Rockwell Lathe

[Ryan]

Does anyone have any experience with Rockwell lathes? I am trying to buy one from the school system, it appears to be an 80's model with the seperate motor cabinet and leg on the right side. I believe it has a 40" capacity between centers. I'm expecting to give $20-$40 dollars for it, so I guess I can't go wrong!

 

[Jonz]

I don't know anything about it, but I will take a wild guess that it will be heavy.:lol:

 

[cskipper]

I don't know anything about it - but don't let the USPS deliver it!

 

[DaveO]

Cskipper so true!!!!. Ryan you can't go wrong with that deal. Older Rockwell lathes are heavy and substantial. 40 bucks is an extreme gloat, get it. But remember a cheap lathe is just a cheap ticket to the very expensive and slippery slope of turning. Watch your footing:lol:

Dave

 

[Ryan]

Haha, yes, it is a heavy one! Apparently Rockwell had alot of cast iron laying around that they needed to use up! The shop teacher said he would tell me when they are sending it to auction, and I plan to purchase it there (no, I won't say where this tool auction is taking place, I want it all to myself :neener:!) . For some reason the school can't sell it to me directly :BangHead: ! The school district sold two other Rockwell lathes at auction about a year ago for $20 and $40. This lathe would replace my Harbor Freight unit, which leaves alot to be desired! I appreciate all the feedback!

 

[rickc]

The shop teacher said he would tell me when they are sending it to auction, and I plan to purchase it there (no, I won't say where this tool auction is taking place, I want it all to myself !)

If it were not for that smiley sticking it's toungue out, I probably could have resisted this next comment! - Ever wonder why Steve put in those required fields like address? A member map? Hmm Carrabas county, Harrisburg? Hmmmm.

Seriously - good luck on getting the lathe!

 

[Ryan]

Oops, I forgot about those little details :BangHead:! Alright, I call dibbs on the lathe, but everything else is fair game!

 

[mkepke]

Without giving a model number a "Rockwell lathe" could be almost anything, but most schools seem to have standardized on the Delta/Rockwell Standard Duty (SD) and Heavy Duty (HD) lathe. Both/either would fit your description.

Either are very good lathes, assuming they aren't used up. The SD and HD are classic spindle lathes (medium swing, medium length bed, high spindle speed). The SD was shipped with either step-pulleys or a Reeves variable speed system. The HD was Reeves only and the HD has a lower low end speed making it better for bowl turning. The other important bits are pretty much the same between the two.

A quick way to discern between the two is the location of the spindle lock. The SD's is on the inboard side, next to the spindle nose. The HD's spindle lock is on the top of the headstock casting by the outboard end of the spindle.

Plan on the lathe being 3-phase.

I have a Delta/Rockwell HD in my shop. Ex of a school system.

-Mark

 

[Ryan]

mkepke, your input is greatly appreciated, that was some helpful info! I finally got a picture of it at school today, so that should help positively ID it. Thanks for all the help.

 

[SteveColes]

We've got to get you a camera with better resolution.:lol: I tried to clean up the picture so we could read the model # plate, but no good:-(

 

[Ryan]

Haha that resolution is part of the magic of a Nextel camera phone :BangHead:! I have a close-up of the model/serial # plate, but you can't quite make it out in that picture either! I can attach it, maybe it can be cleaned up!

 

[Big Mike]

I have a friend who I showed your picture to and he said he believes it to be a Rockwell 46-111. He also suggested you go to the following website and check out all the information available about older machines. Here is the address:

www.owwm.com

Just find Rockwell in the list and find the lathe that looks most like the one you are considering and indeed it does seem to be like the model 46-111. I hope it helps. My buddy said he thinks it came both with and without a cabinet.

 

[mshel]

Ryan,

It looks like a 46-201. Check out this link:

http://www.acetoolrepair.com/DeltaHtml/WL/WL3C.htm

 

[Ryan]

That is quite a site, Big Mike, thank you for posting that. mshel I appreciate that good link also. That does help alot to have an idea of possible model numbers to go off of, because the plate on the machine only listed the series and serial numbers I believe. We'll get to the bottom of this eventually!

 

[mkepke]

It's a Rockwell/Delta Standard Duty, post 1973 (this is when Rockwell switched from a little 'r' logo to the peace symbol logo).

The "tells" for the SD are the angularity of the head-stock casting, the lack of a VS control and the lack of a sheet-metal back to the stand. You can just make out a glint of silver next to the drive spur - this would be the nose-side index pin.

Delta made many models, each with their own model # number but model #46-201 will give you an accurate view of parts.

Assuming the lathe is 3ph, budget a couple hundred for a VFD controller.

Model 46-111 is a completely different lathe. It is from Rockwell's 'budget' line.

-Mark

 

[Ryan]

Yep, you guys were right on the money. After I scraped all of the dust and grime off of the serial number plate and realized that "series number" means model number, I realized it was a "46-201". As far as the 3 phase issue goes, I don't believe the inside of the school shop is wired for 3 phase, so I'm thinking the lathe must be single phase. The teacher told me there is a little problem with one of the bearings in the headstock, he thinks it just needs oil. That shouldn't be much of a problem though. Once again, thank you all for the help. I'm sure I'll have a good many more questions when it comes time to set it up and get it running in top condition!