For Machines Mfg. Since 8/11
Model SB1001 8K
™
Lathe
-3-
I N T R O D U C T I O N
About This Machine
Foreword
"The screw cutting engine lathe is the oldest and
most important of machine tools and from it all
other machine tools have been developed. It was
the lathe that made possible the building of the
steamboat, the locomotive, the electric motor, the
automobile and all kinds of machinery used in
industry. Without the lathe our great industrial
progress of the last century would have been
impossible." —How To Run a Lathe, 15th
Edition, South Bend Lathe.
The lathe represented in this manual is a
modern day version of the screw cutting lathes
that trace their roots back to the 1700's, which
were themselves technological improvements of
the bow lathe that can be traced back thousands
of years to the ancient Egyptians.
Now, almost 300 years later, these modern lathes
are a refined culmination of human ingenuity
and knowledge embodied into the design and
synergy of many different interworking parts—
some of which represent the life's work and
dreams of many inventors, mechanical engineers,
and world-class machinists—including the likes
of Leonardo da Vinci, Henry Maudsley, and the
founders of South Bend Lathe, John and Miles
O'Brien.
And now the torch is passed to you to carry on
the tradition. As the operator of a South Bend
Lathe, you join the ranks of some very famous
and important customers, such as Henry Ford,
who used his South Bend lathe to help him
change the world.
Thank you for being a part of the new South
Bend Lathe Co. We appreciate your business and
hope this machine serves you well for a lifetime!
8K
™
Lathe
Dating back to 1931, the first South Bend 8
"
Bench Lathe made it much easier for machinists
around the world to own a professional-duty
lathe of exacting precision that was built to
provide a lifetime of dependable service. In this
same tradition, we are proud to offer the SB1001
8K Variable-Speed Bench Lathe.
This lathe is especially designed for
discriminating machinists making small parts
to extremely precise tolerances (jewelers, RC
enthusiasts, watchmakers, model makers, optical
engineers, gunsmiths, etc.).
Its compact size with heavy-duty construction
and traditional South Bend “big lathe” features
also make this lathe equally valuable for close-in
precision toolroom or manufacturing operations.
The bed is constructed of hardened and ground
castings in the traditional three V-way prismatic
design—long used on South Bend Lathes for
accuracy, durability, and rigidity. Its length
allows for 18" between centers.
The headstock features a D1-3 variable-speed
spindle that operates at 50–2300 RPM. Spindle
speed changes are done very quickly and
accurately with the convenient adjustment knob
and digital display. Variable speed control allows
the operator to “dial in” the perfect cutting speed
for super-fine finishes.
The carriage has longitudinal power feeding
capabilities with 9 available feed speeds ranging
from 0.003
"
–0.0051
"
per revolution.
The South Bend 8K is capable of cutting inch or
metric threads—12 inch threads from 10–32 TPI
and 12 metric threads from 0.4–3.0mm.
Accessories include a heavy-duty tailstock, a
4-way tool post, MT#2 dead center, MT#3 dead
center, and 3-jaw scroll chuck.
8" South Bend Precision Bench Lathe (Circa 1932)
