MTFCA Forum

Looking for a machining fixture for T rods, Gene French no longer makes them. South Bend also made a lathe attachment for rods.

No help re finding one, but there is a seller on eBay that has reprints of the South Bend rod attachment manual.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... g&_sacat=0

Find a Storm Vulcan rod Lathe.

Sample of the Storm Vulcan rod lathe;
https://forums.aaca.org/topic/340173-vu ... rod-lathe/

Unless you can find one close, they don't come cheap with shipping on top of that (freight/forklift heavy). Unless one drops in your lap, you will more than likely be in the $1000s to get and set one up.

If you do go that route, make sure all the bits and pieces are included/needed or at least enough to do your job which would include the direct read micrometer (not a giveaway item!). Depending on the amount of wear, they may require refurbishing before using.

There are babbitting services that should be able to bore to your size or have the crank ground to standard size and get the off the shelf ones. They all need to be fitted no matter where they come from, babbitted rods are not plug and play.

This might be an option: https://www.facebook.com/KohnkeRebabbittingService

How ever you move forward, good luck with your quest.

Geez Mark, if John still has that one that Herm had, that is a bargain at that price! I wound-up giving $6500.00 for mine several years ago, ...and was tickled to get it.


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Mark, don't you have a knee (i.e.:Bridgeport) Mill? If so you can fabricate a fixture to cut rods. Dean Yoder does all of his that way. For production work, doing it on a knee mill is probably not the most productive way but it could get you by until you find a dedicated rod cutter.

No mill of any type. I was thinking that was maybe Herm's, the person that posted it, stopped posting at about the same time as his passing. His son might still have it, don't know.

BRENT in 10-uh-C wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:47 am

Mark, don't you have a knee (i.e.:Bridgeport) Mill? If so you can fabricate a fixture to cut rods. Dean Yoder does all of his that way. For production work, doing it on a knee mill is probably not the most productive way but it could get you by until you find a dedicated rod cutter.

That's how I've done them. The set-up is not that difficult. However, if I wanted to do dozens of them it might be a different story. I'd make a dedicated fixture in that case. I would think you could get a darned nice mill for less than a rod boring machine, and you could use it for lots of other things, unlike a rod boring machine.

Tobin Arp RA on a SBA Bearing Resizer.
It can also power your boring bar.

I have several SV rod machines that I could be convinced to sell. They are in storage and need some TLC, but....... I use a Van Norman, so these have been in the project pile for many years. if you are looking for a plug and play machine these are not for you, but with a little effort they would be very serviceable. Send me an e-mail if any interest or a PM thru the forum. DMCGEARSatYAHOOdotCOM