Machine ID’d: CL-195-C South Bend 16/24 Metal Lathe
Received this image of a South Bend heavy metal lathe the other day. It was made in the 1950’s, and has a 6 foot bed catalog number CL-195-C. These South Bend lathes are beautiful machines They were built like tanks. As long as you install them properly, keep them clean, keep them trim, and oil the lathe properly they should last forever.
We have a few manuals that cover this lathe. We have a parts manuals with exploded view diagrams that shows the main parts of the lathe here:
These are very helpful when trying to take the the lathes apart or put them back together. Also, locating parts can become easier, but most parts have the part number casted into them.
We also have a manual that shows explosive view parts break down diagrams of the accessories for these larger lathes like the turrets, collets, steady rest, etc… here:
A lot of people didn’t realize the the threading dial was an accessory. It seems like a common part today, but it is actually possible to do threading well without the dial and the version of How to Run A Lathe explains this procedure.
South Bend basically made one book for operations that covered all their lathes, but it is important to find the one that covers the correct vintage, because they made lots of changes to these lathes over the years. They keep the book with the same title “How to Run a Lathe” all through out the years, with different editions. The edition we have here covers this style of lathe, and we’ve enlarged it so it is easier to read:
Email us your details with pictures, and we’ll put together the best information we can find. Plus, we can get other readers’ input to help you learn more.
Also, feel free to email us if you want us to share your machine on our site.
Email your information to: info@ozarkwoodworker.com
