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This is going to be a game-changer...

sirhrmechanic

Command Sgt. Major
Full Member
Minuteman
Just spent way more than my allowance and bought a 38" swing LeBlond gap bed lathe.

Not 100 percent sure what I'll use it for. Well, I have some ideas. Most involve large car parts and things that go Boom. No, I mean BOOM. Like KABOOM.

But this is going to be a lathe that will do parts suitable for Aircraft Carriers and Atomic Annie cannons.

Well, go big or go home, I guess. Pictures when I get it into my machine shop. Damn.... Some days I should just stay home.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
It's was a great machine at a big machine/R&D/prototype shop I served on the board of... I used to go down and run it at times, often on some of my own projects. Sometimes when they had an all-nighter big project or deadline I'd go run it (how many Board of Directors types would do that!)... But they shut down that part of the business to focus on a more IP-driven side. And I can use the machine. And know how to run it. Lots of tooling, too. It'll never be worth less than I paid for it. And I know it is dead nuts accurate/perfect accurate. So worth the investment. Going to set it up so I can put stock 'through my outside wall' when needed. Trap door. Only way I can maximize the utility without leaving a ton of floor-space empty!

It was a good day.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
Sorry... 38" diameter... not swing. Been a long day. 19 inch swing.

With the tailstock pushed way out, about 50 inch bed, but with the bed extended that goes to 90". And I got two steady rests with it. So can run some really long stuff.

Not the biggest bore. I want to say 4" Big enough for my stuff! Including artillery-sized barrels!

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Cheers,

Sirhr
 
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