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Working on my South Bend 9C

Susquatch said:
Plastics are highly elastic materials. Holding the pen too tightly when threading, turning, boring, or drilling can/will cause uneven thickness in the pen when the compression is removed. Very common problem with 3 and 4 jaw chucks and thin stock. 6 jaws help, but collets are best.

A repass after clocking 60 degrees can also help.

You might be able to rethread (chase) by hand to fix it.

Lastly, sometimes the hole before tapping is too small and can benefit from a lower % fit done by a quarter sckooch larger drill or reamer. Even a redrill or re-ream after threading can help.
Click to expand...
I was gonna write up a whole thing but maybe I'll just try to photograph each step of my process next time.
 
@140mower has some parts he may part with that would theoretically get me a "more modern" 9C in much better shape than my workshop 9. I would need to pull some pieces over from my current machine.

I have a certain sentimentality to keeping the whole thing together, but also, having a machine with fewer headaches.... sounds nice.
 
Just so everyone is on the same page, Metriperial is like a 127 gear. It converts metric to imperial and imperial to metric. A skootch is the universal fundamental unit of measure that is only divisible by binary quantities. When multiplied by the speed of light in parsecs per galactica, it is like the number 42 and is the final answer to all known and unknown questions both physical and metaphysical. Since it is a universal constant, it is always the same no matter where you are or what you are doing.
 
Golem Pens said:
I have a certain sentimentality to keeping the whole thing together, but also, having a machine with fewer headaches.... sounds nice.
Click to expand...

You are not alone. I think we all fight with those two realities. At my age fewer headaches trumps originality. At your age, it's a tougher call because you might upgrade someday soon and originality is usually (but not always) a sales feature.

Can't wait to hear your decision.
 
Hi Michael,

I don't want to sound disparaging, but it takes a deal of time and practice to learn the nuances of using a lathe. What you have is perfectly good enough for what you re doing ! Franken lathe or not.
 
BaronJ said:
Hi Michael,

I don't want to sound disparaging, but it takes a deal of time and practice to learn the nuances of using a lathe. What you have is perfectly good enough for what you re doing ! Franken lathe or not.
Click to expand...

^ This!

Learning to use a lathe to its potential is not a one day event. It takes years and years and years. Part of the joy is learning how to work with its nuances. I've had a lathe for 55 years and I'm still learning. I'm also more and more in love with it as each year passes.
 
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