Lathe just came up for sale in my area. Few Q's

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Hey guys, A medium sized lathe has came up for sale in my area.  I'm concidering buying it.  Its an older unit. It doesn't have a manuf name or anything(thats what the guy told me on the phone this morning) but he says everything is still tight in it and should be a good lathe for somebody.  Its about 36" long max stock length and has 5.5" from the center of the chuck to the arms. (9" swing)guy says it has a new 3 jaw chuck and comes with several tools and a center support etc.  However its missing a motor so I would have to add that.He is askin $500.  Anything special i should look for or test if I go look at this thing?Thanks.
Reply:Sounds like a typical early home shop lathe.  It could be an Atlas, Logan, Craftsman etc.  Logan made the Montgomery Ward line and were generally good lathes. You will need to chuck up a straight edge (steel rod) and mount a dial indicator on the saddle against the rod and then work the saddle back and forth to see if the ways are worn.  Typically on the older small lathes the ways will be worn near the head since most of the work was done on small parts. Check to make sure the saddle is tight with no slop. It should move easily but you should not be able to move the crank without the saddle moving.  Check and see if it has a quick change gear box or if you have to change out the gears manually.  If it is manual make sure that you get the full set of gears in case you ever need to cut threads. Depending on how accurate of work you need it may be just fine.  Also check to make sure the lead screw is in good shape.  $500 might be a little high since it doesn't have a motor. 10 inch and 11 inch lathes in good shape go for $400 to $800 on the east coast where they are plentiful however a worn out piece of crap will go for $1,200 here in Texas since they are few and far between.Good luck.  If you can get a picture of it post it and surely someone here on the board will recognize it.  Zap would be a good person to shoot a PM to ask what to look for since he runs a nice Hendey most days.MichaelMillermatic 25115" Rockwell Drill Press10" Logan Lathe5hp - 2-stage 80 Gallon CompressorHome Made Sand / Soda Blaster
Reply:here's some blurb on it as well:http://www.mermac.com/advicenew.html- John
Reply:another thing to try is take a dial indicator, and set it on the chuck then push the chuck.  If it shows movement then the headstock bearings are worn.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by Jeep07Hey guys, A medium sized lathe has came up for sale in my area...However its missing a motor so I would have to add that.Anything special i should look for or test if I go look at this thing?Thanks.
Reply:You could ask about bringing a digital camera and taking a picture, then post it on the web. Would probably get lots of questions answered.- John
Reply:What tooling does it come with?  I am assuming the jaws of the chuck is self centering.  If it is self centering, then are the are there both internal and external jaws available?  If it only comes with one set of jaws, then the chuck will have limited use--either you won't be able to hold max material or minimal material depending on jaws.  You probably would have to purchase a new chuck for both sets of jaws.What are you planning on turning.  You will find out that 9 inches is not very large.  Is the 9" swing over the ways or carriage? It would be nice to know Mfg.  You could come out well with decent tooling that is interchangeable with another maching.  Because with even new lathes, purchasing or machining tooling becomes a major expense in time and money.You will always want to do what you don't have tooling (hence, spend 2 days making the tool and 1 hr turning the part) - and you will always want to machine material larger than your lathe will handle (make sure you identify what you will be turning most). A 9 inch lathe might turn 7 inch dia. material.The price sounds about right for around here, Nashville, TN. With motor, however.
Reply:Pics Pics Pics Pics..Then I can tell you exactly what you have.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I'm gonna try to go look at it this weekend. I will post pics after that.
Reply:Is this the type of lathe that requires changing belts for different speeds. Having to change belts would be a real PITA. That would be a deal breaker for me. Take a look at Grizzly, Enco, other similar new lathes. I have a 1994 Enco geared 13" X 40" lathe that I bought new with all the tooliing and two chucks. A nice motor could cost you big time dough. Also, what about the control wiring, relays, etc.?I would keep looking if it is belt drive and there's no motor.Miller Millermatic 252Miller Syncrowave 200Liincoln AC-DC 225Victor O-A Set
Reply:Is this the type of lathe that requires changing belts for different speeds. Having to change belts would be a real PITA. That would be a deal breaker for me.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWe have 3 South Bend lathes that have the stapled 3" leather belt and the 4 pully "gear change"..Takes 30 sec to change speeds..Don't even shut the motor off..makes it easier..Its not a deal breaker by any means.....zap!
Reply:PWM motor driver can be had cheap on eBay and thus you get a fully variable motor drive unit.  As long as you can put a motor on it don't worry.Me!