Sheldon R17

RyanB

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Dec 17, 2017
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Hello,

Here is this months project. Cleanup, paint, fix a couple leaks. Hopefully she'll last me the rest of my life.

I am having trouble finding when my machine was built. Pls help :)

I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. I need a new thread chase gear too.

R17 (2).jpgR17.jpgr17 serial number.jpgR17 thread indicator gear.jpg
 
To get the build date I would join the Yahoo Sheldon Lathe Group. There is a gentleman by the name of John Knox who was an engineer for the company from the early 1950's to the early 1980's. He has a wealth of knowledge on the machines, and many of the records to date them. I gave him the serial number of my Sheldon MW-56-P. He was able to put the date of manufacture between late (November-December) 1959 to early (Jan- March) 1960.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups...lYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbWUDMTUwMTc4MjMxOA--
 
Serial number 33047 is one of the last lathes built by Sheldon in 1975 maybe a little later, according to the Serial Number Reference Book I have. John Knox may be able to date it a little closer, just have to check and see.
There is a company up in Rockford IL called Bourn & Kouch that owns what is left to the Sheldon Machine Co. They stock very little in the regards of repair parts. That damaged gear will probably cost you around $600 from them. Your best bet is to match it up to a Martin Gear or Boston Gear, modify it to that configuration and replace with that. I've made similar replacement parts from stock gears for the Sheldon lathes I have owned over the past years.
BTW- Nice looking lathe you have there. Sheldon lathes are sweet in my opinion!

Ken
 
Holy cow! Did somebody raise the headstock and tailstock to swing 19"?

You just gave me an idea...I could do that on my 15" Sheldon. Hummm.
 
Holy cow! Did somebody raise the headstock and tailstock to swing 19"?

You just gave me an idea...I could do that on my 15" Sheldon. Hummm.


I'm not sure if it is a custom job, I always assumed it was the difference between an R15, and a 17. Then all the cast pieces between both models would remain interchangeable.
 
I'm not sure if it is a custom job, I always assumed it was the difference between an R15, and a 17. Then all the cast pieces between both models would remain interchangeable.
That's not original. It was custom made just for that lathe. I'd be a little concern about it's accuracy and how it was fitted. Looks fairly recent, shiny metal, no patina yet.
 
That's not original. It was custom made just for that lathe. I'd be a little concern about it's accuracy and how it was fitted. Looks fairly recent, shiny metal, no patina yet.

It seems new becuase I cleaned it. That machine came out of the shop I've been working at for the last 14 years, and it was there before I started.
 
It could have come from the factory with the riser blocks. I have never seen it listed in any of the Sheldon literature for that lathe. They did make special equipment not listed. It's not uncommon for people to make riser blocks to increase the swing on a lathe. Seen many pictures over the years where it's been done.

Ken
 
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