What types of repair work can we accomplish with a 19-inch manual lathe?

Our LeBlond Regal is the basis for most repair work we do. With its combination of swing capacity, bed length, rigidity, and tooling flexibility, it’s capable of handling a huge range of industrial, automotive, agricultural, and fabrication repair tasks. Below is a summary of some things that can be done because we have this machine.

1. Shaft Repairs & Fabrication

Turning & Sizing:

  • Straightening and re-machining worn or bent shafts

  • Reducing or restoring diameter

  • Truing high spots and correcting taper

  • Center drilling damaged ends for future work

Keyway & Shoulder Restoration:

  • Restoring damaged keyways

  • Re-cutting shoulders or retaining ring grooves

  • Squaring shoulders to match bearings, pulleys, and gears

Bearing & Seal Surface Repair:

  • Undersize and sleeve a bearing journal

  • Metal spray or weld buildup → precision turn back to spec

  • Recreate seal surfaces (including double-lip seal journals)

Stub Shaft & End Repairs:

  • Re-threading damaged ends

  • Fabricating new ends for obsolete shafts

  • Turning custom drive adapters or couplers

  • Electric motor shafts

  • Gearbox output shafts

  • PTO shafts

  • Pump shafts

  • Conveyor system rollers

2. Threading & Thread Repairs

External Threading:

  • UNC, UNF, UNEF

  • Metric coarse & fine

  • Acme, buttress, stub Acme

Internal Threading:

  • Custom nuts, bearing retainers, spindle caps

  • Oversize thread repairs for damaged housings

  • Thread relief cutting for precision fits

Thread Chasing — Re-cutting damaged threads on:

  • Hydraulic cylinder rods

  • Tie rods

  • Axle threads

  • Old machinery parts where replacements aren’t available

3. Boring & Internal Repair Work

Precision Boring:

  • Oversize and rebore worn bushing bores

  • Correct misaligned bores between components

  • Resize motor or gearbox housings

  • Create precise bearing pockets

  • Sleeve bores back to original size

Repairing Welded or Cast Parts:

  • Bore out cracked weld buildup

  • True up bore alignment after welding

  • Restore vintage cast iron machine components

Common examples:

  • Press frames

  • Heavy equipment hinge bores

  • Wheel hubs

  • Brake drums (non-automotive)

  • Industrial connecting rod bushings

4. Fabrication of New Replacement Components

Custom Hardware:

  • Shoulder bolts

  • Custom spacers & standoffs

  • Stems, rods, bosses, and pins

  • Knurled handles and knobs

  • Bushings (bronze, brass, nylon, UHMW)

Machinery Components:

  • Rollers, shafts, arbors

  • Couplers and adapters

  • Mandrels and fixtures

  • Die seats and punch holders

  • Propeller shafts (small marine or hobby scale)

Shop Service Tools:

  • Press tools

  • Bearing drivers

  • Custom collets and arbors

  • Jig components

 

5. Hydraulic & Pneumatic Cylinder Repairs

A 19" lathe is large enough for most small–medium cylinders.

Rod Repairs:

  • Re-polish scarred rods

  • Turn down sleeves

  • Re-thread piston or gland ends

  • Fabricate complete new rods from induction-hard chrome stock

Cylinder Tube Work:

  • Facing damaged ends

  • Trueing seal glands

  • Preparing tubes for welding new ends

 

6. Agricultural & Heavy Equipment Repair

Repairs Commonly Done:

  • Turn & sleeve worn pivot pins

  • Re-machine linkages and clevis ends

  • Rebuild PTO components

  • Recondition bush hog, tiller, or hay equipment shafts

  • Fabricate custom bushings for loaders and backhoes

Driveline Repairs:

  • Straighten bent pieces

  • Balance basic rotating components

  • Re-create obsolete proprietary parts

 

7. Automotive & Motorsports Repair

Driveline Components:

  • Rebuild hubs

  • Turn axles

  • Resurface or modify pulleys

  • custom drivelines

  • Machine custom spacers for brake or suspension systems

Vintage/Obsolete Parts:

  • Re-create components no longer available

  • Match-shaft work for restored engines

  • Repair stubborn old British/metric/imperial mixed components

 

8. Welding Repair & Post-Weld Machining

 Pre- and post-weld lathe work:

  • Prep bevels

  • Turn steps for precise weld joints

  • Build up by welding and turn to original size

  • True welded assemblies

  • Bore out warped or distorted weldments

 Sleeve Installations:

  • Machine interference fits for press-in sleeves

  • Create thermal fits for press-in sleeves

10. General Repair Shop Tasks

Restorations & Vintage Equipment:

  • Refit shafts and bushings

  • Turn new feed screws

  • Re-create missing handles, dials, knobs

Pipe & Fitting Work:

  • Cut NPT/NPSM threads

  • Turn custom pipe nipples

  • Repair fire suppression fittings or industrial plumbing