Advance lathe

[welderskelter]

This is an old lathe that I bought about 35 years ago. Never had time to learn anything about it. And didnt have all you guys then. Now I have a lot of questions. Does this thing need any extra gears or can it do much with what its got? I think this is known as simple gearing according to the South Bend book. I did get some pics.

[SVS]

It has a quick change gear box so should cut common threads no problem.

A “loose change gear” lathe wouldn’t have the various gearboxes on lower left end.

[David Powell]

Hi, Well, your lathe has a train of gears from the mandrel to a gearbox in which the ratios are selected by two levers, the upper one w

[David Powell]

The gremlins got in my computer---- to continue the upper lever has 8 positions and the lower at least 3, maybe 4. So the gearbox should give at least the possibility of cutting 24 and perhaps 32 threads. Depending on the arrangements in the saddle you MAY also have fine feeds. Does the rod beneath the leadscrew turn? That may be what drives the saddle for fine feeds, Do you have any extra gears with the lathe, you may be able to physically change the gear train from the mandrel down to the gearbox to get more threads, if you have a 62 or 63 or 127 tooth gear in the collection you ought to be able to cut metric threads.
Really we need more information to help in more detail, Hope these pointers help David Powell.

[welderskelter]

I didnt get any more gears with it so I hope I have enough to do what I need. It will probably on bigger stuff so would probably be 8 threads and less. Thanks guys. Now if it warms up I can play. 17 below right now.

[nickel-city-fab]

Looks like you have everything you need to cut regular coarse threads, at least. Hope it warms up, I'm looking at ~3 deg F at work next week.... not much snow yet this year tho. I do the welding/fabrication/ mechanical repair /machining in a semi truck shop.

[welderskelter]

Nickel city fab I used to work building rig up trucks for the oil field in Okla . So I know what you do. I just didnt run the lathe, just welding, and fab.

[nickel-city-fab]

Nickel city fab I used to work building rig up trucks for the oil field in Okla . So I know what you do. I just didnt run the lathe, just welding, and fab.

I call myself "nickel city" because born in Buffalo, and "fab" because fabrication and welding. I'm a few miles north of Buffalo now, and yeah it does get cold and snow up here. I'm working days at a major scrap processor, we unload semis and cut it up smaller. Then it gets loaded with cranes onto trains for Cleveland, Indiana, and Detroit. Business is booming and we want more! (but damn its cold in the "back 40" some days!)

[mickeyf]

Hard to tell from the photos... In photo #4 I don't see a gear between the top (spindle) gears and the gear change box, but maybe it's just not in position. If the leadscrew turns when powered on, it's good. There is a chart above the change box that should tell you which settings will give you which threads. As David Powell said, the rod beneath the leadscrew likely powers the saddle and may also give you a power cross feed.

[tom_d]

Hard to tell from the photos... In photo #4 I don't see a gear between the top (spindle) gears and the gear change box, but maybe it's just not in position. If the leadscrew turns when powered on, it's good. There is a chart above the change box that should tell you which settings will give you which threads. As David Powell said, the rod beneath the leadscrew likely powers the saddle and may also give you a power cross feed.

I'm wondering if the larger gear is on a pivot, and is currently in the down, or disconnected position. Otherwise yes, it would appear to have a missing gear in the train. I see two star wheel knobs on the apron. looks to me like one for carriage and one for cross feed. Or maybe that's what the selector lever is for, and the knobs are for a forward and reverse function? Looks like a standard type of half nut lever for threading. Good that there is a threading dial. Neat old lathe.

[SVS]

Star wheels sure indicate power cross and long feed. Lever on apron next to half nut lever should select fwd/rev on feeds. Probably has to be in middle position for half nut lever to operate. (safety interlock)

Lever to right of quick change likely reverses lead screw but might disengage it with reverse accomplished further up hill. Might do both.

[welderskelter]

now you guys are making me anxious .

[welderskelter]

I wish I had someone close around here to show me how to run this thing. Ha. It would be easier on me and the lathe to learn together

[Brian H.]

Whereabouts are you at? You mentioned doing oilfield-related work in Oklahoma - are you near the Tulsa area by chance?

[welderskelter]

Right now I am 75 miles NE of Fargo ND. wAUBUN mN.