Inquiry ?

RBHarter

West Central AR
I've run across a Seabastian 12×72 .....it looks rough but complete and not damaged beyond Grampas barn for 30 yr . It's belt drive no motor , it has a slide guide pillow block loose that I can see in the poor pics . It has some tooling with it . At least a 3&4 jaw chuck and 1 spider/live center frame structure . I know zip about lathes . I know I don't like making expanders and sizer anvils on a drill press but I do and they aren't terrible .
Assuming that it is sound and the visible orange haze is just haze . Is it worth $300 to resurrect it if I have a mentor and a knowledgeable proxy to go look at it ? Yeah I know 1 chipped gear and it might be a $300 anchor hence a knowledgeable proxy .
 

Ian

Notorious member
Youd have to replace the motor anyway because it was probably 3-phase. For $300 you'd probably break even at the scrap yard worst case. Best case you can fix it up with a salvaged motor off of something, clean it up, change the oil, polish the ways and slides, and have something that will do anything you would want. Even if something is broken you can do without if it isn't something critical like a spindle gear. If it comes with even a little bit of tooling the deal becomes quite sweet. Look for a tailstock chuck, centers, a dog or two, face plate, and of course the tooling for the toolpost. There ought to be a cutoff tool holder, form tools, boring bars, alnd other bonuses probably stuffed in a coffee can, metal box, or cigar box.
 
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RBHarter

West Central AR
The pictures look like much of your described parts .....
I read a lot but I'm one of those guys that really needs to hold the double 45° 7/16 open end wrench and stick it in between the front center carburetor flange nut and the number 5 cylinder air baffle from the left side of the engine . To get a Pratt carburetor off an R1340 without pulling other engine components first ...... Tail stock is what I meant to say because a live center is a bearing mounted dead center which is a solid conical pin on the non tool holder 2nd slide . The tail stock allows runout adjustment to turn to the ID center .....

So Seabastian is good ?
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
No experience with them but I found this:

 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Well I guess I will need to get my proxy to have a look .....it sounds like Roulette .
This one looks to have a reverse . I'm not sure about a gap or split bed and really can't see it in the pictures . It would appear to be a later unit .
The power end and a tool head are huge occupying a quarter of the length called 6ft . The remark of it being better than a South Bend ...... I was under the impression those were great tools .
Seems like a lot of tool to start with , the extras based on the recent the threads are probably nearly worth the asking price .
I think I'll call my proxy and see if he can give it a look .
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
For someone like you with the mechanical aptitude and drive to repair what needs it I would say it is a worthwhile purchase.
I wouldn’t touch it because I lack that mechanical aptitude.

Keith and Buckshot both told me the same thing when I was looking at a lathe. If I wanted a project get old American iron, if I wanted something to use right off then go with a new Chinesium lathe.

We anticipate seeing photos soon.