Sheldon Lathe

I have done the google seach and of course this forum.

Bed number is S2570.

Catalog number is 5FWQM.

I have determined that the bed number, S2570, means 12" but the Catalog number is bewildering.

The M in the Catalog number means 56" bed. The lathe bed length is 56" according to the nameplate.

The man who does the lathes site in the UK is away until next week.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks Bob AZ

Reply to
Bob AZ
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Yahoo has a Sheldon lathe group, and we have a family member of the original Sheldon founders who knows EVERYTHING about them.

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Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

them.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sheldonlathe/>

Jon

Joined yesterday. Not accepted yet. For now information re what I posted would be fine.

Thanks Bob AZ

Reply to
Bob AZ

Bob -

I have a Sheldon - 11L44 - several of us have them.

I bought it with Dad - I carried off the some tool as he had his hands full with tooling. Hardware store. Don't you love 1952!

National Acme Co. Sheldon Machine Div.

170 E. 131 St street Cleveland, Ohio 44108

Telephone - 1-800-553-2263 Fax 1-216-268-1287

The number on the ways normally has a letter set and a number set. You had one letter - hum. Feel there is more.

The catalog number indicates the options. For example

Gary has a EXL-56B and the serial number is TXE 19683 T

If you call Acme/Sheldon (now) they can provide parts list and parts.(high). (high if you can find them - ok if you can't!)

Be sure to have full set of bead alpha-number sets and the marketing / catalog as well. The options are called out - and the parts list is different...

Mine has a nice set of Chrome ways. Use it from time to time and need to replace the two wire power plug with some (larger wire, it is a 1hp) and provide a frame ground.

Mart> I have done the google seach and of course this forum.

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

I found mine - a TLWQ 10406 way number or serial number. I would think or hope that the uk site would have a key. An option key for the way and model numbers.

Mart> I have done the google seach and of course this forum.

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Martin

From the searching I have done it is apparent that I will have to take a better look at the Nameplate and the Way number. Two of us were looking at the numbers and letters so I thought we had all correct. But apparently not.

Is there a chart or the like that cross references the numbers and letters? The lathe looks just like many of the pictures I have found on the web. Also someone mentioned that Sheldon would do a custom job if asked. So I will just have to be patient and do more research.

The lathe I have is real dirty and grimy. It is partially disassembled. We are cleaning and soaking lots of parts. The motor is an underdrive type and too dirty to touch. 1/2HP and large enough to be a 5HP if it was todays vintage. Originally 110V but I will change it to 220V. The wiring is terrible but I can handle it. Replace it all. Switch is up behind the tailstock. This will get moved to a safer location.

The stand is the drawer type. 5 drawers with a coolant tray. The base or feet are the tubular type. Right side flat on the floor. Leftside curves up to the left. You probably know what I mean. And all is dirty.

Thanks for the input Bob AZ

Reply to
Bob AZ

Yes - Know a lot of the bases from pictures of the 10, 11 docs. Good luck on the clean - big job.

MSCdirect has gallon size of way oil to keep them clean and free of chips. I think the oil floats the cuts and the wipers push them off.

I've never seen a chart of ID numbers but I know the numbers are very important if you get docs from Acme/Sheldon - they will send them - but the numbers are good between dates they know certain numbers and can date them - within good reason.

As luck would have it, I know the salesman that sold it to Dad and I. He is retired in Sacramento but the hardware store changed names or is long gone. Twas an interesting quest to see if I could.

Get the docs from Sheldon - they will help in a number of ways as you clean and discover a warn pad or gear or half-nut. Some of it - how does it get apart.

Also the carriage contains an oil bath for the gears - might be gum and gears now.

If I can help - let me know. I might spot something.

Mart> >> I found mine - a TLWQ 10406 way number or serial number.

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

National Acme was bought by DeVlieg-Bullard II, good folks to work with, but as they sold nothing under $100K, they weren't too concerned about having a machinist make a single gear for $475. I decided to braze the tooth back on instead!

Anyway, Bourne & Koch bought out DeVleig-Bullard, and they seem to have dumped the Sheldon prints, so now parts can't be made at all.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

This is really disgusting, typical and is a very bad side of the merger mania.

As we know, mergers usually destroy shareholder value (as is the case with buying Sheldon, which was completely destroyed and thus brought no value to the purchaser), but they also single handedly leave customers stranded. Very typical and a sad consequence of testosterone overload of corporate executives.

If you want to know how I really feel about it,let me know.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus12951

That is a shame. I guess I got to them early enough and so did my friend in La.

I have the L Series Lathes 10" swing, 3/4" collet Capacity For lathes built prior to S/N TLWQ 10758 [ mine is a 10L44 not 11. ]

I also have Sheldon 11" lathe part list.

They are not blue prints - 81/2 x 11" paper - exploded views and such.

Mart> Mart>> Bob -

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

I agree. The mental state of the new company is thinking - trash old, when they get excited and buy our new... or maybe not!

A doc control if nothing else would bring customers aware of the company and maybe future business.

It is a shame. Mart> >> National Acme was bought by DeVlieg-Bullard II, good folks to work with,

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Well, I don't KNOW this is true. Somebody may have scuttled out the back door with the prints, and are setting up shop to make some of the common wear parts as we speak. I sure HOPE this is the case. But, what I have heard is that Bourne and Koch are NOT making parts for Sheldon machines, period. It may hardly matter, as it made NO sense to have them make one-offs for the smaller Sheldon lathes. There are not that many of the R-series and other larger lathes where it WOULD make sense to go to such expense. DeVlieg-Bullard II had the prints, and would quote the price to make parts at least for R-series machines, but I definitely did NOT want to pay their quoted price.

Anyway, I have no idea how many Sheldons are left floating around. I did a huge rebuild on an R15-6 (15 x 42", 5 Hp, 2.25" spindle bore, D1-6 mount, 80 threading feeds) made about 1968, and it is now a dandy machine! But, I don't know if there are enough left for anybody to make a buck making parts for them.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

DeVlieg-Bullard II (the successors of national Acme, who were the successors, in turn, of Sheldon) made nothing under $100 grand, so they definitely were NOT in the home shop market. I think Bourne & Koch are in even more stratospheric markets, if that is possible. I don't think either of them make traditional machine tools (lathes, mills) but special-purpose punch press type stuff.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Sheldon closed in the early 1970's, and when DeVlieg-Bullard II was acquired by Bourne & Koch, I think they got rid of all the Sheldon stuff. DeVlieg would at least send you the owner's manual for your model/date range. Bourne just says they have nothing.

So, the last hope is the Yahoo Sheldon group, which is graced by one of the family members, John Knox, who knows EVERYTHING about these machines. Ask him what bearing goes in the varispeed drive, and he will get back in a couple hours with the exact part number!

There is no chart of model numbers, because the letters mean different things in different combinations. "T" could mean Timken bearings, ot Taper Attachment, or Turret Tailstock, or something else. But, John knows pretty much how to figure it out.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Reply to
Don Dotson

Try asking at

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Bob. It's more woodworking oriented, but some machinists and metalworkers play there. A quick check of their mfgr page didn't give me anything on Sheldon lathes, tho.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I have to find which cabinet / desk I have my Sheldon documents.

I have a L-44 a 44" bed length - not between centers as some think. L- is a marketing / sales name. the Way number is the real stuff.

I have a good set of copies - but quality from the company that bought out Sheldon. I have IIRC 10, 11, 12 machine booklets. I have to find them to see.

What are you looking for ? look on the plate on the front - is it a L-56 or L-xxx an L machine ? V Belt ?

I found some of my soft versions - but hard paper is stored safe.

Keep me posted or this feed alive. email directly is ok.

Martin TX

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

The official group is :

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We have John Knox, who is a member of the family that owned Sheldon, and worked for a number of years in the factory. He has a huge trove of documents that are incredibly helpful, such as cross references to all the manufacturers of stock parts in the Sheldon lathes. He got me the part numbers of some seals and bearings in mine that would have taken me a lot of research to figure out.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

How do i join the group

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chriscunningham2014

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Reply to
Jim Wilkins

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