Central Machinery model 46915 13 x 40 Lathe

[Larry W]

Dave,
I have had a 13 x 36 Central Machinery lathe for 14 years. I've had no major problems. You may still be able to get parts if you have a manual and part number. Not sure. I would open the gear case to check for worn or broken gears etc.
I always had mine lubed well and not steady use. Maybe 20 hours a week for a few years. Now Snow Birding in the Winter so bought an old Leblond 13 x 72. Had to rebuild the cross slide nut/acme rod. Not a big deal. Had a backup lathe to do the turning. Made my own acme LH nut from Acetyl scrap. Had to buy the rod material and a LH 5/8 8 tap. I will have manual when I return for the Summer if you still need it.
Darn there I go bragging. But isn't it nice when these things turn out well.

[flylo]

The threads a year old but no way you'll get parts from Horror Fright.

[Oldguy]

I realize this is an old post. If the lathe in question is actually a #46951, I have a PDF copy of the manual. If you would like a copy, let me know.

Glenn

[Dave C]

Thanks Oldguy, I have the operation instruction manual. If you have something else I would love to have a copy. Anything with more info would be greatly appreciated.

[radkins]

So it's been a year now, how's that lathe working out?

My HF lathe has been in full use since 2008 and it's still doing just fine, I suppose since it was sold by HF I expect (not!) that it will fall apart into a big heap just any day now or at least that's what I was warned about by the folks who told me I was making a mistake buying it from HF!

[Dave C]

So it's been a year now, how's that lathe working out?

My HF lathe has been in full use since 2008 and it's still doing just fine, I suppose since it was sold by HF I expect (not!) that it will fall apart into a big heap just any day now or at least that's what I was warned about by the folks who told me I was making a mistake buying it from HF!

So far it's been pretty good. It had some minor electrical issues that didn't effect it's operation, but my OCD wouldn't let them go unfixed. The back splash had a broken weld in one corner. It was only tacked by the factory and probably came apart when we loading it. A little time with the mig fixed the broken weld, and thanks to the help of folks on this forum, I got the indicator lights working again. More on that here: bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/66711-LED-Power-indicator-light/

The biggest issue didn't show up until I attempted to single point a thread. The longitudinal carriage movement was a herky-jerky process that turned out to be caused by two things. One being collapsed roll pins that attach the lead screws to their sockets. The other was a bent shaft/pinion gear that engages the rack below the ways, and moves the carriage along the ways. The fix required several hours work, but turned out better than expected. bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/67511-How-am-I-going-to-fix-this/page3/
I added some felt under the way wipers for oil retention and actual way wiping, and made a nut and handle for the tool post.


The biggest issue I have now is finding the time to use the lathe. I don't know how I ever had time for working before i retired.

[radkins]

Somehow I missed both discussions, both are quite interesting. Looks like your lathe suffered a major crash early on but since you got it repaired ok it seems the story ends well. Both of the failures my lathe has suffered were also due to unfortunate occurrences, such as the time I broke the engagement control by backing into the darn thing with my truck (I know John, clumsy bastard!) but that's just part of life I suppose.

[Dave C]

The evidence points to the lathe being crashed at some point. Not a rare occurrence for someone in learning mode. Since we are confessing our clumsy bastard moments, I'll admit to almost wrecking the lathe while getting it off my truck. I was in a hurry to get it inside because rain was on the way. I had the lathe slung from my shop crane with the boom extended to reach the balance point. When I pulled the crane back, I didn't realize that the machine was not completely off the truck's bed. When it cleared the tailgate, the crane started tipping forward, and the lathe would have crashed to the ground had I not been able to jump on the back of the crane to add my weight and get it stabilized. Then, when I let the boom all the way down, the lathe was was still a foot off the ground. I had to perform some gymnastics to make the crane tip slowly and not drop that last foot all at once. Definitely got my heart rate up.

[Matty]

Hello,

Matty from NC here. I also have a 14 X 40 Central Machinery lathe and love it. I need a set of change gears. Mine are worn. Besides HF is there any one who handles these parts?

MM

[Dave C]

Hello,

Matty from NC here. I also have a 14 X 40 Central Machinery lathe and love it. I need a set of change gears. Mine are worn. Besides HF is there any one who handles these parts?

MM

You wont get parts from HF, but you might get what you need from Grizzly. I'm told that some of their machines come from the same factory as the HF ones. Talk to a sales tech and tell him/her what you need.