What have I got

[tom_d]

That should be the South Bend "Heavy Ten" tool room lathe. Based on this site I'm going to guess the lathe was built around 1960: http://www.wswells.com/serial_number.html
If it has been sitting for many years the best thing is to clean the dust and dirt off, and then do a thorough lubrication. This will include a check of the oil cups and wicks that feed oil to the spindle bearings. You definitely do not want to run that machine with dry bearings. There are kits available on ebay to replace the wicks that include instructions Clean it. Lube it. Enjoy using it. Link to rebuild kit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/South-Bend-L...AAAOSwHoFXq9jP

Please post photos!

[Glug]

Thanks for the info on pressure washing. I did not have to rub hard to get the surface rust off the ways. ...
I will just mean green and hand rub the machine clean then.
I know of a machine shop where they use bubbling air just like in a fishtank in the coolant tanks and the soluable oil stuff does not stink. Any of you guys do that?

You might want to slow down before rushing into more mistakes. Spend some serious time reading about machine restoration. And also lubrication and care and feeding of old south bend's. The goal should be to first Do No Harm. Scotch Brite was harm. it really has no place in this process.
"Green" type caustics get drawn into the seams and can cause corrosion. Oil is a fairly safe cleaner.
Do some reading about soluble "oil". It is hard on lathes. You aren't running a production shop, right?

[J Tiers]

Pressure washing is bad, water gets in and causes rust in tight places.

Scotchbrite? I'd use wet-or-dry sandpaper with light oil, myself. Probably 400 or 600 grit, by hand. Scotchbrite drops too much grit.

As for people freaking out about removing material from "precision surfaces"..... They are way overthinking the matter.

1) The rust has already altered the surface. Not much, but it has.

2) I recommend that those folks who are freaking out should try to reduce a 1" x 1" surface by two tenths of a thou with 400 grit paper. After they spend a half hour or so on it, they will begin to understand. It takes a LONG time to take a surface down with sandpaper... Removing rust will not take 1% of that time. Worrying about it is just silly.

[kitno455]

Does it have a quick change box, or change gears ? What about the reverser and the drive belts?
Motor behind spindle, or in cabinet ?

It is a SB Heavy 10 from 1960. It has a wide ratio double tumbler gearbox, under motor drive, and the reverser has a proper spring loaded lever.

The original paint color varied over the years, but it has more aqua in it than any tractor paint. I decided not to worry about it, and painted mine MF gray.

There is more info (and some paint color formulations) at http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/south-bend-lathes/

Here's a post with a paint color from sherwin williams: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb...6/#post1705216

allan

[Dan_the_Chemist]

Scotch Brite and pressure washing ????? No way.............

JL...............

Yeah... I find angle grinding and sand blasting to be much quicker.