Southbend SB1059F User Manual

For Machines Mfg. Since 3/11

EVS Toolroom Lathe w/DRO

-3-

"The screw cutting engine lathe is the oldest and 
most important of machine tools and from it all 
other machine tools have been developed. It was 
the lathe that made possible the building of the 
steamboat, the locomotive, the electric motor, the 
automobile and all kinds of machinery used in 
industry. Without the lathe our great industrial 
progress of the last century would have been 
impossible." —How To Run a Lathe, 15th 
Edition, South Bend Lathe.

The lathe represented in this manual is a 
modern day version of the screw cutting lathes 
that trace their roots back to the 1700's, which 
were themselves technological improvements of 
the bow lathe that can be traced back thousands 
of years to the ancient Egyptians.

Now, almost 300 years later, these modern 
"screw cutting" lathes are not just a piece of 
refined machinery, but a culmination of human 
ingenuity and knowledge embodied into the 
design and synergy of thousands of interworking 
parts—some of which represent the life's work 
and dreams of many inventors, mechanical 
engineers, and world-class machinists—including 
the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Henry Maudsley, 
and the founders of South Bend Lathe, John and 
Miles O'Brien.

And now the torch is passed to you—to take 
the oldest and most important type of machine 
tool—and carry on the tradition. As the operator 
of a South Bend Lathe, you now join the ranks 
of some very famous and important customers, 
such as Henry Ford, who used the machines he 
purchased to help him change the world.

As the name implies, these lathes feature EVS 
(Electronic Variable Speed) spindle control, 
that allows the operator to quickly adjust the 
spindle speed. One of four spindle speed ranges 
is selected with the speed range lever, then the 
exact speed within that range is chosen with the 
spindle speed dial. The current spindle speed 
is displayed with the digital tachometer on the 
control panel. 

The beds of these lathes are constructed with 
Meehanite castings that are hardened and 
precision-ground in the traditional 3-V-way 
prismatic design—long used on South Bend 
Lathes for its accuracy, durability, and rigidity.

The headstock features quick-change gear levers 
and the carriage includes an adjustable clutch 
that disables automatic carriage feed when it 
contacts the included feed stop or in the event of 
a crash..

To further ensure a high degree of accuracy, 
these lathes are equipped with high-quality 
spindle bearings and a Fagor 2-Axis DRO. The 
spindles are D1-8 camlock with an MT#7 taper 
and 3.15" bore. The tailstock quills have an 
MT#5 taper and offer 6.5" of travel.

The headstock is equipped with a pressurized 
oiling system that pre-lubricates the bearings 
and gears before the spindle starts. This 
guarantees that the headstock is properly 
lubricated in all start-up conditions, including 
high-load/low-speed operations.

Finally, these EVS toolroom lathes are packed 
with a premium Yaskawa Inverter, Allen-
Bradley contactors, thermal relays, and fuse 
system. Also included are a complete coolant 
system, an easy-to-clean chip drawer, one-shot 
way lubrication system, ball bearing steady 
rest and brass-tipped follow rest, adjustable 
work lamp, foot brake, and automatic feeding 
capabilities for both the X- and Y-axis.

These EVS Toolroom Lathes are built for daily 
use in a busy industrial setting. Loaded with 
many nice features and high-precision parts, 
these lathes excel at making fine tools, dies, 
thread gauges, jigs, and precision test gauges—
however, they are by no means delicate. Thick 
castings, heavy weight, and quality construction 
throughout provide the necessary brawn for 
demanding production and manufacturing tasks.