Del's New Lathe

Well you might be able to just grind a key insert into the shaft and mount....cheap, fast....?

something like this

£86? Ya coulda got a new top-o'-the-range job for 18 quid! You was done, mate .

18 quid! yer balmy mate....link it...

Del did !

18£ 1952 = 158£ 2013

....and what year was that?

I can't help but offer a little catnip.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/comment/937651/Re-Why-Would-You-Want-a-Lathe-to-Run-Backwards

Since you don't have the tools to fix the worn parts, you need to find someone to build up the galled area of the spindle and ground it back to .750" dia. Then you need to have the 2 (posts) bored out and fitted with oil lite bronze bearings with an ID of .7505".

First I would run the lathe and see if the galling actually hampers use. It probably came from the machine running dry. Look into oil cups, automatic oilers, they screw right in.

To avoid warping the shaft, consider grinding it down undersize and use an adjustable reamer to size new bushings. Line ream with a center in the tail of the reamer.

There are bushings for damaged shafts, too. This would save having to bore or ream the bearings.

If you have the gears for threading, you will need a reversing motor. I don't see any method of thread indexing, or even a way to ease in the auto-feed for turning, I actually doubt it has that. It seems engaging and disengaging the worm drives is all you have. Ok for hobby work, I've done work on similar machines.

Join the forum called Home Shop Machinist

Post your lathe make and model and your questions. There are some serious gurus on that forum and maybe someone will either have a spindle or can tell you where to get one and any other parts you need.

Enjoy!!!

Cheers, will do.
Del

Components and manual is usually available on eBay at times.

Dell - Don't know anything about your Lbs and quids but...

Do you have a good hard-chrome shop handy that takes on job work?

The spindle will need grinding below, chroming above, and grinding back to a target dimension.

As for the split housing, my neighbor there in Vancleave has the right idea with an oilite bushing.

Ken Hollingsworth

Pascagoula

Yup, I've E-mailed a place already http://www.spindleservices.co.uk/index.htm
... but it's bank holiday weekend and I have to be patient

Del

You could also turn/grind it to an undersize and fit it with a bearing with that smaller ID.

Many ways to skin a cat (sorry Dell).

Hard chroming is ok, as long as you don't get any on the chuck threads.

Nice, great price, well done. ebay?

Yeah, E-bay.
I'm getting it nicely cleaned up now. Got all the slides back on and adjusted. It's good and solid. The lead screw was filthy, but they are fun to clean up, just hold a toothbrush and rag soaked in your solvent of choice against it and wind vigorously.
Odd thing about this lathe is the lead screw is t'other way round to usual!
Been cleaning up the 4 jaw chuck too, don't think it's ever been used!
Del

Thanks OldTooly, very full and helpful post.

I'm rather new to this machining metal game but I'm hooked, it's a nice change from unsual wood based activities (bow making, google Delsbows to see some of my stuff).
I'll post some pics to show progress.
Del

I've been training up too... I bought one of these and hope to get one of these before the end of the year. (not much time to use it though)

Cheers,

Chris

I am envious to tears. A friend of mine has a shop loaded with these and more of these, and even some of those. I can't even get the wifey to turn loose (of my money) for a cheap Chinese lathe.

Now you've gone and made me envious! Lucky you! Congrats!

Ah, (assuming I'm understanding you correctly) there's still the prob of pushing a ball race along the shaft, as it will be sloppy on the worn portion, and it can't be pushed on from the other end.

So either way I've got to build up the worn area or have a split bearing which will go over the un-worn portion.
The housing is also prob' not big enough to be machined out for a ball race.

Thanks for the input tho'
Del

You might look at a bushing on either end and use the center for an oil reservoir. but after looking back at the pictures is the housing split to take out play or to hold tolerance with the shaft. If so you might go with a long bushing and cut out part of the bushing on the back side for an oil reservoir to keep the shaft oiled and cool. To prevent premature wear or damage from non lubrication, to save it from the happy machine shop in the sky. Duke

Just a thought, could you replace BOTH bearings with a type that can take axial and radial loads?

You can get flanged bushes...
Del

Del look at your shaft it already has the thrust flange built in you just need to smooth the surface so you don't get any chatter with a load on it I usually use a thin oilite washer that I have heated the cutting oil out of and dropped it into synthetic Teflon oil like Tri-flow or Break-free to absorb the lubricants into the porous structure of the oilite washer I have had very little wear on the load bearing surface of the washer. I have used this method on several machines and not had any problems to date but anything is possible. The washer would not need to be very thick at all 10-15 thousands should do it.Duke Who say's I need the pointed little hat to get out of school.

YES not easy to find a needle bearing the size to fit but possible. the side thrust would be held by the housing and the flange on the shaft. Duke

GA

I would like to think that under the same circumstances, I would follow your suggestions, no more oiling for a start!!!

Cheers, that's the sort of approach I may take. My prob is I don't have much in the way of matal working machines, but I have a bag of favours I can call in.
I'm a bit worried about boring out the housing.
I've E-maild a spindle re-furb company and asked what it will cost and if they can do the housing to suit. Fingers crossed.
Del

Hay Del there would be no reason to bore the head more than a few thousands to clean up the insides you can then install the silicone or oilite bearings as a slide in bearing of a few thousands thickness install the bushing with a finished outside dimension then boar/ream the bushing to finished size inside not a lot of work just takes a little time. you can also turn the shaft just enough to clean up the surface and compensate with the finished inside bore to install the shaft simple and effective and easier to repair in the future if necessary. Duke

+I'd go with Mike K, polish the shaft, but don't worry about getting all the gall marks off, just the high spots, then do the same with the bore. Put it back together, oil it up and run it slow as you gradually take up the clearance and fit it back in. The scars in the shaft won't hurt a thing.

Looking at the pics, it seems the headstocks are adjustable. I don't see bearings at all, this is a very simple machine. It's built to have the clearance taken up as the shaft and bores wear. Installing oil cups or automatic oilers should help reduce future wear. Run it slowly as you take up on the screws, feeling for heat. Once it starts to labor or heat up, back off the adjustment just enough to keep it free and cool.

I've always wondered if STP oil treatment would be good for something like this, that stuff sure is slippery.

Hi all,

FIRST, congrats, Del, on a great new toy

SECOND, I found this short video that really amazed me ... not exactly what Del found, but still amazing. Not how I would want to do it, but if the power ever goes off, this guy will be in strong demand.

Kind regards ...

http://www.wimp.com/footpowered/

It looks as though you may have the "follow on" blog to Krises "bath breaking Blog".

Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah. Lathes are sooooooo 1973. The individual who sold it probably wanted a 3-D printer instead.

Anyway. How would one whizz-up a bow using one of those?

Lathes are so handy for making other tools, modifying simple parts in a precise manner. You can turn an armature on an old motor, make bushings, drill out a nut to make a spacer, convert a square drive bit to fit a power drill, etc.

I contacted a company who refubish spindles and had a chat to the director, he was great and said he'd try to do it at a sensible price as I was a private individual.
It's nice to make contact with people who go the extra mile for the little guy.
All too rare in todays world. I'll post pics when it's done.

By contrast, we wanted a supplier to make a part using standard part A with the spring from standard part B, reasonable volumes at 25k per year... not interested!

I've found that it's nice to be nice, and I'm too old to be grumpy (all the time )
Favours often come back several fold, (ok we all meet the odd grinch who throws it back in your face).
Del

Probably the wise choice since you mentioned you had limited skills and experience in metal. True it was not that tough a job but even a small amount of error in size or position can ruin the precision of the finished product.

Nice to see you found some help from what seems a decent person. I ran into a similar deal back in 1990 when I was restoring a Mellotron M-400. Being English I'll bet you know what that is since it was invented by the Bradley Brothers back in the early 60's in England using WWII surplus parts from the sewing industry and some newer customized electrics. I was having a fit trying to find or understand the parts to the thing. But the biggest help came from David Keane who had founded a company called the Mellotron Archives and was determined not to let these odd but wonderful old instruments fade away. And he was enormous help with the original tapes and some great history, and I was able to help him with a set of detailed blue prints of all the parts, including the "British Associated" screw threads. You Brits have a knack for some unusual innovations to be sure. I ended up with a perfectly restored Tron and he was able to find a builder who would build brand new machines exactly like the old one. Later he made some great improvements to the old design and we both made out very well with virtually no money ever changing hands. Nice when things work out that way.

Wow - a real live Mellotron! Big up, Tooly.