In recent history this has been one of my favorite tools to use and makes me think of my professor Frankie Flood (actually he is the one that sold it to me!) He has since moved to North Carolina to accept a job offer at Appalachian State University, but he always raved about the capacity of the South Bend Lathe, and how "this is the tool that started the industrial revolution and standardization of parts."
I always sort of laughed to myself about his fondness to the lathe, but it wasn't until recently that I was shown the power of the lathe. Take for instance the time that the clutch cable snapped on the R75. Luckily Frankie had a lathe in his studio and was able to quickly turn the piece needed to fix my motorcycle. Another way that this lathe saved me was when I was working on the Ducati it was impossible for me to drive out the pin for the swing arm. Frankie recommended that I turn some aluminum down and use it as a tool to drive out the pin.
Worked like a charm!
For all the mechanical work that I find myself doing, the lathe is irreplaceable.
The chuck is much larger than the chucks that my Dad and I use on our wood lathes.
It came complete with a few tool holders and a lamp post style tool holder.
Its old, it needs some work to work flawlessly, but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. I love old tools, I love having the connection to vintage machinery that my Opa, my Dad, and my two good friend Chad and Frankie have to the "old."
Its funny I always laugh at Frankie and Chad when they say things like "they were born in the wrong time period" and "they don't make things as well as they used too."
And its true, everything now-a-days is built out of plastic and when it breaks? You buy another one. But when you get your hands on the wheels of a South Bend lathe, you know you have quality in your hands.
Stay tuned!
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