Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusting

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rustyh
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 1:21 pm
Location: Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusting

Post by rustyh »

I spent a rather depressing day in a hot dilapidated big old machine shop. Vandals have tossed the contents over the years. We walked on parts and scrap at least a foot thick, manuals discarded and file cabinets tumbled. It's been this way for years. Amidst the chaos is a Standard Modern 1700 (how the heck do you move it), I found the manuals and parts books, published 1968, so that may indicate the age of that particular lathe.

I was there to inspect the 9" Utilathe. It's missing the tailstock quill and quill locking handle, tool post, and all tooling (empty painted icons on a board). It seems maybe there was another lathe at one time as there are a number of things like steadies and chucks that don't quite fit the Utilathe. I mention this as a possible reason the quill and tool post might be missing, maybe someone took it for repair. Then again perhaps they are still buried in the mess somewhere. We spent hours sifting through tables, drawers, floor areas, shelving, but to no avail. On top of this, everything is coated in a white powder, possibly someone set off a fire extinguisher (I hope that's what it was).

It was so overwhelming. I loved the Utilathe and the 1700, just depressed at the ongoing neglect. I'll make an offer and rescue the Uti and bring it back to life, but what to do about the 1700? I'm a hobbiest, that thing is a monster. You should see the rotary table, never been used, stuffed in a cabinet with it's indexing plates, too heavy to move. :cry:
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ken572
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Location: Mesa, Arizona. 85201-1517

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by ken572 »

Hello rustyh,

Welcome to The Home Machinist

Don't forget to put your earthly location in your profile,
so the membership can see where you are from.:idea:

We have a great group of very helpfull people here, that
enjoy helping each other.

Sad story of machine neglect you have told.
Keep us updated on your rescue atempt. :wink:

Ken.
One must remember.
The best learning experiences come
from working with the older Masters.
Ken.
rustyh
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 1:21 pm
Location: Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by rustyh »

Updated my profile, thanks for the heads up.

Spent a sleepless night. The shop owner died several years ago and he was single, no family other than a nephew with no interest in the shop (don't understand people with no interest in machinery, like my wife...lol).

I'll visit again and photograph what I can, and report how I make out as I proceed.
rustyh
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 1:21 pm
Location: Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by rustyh »

Sent an e-mail request to Leblond and received a prompt reply regarding the tail stock quill/spindle. Sounds like a manufacturing order, however it looks as if it's going to cost us our first born, at least double what I was going to offer for the lathe. I'll have to research it further, still recovering from sticker shock. However, it does help me in re-assessing my offer (thanks Roger).

I guess the alternative would be to try and find a used tailstock....or will one of the talented machinists here have an idea how easy it would be to make one? Morse taper, slot, and internal acme thread? I really need to go back and get some pictures.

The more I think about it, the more I think someone stripped the lathe of needed parts and accessories. V belt, spindle lock handle, spindle (I'm now assuming the spindle is the Morse taper part that slides in and out, and the quill is the threaded rod that does the moving of the spindle), wrenches, and chuck key. Not sure if it had a taper attachment, probably not, but in that mess, who knows what lurks?
spro
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Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by spro »

Well put. Many will think about this. I have a boat load of where one key piece is stolen from a machine tool and it requires much effort and expenditure to arrive to where it was before. One person, one picker, disturbs. There is the recognition, if not respect a key part of of a machine tool, this one part has value. The heck with the person later who really wants to restore and use this machine.
rustyh
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 1:21 pm
Location: Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by rustyh »

I just got back from this place yesterday. More vandalism, but found an interesting book "Butterfield 100% Inspected Tools, Catalog #23" discarded on the floor.
Attachments
What a mess!
What a mess!
This is just plain depressing.
This is just plain depressing.
I think this probably came from where ever, missing sliding spindle in tailstock. Has a Pratt 3 jaw chuck.
I think this probably came from where ever, missing sliding spindle in tailstock. Has a Pratt 3 jaw chuck.
Anyone know what this is? I assume a surface grinder. Lots of accessories in cabinet.
Anyone know what this is? I assume a surface grinder. Lots of accessories in cabinet.
Anyone know what this is? I assume a keyway cutter, but more stuff hanging on wall.
Anyone know what this is? I assume a keyway cutter, but more stuff hanging on wall.
stevec
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Location: N.S. Canada

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by stevec »

Welcome, from the other side of the country! Looks like you found both a treasure trove and an ulcer creating disaster in the same location.
The Standard Modern utilathe sounds like a better choice for a beginner, plus it has a tailstock.
The grinder in the second pick appears to be a tool and cutter grinder.
And the last pic is of a shaper.
Depending on your finances, space to store/rebuild and ability to access and move them I'd say get 'em all!
Even the big SM would be nice to have down the road when you become totally consumed by this disease called machining.
Good luck and keep us informed.
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Rex
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Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by Rex »

I'm with Steve.
I'd be making a lowball take-all offer, with a month to move it, and get a storage building. You can sell off the pieces you don't want and make a profit, plus keeping the best stuff for yourself.
rustyh
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 1:21 pm
Location: Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by rustyh »

I thought of offering to clean up the place (land is for sale) in exchange for some of the tools. I don't know how I'd move the 1700, heck, I don't know how I'd move the many chucks (he used the chain hoist he built over the shop)! There is a fork lift, but some idiot came and tore out all the copper wire on just about everything, even the wire inside the fork lift. The police caught him a few blocks away fortunately. The floor is littered with many weird and wonderful parts and tools that uses confound me, I'm guessing specialized tools for working on bulldozers/ diesel engines.

I would love to refurbish the many tools, but I've been on-line trying to find what expendables they need, and can't find anything so far. The Osborn looks fairly new, couldn't find a model/serial number plate, but time was limited

My guess is the property will be purchased for retail (zoned commercial) or condo's (almost next door). Thought I could use the shop itself to work but the power has been cut and all the wiring stripped from the poles. With all the cut lines, not sure what state the electrical is inside the walls. My other solution is to load up and take my Yanmar diesel genset over and run what I need from it.

As a note, the white powder that coats everything is fire extinguisher discharge. I guess vandals had an extinguisher fight by the looks of it.

I contacted the parts company that now holds the rights to SM and they wanted $700 for the tailstock sliding spindle (missing)....waaay out of my league! I hope someone on this site will either know how to make one, or has an old one around they'd like to find a new home for....
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Rex
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Location: DFW Texas

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by Rex »

Making a tailstock spindle is generally not that hard a project.
rustyh
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 1:21 pm
Location: Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by rustyh »

Thanks Rex, that was my assumption, $700 was astounding to me, still is. Now that I have the Utilathe serial number I'll ask again what a sliding spindle costs. Hopefully they quoted for the headstock spindle. Hopefully........

I think I'll start a separate request topic to ID the grinders and shaper.
rustyh
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 1:21 pm
Location: Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Re: Standard Modern 1700 and 9" Utilathe neglected and rusti

Post by rustyh »

I was in touch with the nephew tonight and I made an offer on the items of most interest to me. He did mention he would like it all to just go to a good home, knowing it would be well cared for and utilized. Nice conversation, we'll see how it goes.

The SM 1700 was fully operational when the power was cut, 3 phase, way out of my league. Nice electric 2 ton hoist over the bed. Wish I could just move the whole shop to my acreage. Shame it will be bulldozed and turned into condo's, if and when the economy sorts itself out.... if ever.....
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