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9A 4.5ft bed restoration

rayhawk

Plastic
Joined
Jul 24, 2022
So I just picked up a 4.5' Southbend 9A, it is mostly in pieces. Looks to be 95% complete, although I have just begun to inventory all the parts that came with it.

It looks like the previous owner sourced some parts from a different machine, perhaps a heavy 10, since my steady rest doesn't match up with the machine. I also have an empty headstock that looks a bit different, perhaps this is a heavy 10 unit?

I ordered the overhaul kit with instructions already which I'm sure will answer most of my questions, but in the meantime, I'm curious about the taper attachment. It has two dowel pins in addition to the mounting bolt holes, but my carriage just has the two mounting holes. I assume to do it correctly, I need to drill the carriage to accept the dowel pins? Is this because the taper attachment is a newer version perhaps? Hopefully I can make it work.

Also, it appears to have been modified to a quick change setup at the headstock for lead screw engagement, I assume this is a common modification or something from later models.

And lastly, the backgear idler shaft has been welded, hopefully this won't cause any issues.
 

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Looks like the spare head stock is from a 10k lathe…
The steady rest has an R in the part # , that should be for a heavy 10. That won’t work for your lathe.
You should watch ebay for a new back gear .
Yes it looks like someone added the plunger style forward / reverse gear assy to the head stock, Paula did an excellent thread on here for making this upgrade.
 
I just noticed the spindle has the collet taper and drive pin in it, there is no adapter, and it has an integral shoulder. I assume this is the unit from the heavy 10 lathe, is that correct? Are they interchangeable? Or did someone modify this one to fit?
 

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10k lathe takes a 6k collet, it fits directly in the spindle. The heavy 10 head stock will not fit on the bed properly.
 
My apron has two threaded holes just to the right of the traverse gear shaft. Any idea what those are for? From the pictures I have seen, this doesn't seem to be factory.
 

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I have a second tailstock that is too low for the machine. What machine did this come from?
 

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I'm replacing the countershaft due to excessive wear. I do have the tapered reamer, but I'm wondering if it's realistic to get the tapered pin hole in the new shaft in the exact same position as it was in the old one, or should I just install a roll pin or a set screw? Just drilling the hole at all will be a challenge based on clearance limitations.
 
So I decided to just drill and tap for some set screws, as reaming the tapered hole would have been pretty difficult due to clearance to the pulley. And I'm glad I did, since the tapered pin holes were not precisely machined from the factory. I had to buy a new tailstock handle, and lead screw (found them separately), and I found out that the tapered holes didn't align. I had to open the hole in the shaft significantly to get it to go together. In hindsight, I probably just should have drilled that one out for a roll pin.
 
Can someone tell me where this tapered set screw goes? It's a 1/4-20.
 

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Goes in the top of your cross slide (behind compound), screws into the top of the brass lead screw nut.
This acts as a locking screw for a pin that operates 90 deg. to threaded point on your screw. Should be able to oil the nut with the screw removed as well.
Here's a picture of mine

IMG_1490.JPG
 
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Thanks for the feedback, but this one is a bit different, see attached picture. The lower one is the mystery set screw. It's always possible that someone put it somewhere it doesn't belong.
 

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You're absolutely right, I spoke too soon.
I took mine out just now and it's exactly like yours and 5/16 THD.
Still looks kind of familiar. If that old light bulb goes click, I'll post again.
 
Finally up and running. I still need to make some new gibs so I can set up the taper attachment, but so far everything is working. I'm also planning some drawers for the stand and some kind of shelf behind the lathe.
 

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That screw kind of looks like one that I just removed and re-intalled in the middle of the middle pulley in my headstock (9a). For oiling?

edit: I just notice in your photos that you have a flat belt pulley stack. I have a v-belt pulley stack, but maybe there is a oil location on yours as well where this screw goes?
 








 
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