2nd Operation Lathe?

Hi Guys,

Please forgive me if this is a stupid question, but what is a second operation lathe? I have a nice Circa 1980 South Bend Heavy 10 lathe. Well tooled, but I a have the bug, and I am always looking for a larger more rigid lathe. I am always perusing ebay and local ads for lathes. I come across a lot of Hardinge 2nd operation lathes and I am confused by the term. Would love to get my hands on a LeBlond, Clausing, Hardinge, Pratt & Whitney or Monarch to compliment my SB.

Thanks for the insight.

Joe...

Reply to
JB
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If you are looking for a large heavy lathe you don't want a second op. It's a small light weight lathe used for finishing off parts roughed out on larger lathes. They often have a turret tailstock. Only useful for production work and now obsolete due to cnc lathes that work faster and cheaper.

Reply to
Gary

Thanks for the insight Gary.

Joe...

Reply to
JB

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