I was looking through the new posts tonight and it dawned on me that I run a lathe that is older than most of you guys. It was new in 1970. I, like the lathe, could probably use a good overhaul. Then there is the communication gap. Sometimes I can't get the lathe to understand exactly what I want it to do any more. I don't leak yet, but the lathe does. It groans and moans and so do I. It stinks and needs a bath too. I guess I am not getting old but I am just getting lathey.
Shucks I can remember when Mobby Dick was a minnow. I can remember when all anyone owned was one black and white TV. When radios had tubes instead of transistors. When a computer took up three floors of a government high rise and only had one kilobyte of memory, and produced enough heat to spin a turbo. I remember steam locomotives and those wonderfully whistles. Gum was a penny, pepsi's were a nickel and you got 2 cents back for the bottle. Why I remember my first McDonalds meal @ 17cents for a cheeseburger. A three course meal was 97 cents. Guess I have gotten old but it feels good. I will be a granddaddy on Sept 23 if all goes well. Looking forward to it. She will be my first true grandchild.

 

might be older than you

 

That South Bend is the same model that I learned on when I joined the Navy back in 86. Those had about 20 coats of paint on them so oil leakage was very minimal . Had machines even older than that on the repair ship that I was on. Proof that with good maintenance ... these things will live forever.

PISTOL

 

My 'lathe/grinder/sander/drill' is most likley older than you, though I would have to admit being a hair younger than your lather (BD 1971). I scored a belt driven system out of a powerhouse I was restoring circa about 1910. One wall mounted motor for several tools. It's already outlasted a few new (cheep) tools, and spins true. Tools back then were just built right.

 

I joined the Army back in 1982. so I may be a little older than you. and a lot older than your lathe.

 

I was the "Gun Boss" on the Ark.
I went on active duty in '68.

feelinggoodtillIreadthisthreadShortround out

 

Did you have to use a double barrel since everything was 2 by 2?
I'll bet you were a shellback before Noah was

~Rob

 

Old Age Barometer
How many do you remember ?


1. Blackjack chewing gum
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed bottles
5. Hamburg joints with tableside jukeboxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines
8. Newsreels before the movie
9. Slingshots
10. Flattop Wax
11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (OLive - 6933)
12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45 RPM records
15. S&H Green Stamps
16. Hi-fi's
17. Metal ice trays with levers
18. Mimeograph paper
19. Blue flashbulbs
20. Amos and Andy
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork popguns
23. Drive-in Movies
24. Studebakers
25. Washers with wringers


If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young

If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older

If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell anyone your age

If you remembered 16-25 = YOU'RE OLDER THAN DIRT!


I got 25

 

I was 23 years old when your lathe was built.

Rusty

 

The only one I don't remember is Black Jack Chewing gum. Everything else I have done or seen first hand.

For the record If it was made in 1949 it ain,t as old as I.

DOB 12/30/1948
High School Grad. 1967
In Navy 9/27/1967
Out Navy 4/3/73
Retire 01/31/2009

Any questions? By the way that Southbend looks like the one that was on my old Sub. They sure didn't change much but now they are made in Dajong Korea. THe drill presses are made in Spain and the Mills are made in Taiwan. Another sorry mess we have gotten into.

 

I can't find a "born on date" on my lathe, but the newest patent date is March 17, 1903. It's a Star, made by the Seneca Falls Manufacturing Co. It was made to run off overhead shafting, so there's a motor with a leather belt hanging off the back of it.

Do I win the obsolete machine tool contest?

 

Shortround was manning the guns on the ARK while I had shovel duty, I also was on active duty in 68....... The only difference between the duty on the Ark and in 68 was I learned a half barrel and some diesel would burn that stuff I was shoveling

 

I have hurd of 3 of the things and have used/seen 5 of them, not bad for a 16 year old. The school I go was biult in 1769, and the lathes we use have been there since the 40's. Our milling machine is from the 60's. They all work great, the only thing it is hard to do on the old lathes is threding. But there is nothing worng with them.

Coop

 

I half expected to see a picture of Top when I opened this thread

~hidin'behindthewoodshedRob

 

Beat me to it! If I had $.05 for every pound o chips I made on one of those I could retire NOW! Just try running one of those in 10 foot seas!