New Leblond Lathe

[David]

I need some help if possible. I recently purchased a 15x30 Servo shift lathe. It needs some cleaning and a few repairs but overall it seems to be a worthy project. I want to know as much as possible about this lathe. I plan on doing a restoration before placing into service.

I have a copy of a copy of the leblond regal 15" and 19" instruction and parts manual but was wanting more info on this machine if possible. I would love to have detailed electrical schematics on this machine. I know Leblond LTD. has parts and manuals but I wanted to try here first.

Are there any members who have this machine now or know of a good source of manuals for it?

I know the stories on how troublesome the servo shifts are, but there are not a lot of choices for lathe purchases in this part of the country, so i'm going to give it a try.

Any information would be appreciated. I know we used to have a member here that worked for Leblond but can't remember his name! Sorry about the photos not being clear.

David

 

[Ray C]

Nice lathe. I'm a big fan of LeBlond and would like to get one some day. I think I saw that one on eBay... Congrats.

LeBlond still sells parts for a lot of the Regals. Check here: http://leblondusa.com/


Ray

 

[David]

Thanks Ray. I have been to their site, and had a phone conversation about the lathe.

I would think there would be an abundance of used equipment in your area!

The machine was found locally. I have been looking for a Leblond for several years now. Hopefully the hunt is over!

David

 

[Ray C]

No, not much equipment like that around here at all. If I go North, it can be found. Personally, I think Leblonds are king of the hill stuff in terms of industrial equipment. But don't be fooled, they're darn accurate and precise. I used a 15x54 for a long while. Very solid and well tuned machines. They were top dog in their day and my father and uncles used them almost exclusively throughout their careers. The only downside is that most of the ones available have seen heavy use and need a full work-over. Most of those machines ran 2-3 shifts per day at least 5 days a week.

Good luck with it and please keep us posted.


Ray

Thanks Ray. I have been to their site, and had a phone conversation about the lathe.

I would think there would be an abundance of used equipment in your area!

The machine was found locally. I have been looking for a Leblond for several years now. Hopefully the hunt is over!

David

 

[Tony Wells]

Nice find, David. Looks like it will clean up nicely. I believe the made a number of those, so finding a manual or parts shouldn't be too big a problem. Keep up the pictures!

 

[David]

Thank you Tony. It will be several more weeks before I start on the lathe. I will try to document the project!

David

 

[Old Iron]

If it is like my 1953 13" the bearings in the head stock have to be oiled before you start it up. So they aren't dry mine only has a splash oiler system.

Paul

 

[smallfly]

I need some help if possible. I recently purchased a 15x30 Servo shift lathe. It needs some cleaning and a few repairs but overall it seems to be a worthy project. I want to know as much as possible about this lathe. I plan on doing a restoration before placing into service.

I have a copy of a copy of the leblond regal 15" and 19" instruction and parts manual but was wanting more info on this machine if possible. I would love to have detailed electrical schematics on this machine. I know Leblond LTD. has parts and manuals but I wanted to try here first.

Are there any members who have this machine now or know of a good source of manuals for it?

I know the stories on how troublesome the servo shifts are, but there are not a lot of choices for lathe purchases in this part of the country, so i'm going to give it a try.

Any information would be appreciated. I know we used to have a member here that worked for Leblond but can't remember his name! Sorry about the photos not being clear.

David

--david i purchased a le--blond 19x54 about 6 years ago. i have the manuals and electrical drawings of servo shift controls yes it is a sevo shift. NO--the servo shift did not work when i purchased the lathe--it works really well now but was a long drawn out process working with leblond techs and the parts dept. to get the problems resolved. not enough room here to write it all down. if i can answer ques. or you need some help please call me here in mt. 406--596--7960. good luck . re steve in mt.

 

[David]

Thanks for the replys Paul and Steve.

I'm not sure on the pre-oil before start up Paul. I have not read anything stating that it is required, I will check on that.

Steve as I get further into this build, I will give you a call to discuss the servo shift and the electrical controls.

It appears that some of the original components in the control panel have been replaced and possibly upgraded. So my first task is to see what the machine was suppose to have originally and compare that to what is actually there now.

In the photos below you can see where a transformer has fried at some point and the circuit board does not look period correct to me.

I will try to update as I dig further into the machine!

David

 

[jamie76x]

The servo shift system is great to work with when it works ..... But for about $357 you can convert this to a manual shift and never have an issue with the electronics ever again Leblond sells a kit to switch it over. The biggest fear is a failure with the shifting cylinders and having it drop into 2 gears at the same time causing damage.