Thoughts on this lathe?

Projects, repair topics, and Frankentubas
Post Reply
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 3874
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
Location: Southeastern Connecticut
Has thanked: 940 times
Been thanked: 1062 times
Contact:

Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by arpthark »

I do have someone local who can help me set this up.

https://www.facebook.com/share/JYYYgUAzsBVQ8evi/


User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 19232
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3819 times
Been thanked: 4073 times

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by bloke »

Those were pretty damn good, that one's close to you, and it's not too heavy to move. If you have a machinist who really knows a lot and could check it for wear and wobble - since it's old, that might be nice (but that's probably a luxury that you don't have). If it really wasn't ever used very much, it may be quite true and close to new condition.
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 3874
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
Location: Southeastern Connecticut
Has thanked: 940 times
Been thanked: 1062 times
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by arpthark »

- Was used in a basement its whole life by a machinist

- Was not used heavily

- Includes all the accessories and the wooden table

- 110V

For $650? Decent deal?
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 19232
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3819 times
Been thanked: 4073 times

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by bloke »

arpthark wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2024 11:46 am - Was used in a basement its whole life by a machinist

- Was not used heavily

- Includes all the accessories and the wooden table

- 110V

For $650? Decent deal?
That's a horribly high price for bottom feeders such as you and me, but for a good lathe I think that's probably a pretty damn good price.

A true bottom feeder would collect a fee from the owner of the lathe to pick it up and haul it away, and hand some 20-year-old an unwanted used mouthpiece in exchange for the 20-year-old being the one who picks up the lathe and delivers it to the bottom feeder's home.
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 3874
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
Location: Southeastern Connecticut
Has thanked: 940 times
Been thanked: 1062 times
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by arpthark »

I have to surface for air occasionally!
These users thanked the author arpthark for the post:
bloke (Thu Sep 05, 2024 12:02 pm)
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 19232
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3819 times
Been thanked: 4073 times

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by bloke »

arpthark wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2024 11:54 am I have to surface for air occasionally!
King fiberglass sousaphone:
I talked to the band director who replaced the one at a super exclusive and super safe area private school who originally bought three of them from me. She doesn't want to trade any of them for repair work - as she hopes her band will grow to where she will need two of them and then three of them, but she said that I could borrow one of them for an extended period of time until she ever did need it. I suggested that I only borrow one on very short-term basis (bases) for specific gigs, and maybe even take the one that's in the worst shape and fix it up a little bit in exchange for borrowing at each time. To me, that's a good combination of bottom feeding and fairness...
... and this should work out just fine until I find a gleaming new-looking 1990s-era one for 50 bucks.
These users thanked the author bloke for the post:
arpthark (Thu Sep 05, 2024 12:21 pm)
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 3874
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
Location: Southeastern Connecticut
Has thanked: 940 times
Been thanked: 1062 times
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by arpthark »

Sold before I could get it. Oh well. Probably a bit too much for me to bite off and chew right now anyway.
These users thanked the author arpthark for the post:
bloke (Mon Sep 16, 2024 9:14 am)
2nd tenor
Posts: 485
Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 1:50 pm
Has thanked: 115 times
Been thanked: 130 times

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by 2nd tenor »

For the price and apparent condition that was a buy now item. Let’s put it in context; if someone offered you a decent Tuba for that price you wouldn’t think twice about it, yet that Lathe offered a lot more in terms of value … just got to learn how to use it.
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 19232
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3819 times
Been thanked: 4073 times

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by bloke »

I probably would have bought that.
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 3874
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
Location: Southeastern Connecticut
Has thanked: 940 times
Been thanked: 1062 times
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by arpthark »

Eh, I hit a bump trying to get the logistics to work out (me, him, friends, truck, etc.) and he had a lot of other offers and couldn't hold it for me.

To quote our pal bort, "they made more."
Tim Jackson
Posts: 214
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2020 9:16 pm
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 128 times

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by Tim Jackson »

I have an Atlas/Craftsman 101 6". It's fun to learn on and fiddle around on, but once you get going, you'll want something larger. I just bought a South Bend 10". The cost depends on what part of the country you're in. I paid $2100 for the SB, but you may find one for around $1500.
I paid two movers $240 to go across town and get it, as it was around 750 lbs. I might consider selling my Atlas, but since they are harder to find these days, I may just give it to my grandson.

Tim
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 3874
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
Location: Southeastern Connecticut
Has thanked: 940 times
Been thanked: 1062 times
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on this lathe?

Post by arpthark »

I mentioned this to one of my older bandmates and he offered me the leather belt-driven 1890s engine lathe he has in his basement.

I passed!
Post Reply