A SCATCH in a freshly scraped and assembled machine way.

partsproduction · Sep 29, 2016

I finally finished (Or maybe not) an old shaper, and when I took it out in the sunshine to photograph it, with the sunlight coming from the right direction, there is a scratch! It runs with the travel of the box on the rail front surface.

Evidently when I assembled it there must have been a tiny bit of grit that was on one of the surfaces. The scratch is small enough that it can't be seen in the shop's light.
Of course I'll take it back apart and find/remove the grit, but would normal procedure be to re-scrape that way?
Thanks,
parts

moonlight machine · Sep 29, 2016

partsproduction said:
I finally finished (Or maybe not) an old shaper, and when I took it out in the sunshine to photograph it, with the sunlight coming from the right direction, there is a scratch! It runs with the travel of the box on the rail front surface.

Evidently when I assembled it there must have been a tiny bit of grit that was on one of the surfaces. The scratch is small enough that it can't be seen in the shop's light.
Of course I'll take it back apart and find/remove the grit, but would normal procedure be to re-scrape that way?
Thanks,
parts

Good grief, Are you going to use it or look at it? As soon as you use it it will start to show wear and "scratches". Are you going to re scrape it every time you use it? The scratch is so light you need to have the sun on it to see it! Treat it like a sore dick....don't f.ck with it.

fusker · Sep 29, 2016

I made the very first (smallish) dent in our new car. Thanked my stars that it wasn't my wife who did it. It took me a week to forget but after that I didn't notice. Learnt to be more careful, and so will you I s'pose.
As the germans say: Mensch, argere dich nicht.
Regards, fusker

Forrest Addy · Sep 29, 2016

Absolute cleanliness in assembly is absolutely essential in everything I ever had to do. Don't ask me how I know this. The mea cupa past of my long career would make a book.

Like was said "...one little piece of grit..."

Demon69 · Sep 29, 2016

+1 for just use it

ewlsey · Sep 29, 2016

Call it an oil groove and get on with life.

The whole thing about rebuilding a machine is that the second you put it back in production it starts wearing itself out again.

JST · Sep 29, 2016

Hit it with a stone or a burr file to knock off anything sticking up, and go on.

Just recently did something similar.... got everything nice and finished on a dovetail, good ppi, then discovered I needed a bit more clearance in the corner of the dovetail for the mating part, as I had scraped the surface down a fair bit. Of course, in fixing that, I managed to put a mark on my nice new surface.

Burr file, wipedown, all good. It's a machine of mine, not someone else, so it is "customer accepted". As far as surface area, the mark is of less than no account, and doesn't go to an edge.

partsproduction · Sep 29, 2016

Are you going to use it or look at it?

Actually both, but more as preserving something for posterity. One always wishes there were more museums for machine tools.

moonlight machine · Sep 29, 2016

partsproduction said:
Actually both, but more as preserving something for posterity. One always wishes there were more museums for machine tools.

Of all the things that could be preserved for posterity......a shaper?

ewlsey · Sep 29, 2016

He needs something to hold the door open...

lars66 · Sep 29, 2016

moonlight machine said:
Of all the things that could be preserved for posterity......a shaper?

Just seen a Lewis shaper on Craigs list Mpls. that had been totally redone and in a glass case.

moonlight machine · Sep 29, 2016

lars66 said:
Just seen a Lewis shaper on Craigs list Mpls. that had been totally redone and in a glass case.

There are broken people everywhere.....

partsproduction · Sep 29, 2016

So, then, there are people around who don't have any morals about ridiculing people in public. I knew that. I feel sorry for them.

OR, YOUR idea of what is worthy of restoration is all that matters?

OR, I'm not wanted here? Is that it?

Moderator, am I not welcome here?

ewlsey · Sep 29, 2016

Try the antique forum. Those are the least practical of the members here. Perhaps they will offer sympathy. The rest of us are busy trying to make a living with our machines.

Richard King · Sep 29, 2016

In the past when I see a small scratch I get a 5 pound ball peen hammer and clean, stone the round and big end or the head, so its smooth and no burrs. Then push the ball end on top of the scratch and burnish the iron together, then flip it over and use the big flat end tipped up about 20 degree's and push down and rub it together Then if you checkerboard scraped it checker board push the hammer over the score and then take a scraper cross cut pass on that area and it should blend in then lightly stone it. It doesn't always work but it does work if the scratch is small. And as others have said check the wipers for trash. No air hose cleaning either. Rich
PS: No hitting with the hammer, just slide it above the score.

partsproduction · Sep 29, 2016

trying to make a living with our machines.

Sir, I have a shop full of modern machine tools, mostly CNC production machines. I myself am semi retired, and enjoy bringing antique machine tools to near new condition, not for money obviously, but using what I consider basic common scraping methods and tools to make them like new.
Most modern machines have hardened and ground ways, or linear ways, so the ones you are scraping are probably not all new machines. Maybe antique even? Not that I would ridicule you for whatever cause you rebuild for, that's your business.

I suspect that a good percentage of scraping going on these days is done on old equipment, some people think rebuilding is counterproductive, scrap it and buy a new machine.

But now, you say you are too busy to read what I wrote? Well then keep your comments to yourself! Don't read what I write, that way I haven't injured you in any way!

I feel the question is legitimate, "what do normal people do when they have worked as hard and as long to do a high quality restoration as I have when they see a scratch?" Several people answered the question without attempting to make me feel small, thanks to them.

Soon my Nardini is going to need the cross slide scrapped, it is worn out. If I got a scratch on that I couldn't care less. It's a working machine. Have none of you ever tried to bring an antique back to it's original beauty? I'll have no problems doing that type of work and won't need any advice.

I have at least 5 other antique machines in Que to restore, whether it fills my pocket or not I feel it is a noble occupation, saving them for the future.

So, if I'm not doing exactly the kinds of machine tools someone else is I should stay away? I never would have dreamed there weren't others in a scraping and rebuilding forum that are not rebuilding antique machine tools, and all those guys gong to scraping classes are only learning to work on "modern" machines.

SIP6A · Sep 29, 2016

partsproduction said:
Sir, I have a shop full of modern machine tools, mostly CNC production machines. I myself am semi retired, and enjoy bringing antique machine tools to near new condition, not for money obviously, but using what I consider basic common scraping methods and tools to make them like new.
Most modern machines have hardened and ground ways, or linear ways, so the ones you are scraping are probably not all new machines. Maybe antique even? Not that I would ridicule you for whatever cause you rebuild for, that's your business.

I suspect that a good percentage of scraping going on these days is done on old equipment, some people think rebuilding is counterproductive, scrap it and buy a new machine.

But now, you say you are too busy to read what I wrote? Well then keep your comments to yourself! Don't read what I write, that way I haven't injured you in any way!

I feel the question is legitimate, "what do normal people do when they have worked as hard and as long to do a high quality restoration as I have when they see a scratch?" Several people answered the question without attempting to make me feel small, thanks to them.

Soon my Nardini is going to need the cross slide scrapped, it is worn out. If I got a scratch on that I couldn't care less. It's a working machine. Have none of you ever tried to bring an antique back to it's original beauty? I'll have no problems doing that type of work and won't need any advice.

I have at least 5 other antique machines in Que to restore, whether it fills my pocket or not I feel it is a noble occupation, saving them for the future.

So, if I'm not doing exactly the kinds of machine tools someone else is I should stay away? I never would have dreamed there weren't others in a scraping and rebuilding forum that are not rebuilding antique machine tools, and all those guys gong to scraping classes are only learning to work on "modern" machines.

So who lit the fuse on your tampon?
Quite being such a dirty slob when you assemble machines and things like this wouldn't happen.

ewlsey · Sep 29, 2016

Jesus. This is Practical Machinist. There is nothing practical about a shaper. Rebuilding one is even less practical. Bemoaning a scratch on one is absurd.

partsproduction · Sep 29, 2016

In the past when I see a small scratch

Thanks Richard.

I do remember Connely saying he would run a scraper blade backwards with pressure to force any bur back down.

I think I like your answer better, If I hadn't worked so long and hard at making it perfect I wouldn't even have noticed it.

I acknowledge that most people don't care as much what their work looks like. I guess They are the one's giving me a hard time for asking a legitimate question.

dgfoster · Sep 30, 2016

I like the fact that some here have chosen not to harshly (in one case vilely?) criticize the OP for his aesthetic concerns but have simply answered his question to the best of their excellent ability. That really is all the OP was asking for.

And it may be useful to recall that some of our best moments here on PM have not been so deadly serious or necessarily business- motivated. http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/mini-dozer-pics-195364/#post1265683

Denis

A SCATCH in a freshly scraped and assembled machine way.

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