LeBlond Engine Lathe


The LeBlond is the largest manual engine lathe in the Thayer Machine Shop with the ability to machine almost any material. Many of the other lathes in the shop are not suitable for hard materials and large diameter parts that the LeBlond is capable of turning. This lathe has a six-jaw chuck on the spindle and collets are not used for holding parts.
THE CONTROLS LONGITUDINAL HANDWHEEL Used for moving the carriage towards and away from the headstock. CROSS-FEED HANDWHEEL Moves the slide (which holds the tool post) into and out from the spindle axis of rotation. COMPOUND REST SCREW This is not adjusted very often but can be used for threading parts and making accurate cuts below 0.001". TABLE LOCK To keep the carriage from moving while making a cross-feed cut the table lock should be tightened. POWER FEED This handle turns the automatic drive for the longitudinal feed and cross-feed on and off. SPINDLE CONTROL HANDLE Engaging/stopping the spindle motor and shifting gears is done with this handle. HALF-NUT LEVER This lever will close over the lead screw for thread cutting. RPM SELECTOR Turning this knob changes the spindle rotation speed. The spindle must be stopped to change the gears. SPINDLE FORWARD/REVERSE/STOP These three buttons control the rotation direction of the spindle or stop the lathe motor. The spindle forward button should be pressed for conventional turning.