Technical Logan lathes? School me - 1st metal lathe

Hi guys - found a logan metal lathe for $750 on local ads from a school.. Model 1875 - I read the south bend ones are real good.

This will be my first lathe - its a good size 4-5ft wide, im a boat mechanic and always wanted to get into metal lathe work - alot of times small boat parts need to be machined down (eg crank nose for a sleeve) or outdrive yoke shaft where the oil seal rides - and other small stuff..

Any ideas on this model? And also it seems there are various types - wd this one be ok? Gah I wouldnt even know what angle to grind the cutter bit with or what shapes do what! Anyways - as hardheaded as I am I will get one and learn

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of machining.... The lathe was the cheap part; now you have to buy tooling... LOL.

That would be considered as a 'tool room' lathe due to its relatively small 10" swing and 24" center-to-center. Nothing wrong with that, just limits the size of the parts you can put in it.

Machinist is a skilled trade, if you want to be actually proficient in it you'll need to take a course. I've got a slightly larger HF lathe that I've learned enough about that I can make some bits, but don't even try for real precision parts like internal engine/trans parts. If you have a machinist friend, do whatever it takes to get him to look it over and give you tips. Depending on how 'worn' it may be will affect how much precision it can deliver.

Good luck!

 

I have a 1949 Logan and couldn't live without it. one thing I coud live without is the flat belt made up Alligator type clamps, would like to retro fit V pulley's and belt .........................................

 

Get yourself a Machinery's Handbook, even a used one, don't be intimidated by its size, it will seem overwhelming at first, you won't need a good part of it but still worth the price.

 

Logan is a very good brand.

 

no pictures?

Condition and tooling are the big things. You can use any size lathe, it's way better than not having one. The bigger it is, the more stuff you can do, but my little 9" south bend sure gets a lot of use.

 

A pretty good write up on Logan lathes is on the Lathes.CO.UK site, here:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/logan/index.html

 

Damn! Don't you ever clean out the chips????.....…

 

Yep! Got me the 24th edition machinist handbook...

 

There’s nothing to being a machinist, I did it for years. An old machinist told me that all you have to do is remove all the metal that is not part of the part. Nothing to it!!.

Bones

 

If only it were that simple! LOLOL!

 

Congratulations on getting a lathe. As the others have stated, it soon becomes an indispensable part of the tool shop. I have a 12 inch Lantain engine lathe and have never regretted purchasing it.
On of the first things I would recommend, would be to get a machinists level. This is somewhat expensive, but it will help you to properly set up your lathe bed, and accurate work can only be done on a machine with a straight bed.
I agree that Machinery's Handbook of any issue is a valuable reference.
There are many excellent videos on operating the lathe on youtube, and it is well worth your time to do some searching, it will be worth your time.
Bob

 

We had a Logan in our shop for almost 55 years. Damn good lathe. It did all the tooling work for our screw machine shop, was easy to use, once you learned the basics, and was in near perfect shape when we closed the business.
And, I hope the "nothing to being a machinist" line was a joke. Like my dad always said, "if you keep your head out of your ass you can learn something new every day you're in a machine shop".

 

Get a copy of the english book.."the amateur's lathe" by L,H, Sparery.
Its for beginers and is full of hints and tips ,
For old school engineering solutions.

 

I don't imagine you got much tooling with it as schools usually keep everything. The local tech school had a couple of government surplus Logan lathes back in the 70s. The instructor had them torn down because the bearings were loose in the housings.

 

Great idea on the machinist handbook and great for any metal hone working project .. I would recommend the book for everyone.
Had a Logan lathe for 25 Year’s in my home shop and it’s a great machine and a Sheldon at the shop. If this is your first time operating one safety will be first.
Never wear loose clothing like long sleeves
Know where you chuck key is and recommend you keep it in the same spot and eyeball it before turning on the lathe. The old one are not spring loaded and never keep it in the chuck..
I also recommend carbide insert cutting bits. This will give you the ability to cut half hard metals and a wider range like stainless.
Also when you setup you cutting bit go just below center .010 or so and take small cuts at first.
Never take your eye off the spinning chuck and wait till it stops to make cutter changes or tooling adjustments.

I had a long metal shaving get tangled in my flannel shirt , not paying attention and ripped it half off...

 

I have an older Clausing engine lathe in my shop, 5C collet. This was a tool room lathe and I have some attachments, but want to get an Aloris style turret on it and a DRO as well. I've been machining since 1981 but most of my recent experience is with bigger CNC lathes.

 

Don"t need a machinists level. A flat plate ( ground ) across the ways and a drop of oil on the plate will tell you which leg needs shimming. I have near 40 years of tool rooms under my belt.

 

Damn! Don't you ever clean out the chips????.....…
I only clean up when I have time & at 70 time is precious. smiley face!

 

wow guys - sorry for not checking in! Fantastic info here. Ive used a friends big lathe before with terrible results for a fishing reel bushing lol (but it worked)..

The ad is here:
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/d/logan-lathe/6596336759.html





Another option is this one for $100 more -





Craftsman 12" Metal Lathe With Quick Change
Craftsman 12" Metal Lathe With Quick Change
1/2 Horsepower
110v Single Phase Motor
Model Number 101.27440
Forward / Reverse Switch (On/Off)
Cash Only $850 Firm
Carts Are Not Included Or For Sale
Classic Sears Tool Roebuck Vintage Tools
https://offerup.com/item/detail/496136441/

 

I have a little 10" swing 1932 South Bend. I paid $150, nice widow lady.
Called South Bend on the phone, lady on phone said she'd send me copies of specs for that model.
Wow! Received a 6 page document on everything about the machine, including safety hints. Very happy with the machine and the support.

 

The Craftsman metal lathes were made by South Bend IIRC, so that would be worth looking at. More swing is useful, have enough and you can turn brake drums.

 

The Logan 4 sure but you do know it's 3 phase in the add, not a deal breaker but..............................

 

Don’t let that Craftmans lathe get away from you. Those are the handiest lathe made. Had one in my shop for 33 years, was great for small stuff. But you will need the logan too. I’ve seen those little lathes go fo $500-1000.
Bones

Crap, I went back too look at the Craftmans lathe pictures again and reread your post again. I thought you were getting it for an additional $100 . The little Craftsman would be handy, but you will run into things that will be too big for it. That being said, you may run into things the Logan won’t handle, such as widening a set of wheels. It’s a tough choice. I would check condition of both, maybe that will help you decide. The Logan will do anything the Craftsman will do... but not visa-versa.

Bones

 

Well, take this w/a grain as I'm not an expert machinist or lathe mechanic.. but I had a logan and gave it away to a "friend" I hated.. chatter box.. thing drove me nuts.. But my south bend ran great.... I've also heard others call logans chatter boxes. The machine in question was an 11". so..

I suck but would probably look for a different tool.. maybe my case was isolated or it was used up?... idk. I'm looking for a south bend, monarch or of equal quality piece. I've heard the monarch 10ee is a good machine but haven't used one personally.

Also I'd try to get a lathe w/all the bells and whistles ie scroll and independent chucks, face plates, taper attachment, stead rest ect. but now a days finding a quality machine can be a chore in and of itself so that may not be reasonable.

 

Hey, Dean , yes that was a joke. I have great respect for good machinsts. That was a running joke of Fred Hawkins, the man that thought me machining. I walked into a machine shop 40 years ago only knowing how to read micrometers. They hired me, with in two years I was in rework. Loved the work.

Bones

 

Outside of needing some serious cleaning I'd say the three phase issue is the main issue with the Logan. Unless your shop has 3 phase you need to work your way around that. That is also extra money before you can use it.
I'm thinking that most of us as hot rodders generally use the lathe for smaller pieces and seldom do larger than what that Craftsman would handle unless we try to do drums or maybe build a drive shaft.

 

I paid 2k for mine 30 years ago, a little German machinist was making gun barrels with the tracer bar attachment. It wouldn't be sold now for any less.

 

Like Steve said, the lathe is kinda like a tool box... it can’t do anything... you need to fill it with tools. Same way with the lathe, and there are a lot of different tools that go with a lathe. On the Logan , I didn’t see a tool post, problaly the first thing you will need. Check with the seller, he may have it.

Bones

 

Hey, Bones, I hired a lot of supposed "experienced machinists" that couldn't even read a micrometer. You had a leg up already! Those guys were usually out the door within in a few hours. When they asked why, I said "because I don't suffer liars".