10453RKK15,
01-08-1959
CLK187A
10L X 4-foot Floor-UnderDrive
 

My lathe is also stamped to the left of the serial number 
 
428287
Wash State
 
On the left end cover there is a plate attached with "Star Machinery"
 
A little history on this lathe:
 
According to an e-mail I received November 5, 2003 from Ted Naegele at LeBlond USA . The lathe was built January 8, 1959. That is all he could tell me.
 
I do know a little or perhaps most of its history however.
 
In 1973 it was relocated from the Washington State Prison's Industrial Arts Program on the prison grounds to a building in downtown Walla Walla owned / rented by the Walla Walla Community College.
 
The state had decided to discontinue the Industrial Arts program out at the prison and all of the machinery as well as the instructor became part of the College Program.
 
As a student in the first program offered in 1973, I assisted in the relocation, setting in place, leveling, etc. of the machinery. The first class offered was Industrial Maintenance Technology which included machine shop, welding, plumbing, hydraulics, basic electricity & HVAC.
 
The machinery was again relocated to a new facilty on the main campus of the Walla Walla Community College.
 
In 1978 - 1980 I attended class again under the same instructor in this new facility and took Machine Shop Technology.
 
During these machine shop courses I used this South Bend lathe, however we had our choice of lathes to use and this was not my favorite of the bunch. I prefered either a war era / 1940's Monarch 16" lathe or an East Indian made Enterprise 1550. The little South Bend was my 3rd choice.
 
I assume that the state originally bought this lathe from Star Machinery which was a large industial machinery supplier in Washington State in those days. My guess is that they may have / most likely bought it new for the program at the prison. They may have purchased it used but I wouldn't think that the state would have done that so it may have been bought around 1959 - 60 for the prison program.
 
In 1999 I acquired an old 1950's Monarch EE through some creative horse trading. I also knew I was going to be relocated by my company and wasn't sure of my future. I had become friends with Donnie from PM fame on the Monarch site. He had acquired the South Bend from the college when the new instructor decided to upgrade the lathes in the shop.
 
I contacted him to see if he had any interest in the Monarch and of course he did and we agreed to trade. I wanted a lathe that was usable and moveable, he was capable of doing the work to make the Monarch usable, I wasn't. I have moved the lathe twice now, or it continues to follow me through life!!!
Regards,
Bernad