Hey everyone-
I just bought a Delta lathe sight unseen at an auction last Friday, and picked it up today. It was in a carpentry shop for a university hospital that closed (the shop, not the hospital). Apparently the shop had closed 2 years ago and it had been sitting ever since. There are some pieces missing (more on that in a sec) and a rather convoluted way of mounting it. It was bolted to a bench with the motor mounted on a heavy hinged plate directly underneath. A belt went from the motor to a haft in between, and another belt went from that shaft to the lathe headstock.

I’m gonna need some help here.

The lathe itself is a Delta, but quite old. The bed is 46″ not counting the headstock. The only markings besides the Delta plate are numbers cast into the iron “CBL 401” on the back.

It’s missing the entire tailstock, as well as the cover that goes over the pulleys and belts on the headstock. I have no idea what to do about covering the pulleys, but I sure hope I can get a tailstock to fit this thing. The bed itself is in fine shape, but I have no idea if it’s flat, or how to tell if it has any twist, or if it matters.

The motor they had with it is a General Electric 3/4 hp electric motor. The wiring is all cracked and flaking, and I’ll have to get some help putting on a new power cord. Any hazardous potential in the old flaky cord? Asbestos or anything?

I only paid $120 for it, so I still feel like it’s a bargain. I just hope I can find a tailstock and figure out how to mount the motor.

Now, I know this is a long message, but I need to hear from those of you (and I’m sure there’s a bunch) who have saved an old power tool from the scrapheap.

Where do I start with an old lathe? Is it worth it? What do I need to check/ work on?

Thanks in advance,
Kevin