I consider the lathe to be the ultimate power tool. I've wanted a lathe for a long time. I fancied building my own lathe from scratch, and still do, but I think that short of reenacting the entire evolutionary history of modern machine tools in my garage, I would need a lathe to make a lathe. So for the past few months I've been weighing purchasing a used American machine Vs. new Asian machine. I've been monitoring craigslist with relentless persistence, and finally found something that wasn't crap, and wasn't priced @ its weight in gold. So here it is, a Logan 9" lathe circa 1963. Got it for 1000$.

 

Very nice. Looks like it was never used or only taken out for a drive by a little old lady on a Sunday afternoon.

 

Very nice. Looks like it was never used or only taken out for a drive by a little old lady on a Sunday afternoon.

It definitely has been used, but not too bad. The guy I bought it from restored it to its current condition. His story goes - He was 95% done when he found a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a much bigger lathe, so sold this "project" to make room for new one. Supposedly all it needs is a few adjustments. We'll see if that's the truth, as I play with it through the next week. I tend to believe his story though, as it is evident he paid obsessive attention to detail in the restoration. The level of detail that I would pay if I did the restoration for myself. I believe that he was doing the restoration work with himself in mind, and not with flipping it for a profit in mind.

 

Congrats Stantor. That is a nice one.

If you ever get to Grainger check out some stuff called CRC. I use it for everything except the lead screw. It only gets dry graphite lube two or three times a year.

 

Looks similiar to mine, except yours is in much better shape, mines only a 6", and mine has the Craftsman name on it. Other than that very similiar
I'll try to clean it off and take a few pics of it this afternoon.
I see yours has a 4 jaw chuck, mine does too, wish it were 3 jaws. Everything has to be indicated in.

 

Looks similiar to mine, except yours is in much better shape, mines only a 6", and mine has the Craftsman name on it. Other than that very similiar
I'll try to clean it off and take a few pics of it this afternoon.
I see yours has a 4 jaw chuck, mine does too, wish it were 3 jaws. Everything has to be indicated in.

Yes go ahead and post em up. I can't get enough tool pron. Is yours a craftsman 109?

3 jaw would be nice, but I wouldn't want to give up the 4 jaw either. I don't plan on machining exclusively circular objects.

 

I had a similar machine, new in 1964, a Myford Super 7 it cost £120, that included 3 and 4 jaw and tailstock chucks, but less driptray and stand. No idea what that would equate to in dollars in those days.

 

Very nice. Can you make me a lathe?

 

Very nice. Can you make me a lathe?

I won't be able to answer that until after I've tried and failed or succeeded making my own lathe.

 

Harbour Freight in the US often have specials on the little 7x10" lathe for about $99.

 

OOOOOOOOh!

Is that my birthday present.

 

Harbour Freight in the US often have specials on the little 7x10" lathe for about $99.

I appreciate the suggestion, but me and harbor freight don't get along. for the past 2 years, have willed myself away from shopping at HF. I won't even go to the website or read the circular. I don't WANT to see what they have, and how cheap it is, because I'll be tempted to buy it. I have had nothing but bad luck with every single HF tool I've bought. Angle grinder, vise, drill, multimeter, hell even screwdriver failed (plus lots more). Every time I buy there, I learn my lesson (again) and vow never to shop there (again), but eventually break my vow. As I said, it's been 2 years now. Its the old "do it once, do it right" thing. I could buy that llittle lathe for 99$ and then no more than 6mos later I'd be looking for a different one. 99$ bargain turns into 99$ down the drain.

 

You should build some sort of machine which lathe parts for you. Design it on a CAD program, and then watch it being made.

 

I appreciate the suggestion, but me and harbor freight don't get along. for the past 2 years, have willed myself away from shopping at HF. I won't even go to the website or read the circular. I don't WANT to see what they have, and how cheap it is, because I'll be tempted to buy it. I have had nothing but bad luck with every single HF tool I've bought. Angle grinder, vise, drill, multimeter, hell even screwdriver failed (plus lots more). Every time I buy there, I learn my lesson (again) and vow never to shop there (again), but eventually break my vow. As I said, it's been 2 years now. Its the old "do it once, do it right" thing. I could buy that llittle lathe for 99$ and then no more than 6mos later I'd be looking for a different one. 99$ bargain turns into 99$ down the drain.

I bought some allen wrenches from them(Pittsburgh branding) about 15 years ago and still have them. Of course by now they have probably changed the actual manufacturer and are garbage. Like you said everything else is junk..

 

I bought some allen wrenches from them(Pittsburgh branding) about 15 years ago and still have them. Of course by now they have probably changed the actual manufacturer and are garbage. Like you said everything else is junk..

ever seen a vise crack in half? As in, the casting literally part right through? that was the straw that broke the camel's back. that was 2 years ago.

 

A friend bought a 8" vice from one of those traveling tool vendors that set up at the civic center. He was welding something that was clamped in the vise, and had to smack it with a hammer to align it.
When he did that a chunk of bondo fell off the vise. It was a bad casting and they patched it up with bondo to make it look like it was ok. It was on the front jaw, one of the screws that held the serrated jaw in place was totally exposed, didn't even touch the casting..

 

I appreciate the suggestion, but me and harbor freight don't get along. for the past 2 years, have willed myself away from shopping at HF. I won't even go to the website or read the circular. I don't WANT to see what they have, and how cheap it is, because I'll be tempted to buy it. I have had nothing but bad luck with every single HF tool I've bought.
...

Sure that's a good point their little lathes are just Chinese no-name junk. I've seen a few instances where people have bought them and fixed them up, which is pretty much a must for any cheap new lathe or mill. And second hand tools too.

Fortunately a lof of stuff on the little Chinese lathes is adjustable, mine needed the main chuck runout fixing, and I was able to get it pretty good. The tailstock was badly out of alignment and it adjusted ok but it is not perfect, to get it closer will need some machining.

You should check out the metalworking forums there should be threads on testing and aligning lathes, maybe even your exact model.

 

www.homemodelenginemachinist.com

is the BEST forum for hobby metal workers. I'm biased, but I'm not wrong

 

Ever see the flutes on a drill bit un-spiral? Weird enough.

 

Harbour Freight in the US often have specials on the little 7x10" lathe for about $99.

I have one of those. But strantor's puts mine to shame.