South Bend Model A Metal Lathe

Yadda · **on:** April 26, 2026, 06:47:35 PM

A small metal lathe has been on my wish list for a long time. Over the past 10 years I've only seen two and both of these within the past year. This was probably my best price and chance, but I had to pass. I don't have the room. The price was $500 and included lots of tooling in the cabinet underneath the lathe.

I had an uncle that built.a huge metal and fabricating shop. When I joined this forum Bob (JSews) was a frequent contributor and machinist. I also had a close friend that was a machinist. I 've always found it interesting. Sometimes the timing isn't right and it wasn't meant to happen.

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #1 on:** April 26, 2026, 08:28:09 PM

Nice

I’ve wanted a lathe for the passed idk how long,, back in high school I had to take a machine class in which we made a ball peen hammer,
JR

Vidar · **Reply #2 on:** April 26, 2026, 11:11:07 PM

Those are classics!

I've always had a softspot for the Colchester Chipmaster. Practically speaking though the thing to get around here, of old smallish lathes, are the Schaublin 120VM or similar. Good precision, quality all around and lots of accessories around. Even some other manufacturers have adapted so they can use the same accessories.

I have two lathes and currently none of them are operational.

After a move I don't have the electricity needed to power up the big one, and the control screen on the other one died last autumn. No spare parts around anymore, so likely have to rebuild a fair bit there to get it going again.

Yadda · **Reply #3 on:** April 27, 2026, 12:41:32 AM

This guy worked clean and probably hadn't used t his lathe or the small Gizzly milling machine too recently. They weren't dusty and there weren't any filings on the machines. If they weren't purchased yesterday they went for half price today. <sigh>

Good.luck on your repairs.

Vidar · **Reply #4 on:** April 27, 2026, 02:10:06 AM

Yes, some fresh dirt and grime is a good sign of working condition. He might have cleaned them before sale?

In a more professional setting some of the machining centre shops are faultlessly clean. One doing oil equipment over here has even gone as far as color matching all the equipment, and planting bushes and stuff in the machining area. (I think the owner said that if a machine supplier couldn't supply machines matching his colors then they weren't for them).

Many many moons ago I bought a used wire electrodischarge machine. (Imagine holding a very thin thread between your hands. Now imagine that thread cutting incredible thin cuts with extreme precision through thick steel, and at an angle if you want. It doesn't even touch the material). In it's previous life that machine, and it's many siblings, had made gearboxes for car racing teams. Apparently they switched them very often. That production room was clean room clean.