Mystery Clausing?

[matthewsx]

The Clausing is a nice machine, if it works I wouldn’t have any problems with the mods. Holes can be patched, maybe with some stock looking doors and maybe some day you’ll need that extra swing.

For certain, many of us would gladly trade our Asian machines for one like that. The issues you highlighted are mostly cosmetic. These tools were made to work so if someone needed to change something to get a job done that’s just part of its history.

John

 

[Dave Bonzo]

Those "access port" holes look to be someone's (bad) idea to improve easy of lubrication. And regarding the way notches, they look to be under the chuck. If they aren't in the carriage travel path, they won't hurt anything either.

Can you use these issues to leverage the price lower?

From what I'm told, the previous owner - current owner's neighbor - was a retired Boeng machinist...so I'm hoping that he wouldn't have dragged home a completely worn-out tool for his personal use. My thought is that you are correct; someone windowed that cover in order to lubricate the gears; I can't see inside that area very well without pulling the cover off, but it looks like there's a nice film of oil, dirt and metal shavings at the bottom...which is, you know, probably why they put a sealed cover on that area. But I've worked around a hundred old-school machinists that all thought they knew better than the tool designers, and would modify and change tools on a whim...and sometimes, they were spot-on with those changes. This was probably not one of those incidents.

The notching is very close to the headstock; I don't think the carriage/saddle will hit it. I couldn't get it up that close, myself, because of the big chuck that's in it.

The Clausing is a nice machine, if it works I wouldn’t have any problems with the mods. Holes can be patched, maybe with some stock looking doors and maybe some day you’ll need that extra swing.

For certain, many of us would gladly trade our Asian machines for one like that. The issues you highlighted are mostly cosmetic. These tools were made to work so if someone needed to change something to get a job done that’s just part of its history.

It feels like a decent lathe, it just has some frightening aspects to it. I do agree that most of what's happened on the lower part of the machine is cosmetic, and I think that I can fix most of that stuff in-house. I would have to get someone else to close the windows. Electrics aren't a big deal; that's just wiring and time.

Also, I think those notches are indeed there for extra swing; it's the only thing that makes sense, and if you had to make a number a certain part (or a very expensive singular part) it would be more expedient to modify the offending metal rather than get yourself behind schedule. I could probably file them into some semblance of non-offense.

Anyone know what that worm gear and wheel are for?

 

[matthewsx]

From what I'm told, the previous owner - current owner's neighbor - was a retired Boeng machinist...so I'm hoping that he wouldn't have dragged home a completely worn-out tool for his personal use. My thought is that you are correct; someone windowed that cover in order to lubricate the gears; I can't see inside that area very well without pulling the cover off, but it looks like there's a nice film of oil, dirt and metal shavings at the bottom...which is, you know, probably why they put a sealed cover on that area. But I've worked around a hundred old-school machinists that all thought they knew better than the tool designers, and would modify and change tools on a whim...and sometimes, they were spot-on with those changes. This was probably not one of those incidents.

The notching is very close to the headstock; I don't think the carriage/saddle will hit it. I couldn't get it up that close, myself, because of the big chuck that's in it.



It feels like a decent lathe, it just has some frightening aspects to it. I do agree that most of what's happened on the lower part of the machine is cosmetic, and I think that I can fix most of that stuff in-house. I would have to get someone else to close the windows. Electrics aren't a big deal; that's just wiring and time.

Also, I think those notches are indeed there for extra swing; it's the only thing that makes sense, and if you had to make a number a certain part (or a very expensive singular part) it would be more expedient to modify the offending metal rather than get yourself behind schedule. I could probably file them into some semblance of non-offense.

Anyone know what that worm gear and wheel are for?

Retired from Boeing is a good thing, so is the fact someone wanted better lubrication on the gear-train, looks like they kept it covered with duct tape....

I'm not sure what worm gear you're referring to but typically those are used for cross feed drive. It could possibly be from the carriage, but whether it's an unused spare, a part removed and not replaced, or something else we can't speculate without a good photo.

The most frightening aspect to any lathe is when you're operating it IMHO. Have to stay clear of the spinny bits or risk very serious injury. You can buy brand new machines for much more $$ but that's no guarantee of a trouble free experience.

For me, half the fun is fixing up old tools and getting them working good again. There's so much experience on this forum that almost any issue you come across someone here will have addressed it and know exactly what to do (usually multiple folks who might not even agree ). But you get the idea, we like helping newbies get setup and enjoy seeing the results....

John

 

[Dave Bonzo]

I'll write a longer reply in a few, but:

The mystery gear is this one; I wondered if it wasn't something that originally fitted into one of the open holes on the cabinet.

 

[matthewsx]

I'll write a longer reply in a few, but:

The mystery gear is this one; I wondered if it wasn't something that originally fitted into one of the open holes on the cabinet.

I'm not a Clausing expert but if it was from the lathe it would probably have been for tensioning belts, looks too big for the carriage. More likely it's just a random part the DPO found or was working on.

John

 

[francist]

May be a part of this assembly?…

The 6300 also had the option of continuous variable drive (variable speed pulley) which may have also been an opportunity for the worm gear but I’m not seeing anything down there. An empty hole or “extra hand wheel” in the base though may be related to that drive.

 

[Dave Bonzo]

Belt tensioning was my guess; I know the motor has been replaced with something recent and it's all kinds of rigged together, but it's at least under power. If I buy it, this mystery gear will go with it. This model does have the continuous drive feature...and now that I think about it, there are at least two mysterious holes in the lower cabinet where something once resided; that could account for both parts of this worm assembly. But why would they be removed at all? Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice...

I got back in touch with the seller; I'm going to head up that way one evening this week and take a closer look at the gears and the inside of that housing; thankfully, I have at least a token understanding of how gears should look, from having dealt with rack gearing on an extra-big-ass panel router for several years. If everything seems okay, I think we can probably reach a deal.

But here's the big question: price. Given what's sitting there and still needing to be done to get it back into solid service...

1. wiring (it's scary)

2. motor/belt adjustment/repair

3. closing those windows and getting the lubrication 100% working

4. inevitable surprises (doesn't really count)

...what kind of value are we seeing here? I know there are a couple of chucks of varying provenance (one is a Weston, I recognize that name from... somewhere...) odds and ends of tooling, the 90% intact stand, a steady rest, etc, etc so that adds to the value in my opinion. Also, I feel like I got a deal on the shaper, and I like the seller in general, so I'm inclined to not argue prices too much on the lathe. Any kind of ballpark numbers I should be thinking about?

 

[matthewsx]

May be a part of this assembly?…

View attachment 445493View attachment 445493

The 6300 also had the option of continuous variable drive (variable speed pulley) which may have also been an opportunity for the worm gear but I’m not seeing anything down there. An empty hole or “extra hand wheel” in the base though may be related to that drive.

Could be, and it would be worrisome if that was it. Were you able to run the machine when you looked it over? Does the seller know why it's there?

Also, as some have suggested it may be a negotiating point. You've already taken the cherry, he might be willing to let the rest go cheaper now.

In either case, all these machines are repairable. Sometimes features that never worked well in the first place are simply removed because they weren't needed at the time. Lathes are interesting machines in that many times they have the capability of fixing themselves in skillful (or not so much) hands.

I don't know how the market is where you are but it looks like you could drive up to Grizzly in a few hours and take a look at their new offerings.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-8-x-16-variable-speed-benchtop-lathe/g0768

Heavy 10 10" x 30" Gearhead Lathe at Grizzly.com

<h1>SB1007 Heavy 10 Gearhead Lathe</h1> <h2>No metal lathe has been as popular or as iconic as a Heavy 10.</h2> <p>The Heavy 10 10" X 30" is a modern variation of the classic South Bend lathe and is known worldwide for its reliability and exceptional accuracy. <p>Thick castings, heavy weight...

www.grizzly.com

There's an awful lot of repair that can be done for the delta between what you can get this lathe for and what it'll cost to buy something even close to comparable.

If it were me I'd load up 15 or so Benjamins in my wallet and see what I could get it for. Of course I haven't seen it in person, and I have repaired a few lathes already, but nothing in the pictures scares me. I'm pretty sure you could flip it for more that you'll spend and if it turns out to be complete junk (unlikely), you could part it for even more.

John

 

[matthewsx]

Belt tensioning was my guess; I know the motor has been replaced with something recent and it's all kinds of rigged together, but it's at least under power. If I buy it, this mystery gear will go with it. This model does have the continuous drive feature...and now that I think about it, there are at least two mysterious holes in the lower cabinet where something once resided; that could account for both parts of this worm assembly. But why would they be removed at all? Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice...

I got back in touch with the seller; I'm going to head up that way one evening this week and take a closer look at the gears and the inside of that housing; thankfully, I have at least a token understanding of how gears should look, from having dealt with rack gearing on an extra-big-ass panel router for several years. If everything seems okay, I think we can probably reach a deal.

But here's the big question: price. Given what's sitting there and still needing to be done to get it back into solid service...

1. wiring (it's scary)

2. motor/belt adjustment/repair

3. closing those windows and getting the lubrication 100% working

4. inevitable surprises (doesn't really count)

...what kind of value are we seeing here? I know there are a couple of chucks of varying provenance (one is a Weston, I recognize that name from... somewhere...) odds and ends of tooling, the 90% intact stand, a steady rest, etc, etc so that adds to the value in my opinion. Also, I feel like I got a deal on the shaper, and I like the seller in general, so I'm inclined to not argue prices too much on the lathe. Any kind of ballpark numbers I should be thinking about?

If he was offering the package for $3500 and you took half, the balance is $1750. I don't think you'll get hurt at that price but I'd start at $1000. I paid $850 for my 12x36 Taiwan built lathe a few years back and have about another $500 into it but it's not a Clausing.

Here's what a new Precision Matthews in a similar class costs.

PM-1236T 12″x36″ Ultra Precision Lathe – Precision Matthews Machinery Co.

www.precisionmatthews.com

If you don't want a project then pass and let another member here know about the seller. But, I bet if you don't get it you'll be kicking yourself later....

You already bought a shaper so clearly you're into this pretty far. There's little more satisfying in this hobby than making parts on a machine you renovated yourself IMHO.

John

 

[DavidR8]

John has excellent advice. My price would have been in the $1500 range as well assuming that it will go through the basics such as functional gearbox, etc.