spacers are good, and away you go. Perhaps the spacers have not been done well, and you can take them out and all you'll be left with is a 21" LeBLOND HEAVY DUTY lathe. No way to lose here. Expecting lots of pictures.
 
I wouldn't go removing those blocks unless your really sure someone added them the tail stock looks factory to me if you can see the extra 2" piece is the locking block to hold it on the lathe. I admit the headstock looks ro be not mounted right but look it over good to see if the vee cuts line up or not ? still you've got one really nice machine there , I bet it will take a ten hp motor and never let ya down .it might need bigger but it shouldn't need more then ten. the way the gear box is on it will help keep it from slowing down any cut you need to make. wish I had a nice one like that many times my little Logan could be turned on your lathe .
 
Looks like a slug spacer under the compound too.

That lathe reminds me (and brings a tear to my eye) of an old American machine tool 20 x 40 I had. Looked a lot like that LeBlond, even down to the gearbox, which on mine was shop made. Noisy as all getout, but gave me 4 speeds! I should have put a VFD on it, but I'm not too sure I could have afforded one at the time, that was a long time ago. Might not have even been making practical VFD's. Mine had a 10hp motor (still have that). Here is a flyer on it. I wish I had it in original shape, but it had been "modernized" a bit. http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1004/3604.pdf


Seeing the risers on it makes me think of a lathe that I can't recall the maker of, but was bad about just blocking everything up to get more swing. I never cared for that practice. It was an Italian machine IIRC. Around 30" swing (with blocks). On that one, it was factory, so there was not a good way to bring it down to where it should be more rigid. It always seemed to be limber, but may have been my imagination at work because of the blocking.
 
Maybe I'll apply the ain't broke don't fix method?
Soon ad I get it in shop I definitely want to look closer though!
For motor hp, I am thinking a 2-3 hp should make it go round for most my needs? I can't really foresee spinning any large diameter parts, and if I do it has some pretty low gears.

Now about the VFD for these things?
 
HP? It depends. If you have 3 phase, I'd put a 5 on it. Otherwise, yes, a little smaller unless you have a honest need for the power.

Although VFD's sound great, I don't have one on a single one of my machines. I guess I just learned without them, and have no problems not having them. That's on manual machines, of course. They are integral with CNC. Lots of people on the Forum have bought a variety of them and have successfully installed them. If you know even basic electric work you should be able to do it. There are quite a few threads showing how it has been done, and many experienced people to guide you if needed. I'm just not one of them. My only experience with them is with ~100 HP 7 stage centrifugal pumps and such.
 
HP? It depends. If you have 3 phase, I'd put a 5 on it. Otherwise, yes, a little smaller unless you have a honest need for the power.

Although VFD's sound great, I don't have one on a single one of my machines. I guess I just learned without them, and have no problems not having them. That's on manual machines, of course. They are integral with CNC. Lots of people on the Forum have bought a variety of them and have successfully installed them. If you know even basic electric work you should be able to do it. There are quite a few threads showing how it has been done, and many experienced people to guide you if needed. I'm just not one of them. My only experience with them is with ~100 HP 7 stage centrifugal pumps and such.

Unfortunately I only have single phase available. My experience with VFD AC is limited but I remember constant voltage and vary the HZ, however I don't have the slightest idea how to do it on a budget.
 
You might want to start a new thread in the electrical subforum about it. We have qualified people to tell you what your options are, $$wise.
 
Not intending to hi-jack the thread but re the PDF of the American lathe that Tony posted, what is a "Draw-in" and a "Relieving" attachment?

Personally, I would first make sure that the headstock and tailstock actually originally fit the bed. If so, I would remove the rather crude looking obviously shop built spacer blocks under the headstock and tailstock. Only question is that there are in one of the photos two V's in the bottom of the headstock casting and none visible in the spacer block.

I agree that the top-mounted gearbox appears to be part of a conversion from overhead drive shaft to individual electric motor drive.

On motor horsepower, the only Leblond catalog that we have is much newer (I would guess 60's) but it shows a 10 HP on a 19" and a 15 HP on a 24 (that is actually a 26"). The largest 1740 RPM 230 Volt Single Phase motor I found in the Grainger catalog was 10 HP, with a full load ampere rating of 43 Amps! And it cost over $1400. I would put the practical limit on a typical residential 120/240 volt service at about 5 HP.
 
Not intending to hi-jack the thread but re the PDF of the American lathe that Tony posted, what is a "Draw-in" and a "Relieving" attachment?

Personally, I would first make sure that the headstock and tailstock actually originally fit the bed. If so, I would remove the rather crude looking obviously shop built spacer blocks under the headstock and tailstock. Only question is that there are in one of the photos two V's in the bottom of the headstock casting and none visible in the spacer block.

I agree that the top-mounted gearbox appears to be part of a conversion from overhead drive shaft to individual electric motor drive.

On motor horsepower, the only Leblond catalog that we have is much newer (I would guess 60's) but it shows a 10 HP on a 19" and a 15 HP on a 24 (that is actually a 26"). The largest 1740 RPM 230 Volt Single Phase motor I found in the Grainger catalog was 10 HP, with a full load ampere rating of 43 Amps! And it cost over $1400. I would put the practical limit on a typical residential 120/240 volt service at about 5 HP.

I have a separate 200 amp service to my barn/shop so theoretically I could run a 10 hp motor with no issue. However I don't see ever needing it on a basis that would justify the expense.
I need to start a thread in electrical forum when I get home today and figure out my options before I go shopping for motors.

Anyone know how to turn off email notifications, lol I like this Place but I don't need an email for every response.
 
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