Smart & Brown 1024 ongoing rebuild

So after getting this machine last June I reached a milestone yesterday. For the first time I put a part back ON instead of taking things off! I reinstalled the gear rack. The rack had some odd wear and I had a section of rack EDM'd and fit two new pieces into the rack. I've mentioned this before but the machine shows odd wear patterns...like the bed, cross slide screw, Norton box, etc show little wear, while the apron was a mess. I have two thoughts on this...one is that I think coolant got into the apron and did a number on a lot of the internals, and two, I think the machine may have been rebuilt at one time, it certainly was repainted, and the repaint was done to a very good level.

You can see a couple of the old shafts next to my new ones and you can see the typical black staining that is typical of steel that has had long exposure to water.

If I ever time travel back I think I could show up at the S&B factory and hire on as a 1024 apron expert. I replaced 13 bearings, made 4 entirely new shafts, repaired 4 more shafts by sleeving new material in or on them and made 5 new misc. parts. I used 4140 for all the new parts.

there is still a ton to do, but it feels good to be ready to re-assemble the apron, and get it back on the machine.

My goal was to have this work done by Jan 1...maybe I will get the machine done within a year of getting it!

they are top shelf lathes, as I am sure you know.

quasi said:

they are top shelf lathes, as I am sure you know.

Click to expand...

I've seen but one in use, and have to agree.

So much so, I'd expect them to be welcome in the Monarch forum, much as Hendey T&G, Rivett 10X0, and - if even we find such rare unicorns - Axelson T&G, or Nebel Microturn are.

Small tribe, HEAVILY BUILT super-precision toolroom lathes represent, and more friendly than competitive, lo these many years beyond the days when they fought each other over market-share.

Nowadays, makers long-gone, we 'minders' just help each other with the elusive 'unobtanium' bits...

I'm hoping to get to mine this summer. Hopefully it won't need as much as yours. Tearing into my Monarch 60 has taken 6 months. Dave