Logan 11" Lathe

[SteveM]

Anyone have a Logan 11" lathe?

Opinions on them, good / bad points?

Steve

[ctwo]

I have a 10". It's been fine - I like it. It will bust into chatter easily though. It's a 10x24 and I never thought I'd run out of bed, but it happens rarely.

I like mine with the underdrive, but would rather a VFD since I'm getting lazy to change the belts.

I think Logan made some good machines.

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,

I have one. It is a later "Powermatic" version with the
L00 spindle. It is an okay lathe but the spindle brake
is a joke. Similar in construction to a SBL Heavy Ten.
Tail stock is larger and heavier than a 10L's (MT3 vs.
MT2). The VS drive is not as well thought out and the
older stepped pulley drive is smoother. Clutch lever
on apron is nicer than the older star knob clutch.

The bed is the inverted "U" bracing type (like SBL) and
flame hardened. Uses alternating prismatic and flat
ways. Spindle is supported by ball bearings and the
back gear is below the spindle in the headstock. This
makes lubricating it a challenge. Adjusting the backgear
engagement is tricky.

QC gearbox is the conventional double tumbler type
(almost identical to the later SBL).

I used mine for about 10 to 12 years before I got my
5900 Clausing. Still use it occasionally.

Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb

[SteveM]

The one I am looking at appears to be MT2 in the spindle and 16 speeds, not VS.

Nice thing is that the speed are more rational - back gear speeds top out at where the direct drive speeds start. The 10L has them overlap and some speeds are pretty close to others.

It's interesting that the spindle speed is about the same as a 10L even though it has ball bearings and not bronze.

Steve

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,

The one I am looking at appears to be MT2 in the spindle and 16 speeds, not VS.

I assume you mean with an adapter, it is MT2. The 11" Logan
should have a 1-3/8" through hole with either a 2-1/4" x 8tpi.
threaded spindle or the L00. Logan used a proprietary internal
spindle taper (something like 2° or 4° from centerline). The
larger spindle bore will allow use of 5C collets.

Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb

[John Hasler]

http://lathe.com/ll-group-archive/spind ... _data.html

[SteveM]

I assume you mean with an adapter, it is MT2.

My mistake - I meant MT2 in the tailstock.

Steve

[LIALLEGHENY]

They are good lathes. I have a 11" pre WW2 model and have done quite a bit of machining on it. Only issue I am aware of with the Logan lathes is a tendency to break teeth off the gears in the headstock. Several in my lathe have been repaired. I am about to replace the spindle bearings in mine and will replace the gears at that point. Parts are readily available from the Logan Actuator Company.
Only thing I did was to replace the 3/4 hp motor with a 2hp motor, and a good quality new flat belt I acquired from Mcmaster Carr. Plently of power and no slipping issues. Some of the newer models used V-belt rather than flat belt.

Nyle

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,

Logan lathes is a tendency to break teeth off the gears in the headstock.

That is usually caused by engaging/disengaging
the back gears while under power. Logans have
a back gear lever in the headstock that pulls the
back gears into engagement using an eccentric.

Because this is out of the operator's field of view,
inexperienced users may tend to try to engage while
the lathe is running. Also, sometimes the latch in
the engagement lever may not catch if the lever
isn't pulled all the way out and then the gears will
disengage by themselves when the back gears are
under load.

Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb