rockwell lathe

[Jeff Hallam]

I have a potential opportunity to buy a Rockwell 46-525 variable speed lathe. It is a 12" with 36" gap. I have never turned before but have been keeping my eyes out for good price. I figure even if it sits in my shop for a while its ok if it was worth it.

Wondering if there are any users on this forum that can comment. The guy is asking $550. Says it came from a school. Cosmetically it looks well used, with light rust on the outboard plate.

Here is a pic from the sale ad:

2c84_20.JPG

Thanks.

[Chris Yarish]

I have a potential opportunity to buy a Rockwell 46-525 variable speed lathe. It is a 12" with 36" gap. I have never turned before but have been keeping my eyes out for good price. I figure even if it sits in my shop for a while its ok if it was worth it.

Wondering if there are any users on this forum that can comment. The guy is asking $550. Says it came from a school. Cosmetically it looks well used, with light rust on the outboard plate.

Thanks.

I have 3 Delta/Rockwell lathes in my school's shop. They do the trick. Depending on the age of the machine, you may have an impossible time finding replacement/repair parts. I have one variable speed (probably from the '60's or earlier) and when it dies, it's dead There is nothing out there for it....as far as I have been told by the board.

Make sure that the tail stock and the headstock points line up...that is the one thing I have been cautioned about when looking at any lathe, new or used.

[Raymond Overman]

Old delta iron is what I learned on. If it's in good shape, it's more sturdy than what you can buy for the same price new. The 12" is a limitation but it looks like there's a left hand threaded faceplate for outboard turning. The outboard toolrest may limit you some but that could be modified for larger turning.

Check the headstock and tailstock alignment and ask about accessories to help get you started.

[Nathan Hawkes]

That lathe looks to be in pretty good shape, but as it was used in a school, make sure it can run on single phase power. I looked at a bunch of old rockwells before I bought my 46-111, which is not as nice a machine as this one is. Almost all of them had either a 3/4 or 1HP 3phase motor. It looks like you'd be set for turning a decent sized bowl, as well, with the outboard turning setup that it has. I see at least a couple spare faceplates on the rack on the tailstock side, as well. As for finding parts, usually you can find something on ebay from other delta machines that will suffice. That said, as long as the motor spins freely, (meaning not fried) I think you'd be hard pressed to find anything as nice as this for anywhere close to the same price tag. You may even be able to talk the seller down a bit. I personally would see if he'd go for 450, then see what happens. I'd still pay $550 if they didn't want to budge, though. Jump on it, man. I love my 46-111. I'm still learning myself, but I looked for several months before finding mine.



Edit: even if its three phase, if you're handy, you can probably easily find a single phase motor with the same shaft size to put the pulley assembly on, or you may have a phase converter already.

[robert hainstock]

I turned my first wood on one of these in 1954. they are very nice to work with. That left hand threaded faceplate isa bonus if you want to turn larger pieces outboard. Follow all the advice you've been given, and happy turning.
Bob

[CPeter James]

Hopefully it IS 3 phase because then you can use a Variable Frequency Drive to change speed. For a lathe this size they are less then $200 and give you total control over speed and also the ability to run in reverse.

CPeter

[Jeff Hallam]

Thanks for the help, I am feeling pretty positive about this machine, unfortunately an out of town excursion at a bad time means I won't be able to look at it for another week or so. If it is still there when I get back it was meant to be... otherwise I'll keep my eyes peeled for the next deal.

Jeff

[Terry Briley]

My state (MO) sells the wood lathes at a surplus center at the end of the year. I also just bought two 46-201's. Need two tailstocks. I am thinking about buying a Jet tailstock and shimming the headstock or have a machinist take the bed down.
The original manufacturer wants almost $800 per tailstock.
Ace Tool Repair wants $400 per tailstock.
I can get the Jet for $100 per tailstock.

I am going to try one as soon as school starts, let you know how it works...