New heavy 10 owner, did I already mess up?

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

Picked up a 1966 toolroom lathe, 4ft hardened bed in great shape, cam lock spindle. I want to do a full restoration on it.

I did something and was looking for some reassurance. I pulled the 3 jaw and the spindle had some light rust/pitting. I took a maroon scotch brite pad and some mineral spirits and shined her up under power with light to moderate pressure. I never thought about the idea that I might actually be damaging the spindle. Should I be worried?

iwananew10K · Feb 13, 2015

wouldn't do any more of that but doubt any real damage is done.

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

iwananew10K said:
wouldn't do any more of that but doubt any real damage is done.

That was that I had hoped. I would imagine the spindle is hardened, and I wouldn't have thought any errors I introduced would be any more harmful than the rust I was removing, but some reassurance is always nice.

mTeryk · Feb 13, 2015

I keep blue scotch brite around for rust removal, much gentler.

Teryk

stephen thomas · Feb 13, 2015

I want to do a full restoration on it

Very much doubt that is either true or advisable.

A "full restoration" regarding machine tools means doing the machine work (regrinding spindles and tapers, e.g.) and fettling the works to bring the machine back to new standards as far as the manufacturer's test card. (You can probably still get the test card on your machine from Leblond, IIRC) or someone on here may have a list of the standards for a toolroom heavy ten. If it is a true toolroom, it has the extra accuracy leadscrew and a taper attachment, so to "restore" the lathe, those items would have to be brought back to as-new standards. Very unlikely necessary. You would also re-scrape all the sliding components and verify the geometry, do as necessary to make sure the TS barrel runs inline with the bed axis and spindle nose and that the TS base does not tilt down, and have the bed checked out carefully as to how close to original trueness is was. Bushings and bearings would be refreshed as indicated and leadscrews and nuts replaced to reduce free play

You may mean clean, adjust, add new felts and perhaps repaint?

Just use the thing for what it was made for for a while, and learn to make good parts on it. While developing the skills to do good turning, you will also accumulate and gradually develop the skills to actually inspect condition. Down the line you may choose to improve areas that need it, if any. Or you may be having so much fun you decide it is not worth the downtime to take it apart for a mere cosmetic paint and polish.

smt

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

stephen thomas said:
Very much doubt that is either true or advisable.

smt

Advisable, perhaps not. True, absolutely, at least in regards to the desire to restore this machine. Have NOS half nuts on the way. I'm willing to change every lead screw in it if need be, not because I think I have to, because I want to. To each his own.

PaPaMitch · Feb 13, 2015

Cast1

Welcome to the site!
Do you have any pictures of your find? You know what they say (maybe not, you're new here), no pictures, it didn't happen. GRIN

Mitch

vonleyser · Feb 13, 2015

A man with unlimited funds

stephen thomas · Feb 13, 2015

Advisable, perhaps not. True, absolutely, at least in regards to the desire to restore this machine. Have NOS half nuts on the way. I'm willing to change every lead screw in it if need be, not because I think I have to, because I want to. To each his own.

Well great, then. I think.
Maybe check out the rebuilding forum when you get your scrapers and straight edges out.

Do you have the equipment to test the alignments?

smt

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

vonleyser said:
A man with unlimited funds

A man who thinks these old machines are very special and has need for a section 179 deduction LOL.

Look, I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here. Obviously I'm not a machinist by trade, but you don't need to be a NASCAR driver to want to fix up an old hotrod and do as good a job as you have the resources to do. I would think that "you can't do that" wouldn't be the first response I would get on here.

I was looking at the current heavy 10 in desperation and it was a $7000 machine. I could put a great deal of money into this lathe and still have a lot left over for tooling by comparison.

Anyway, if anybody would be willing to give me some guidance rather than being a dream squasher, I would really appreciate it.

BTW, I would LOVE to learn to scrape.

jim rozen · Feb 13, 2015

Rule number one on these machines:

Do NOT remove the bearing caps on the spindle bearings unless you
know EXACTLY what you are doing.

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

PaPaMitch said:
Cast1

Welcome to the site!
Do you have any pictures of your find? You know what they say (maybe not, you're new here), no pictures, it didn't happen. GRIN

Mitch

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

cast1 · Feb 13, 2015

Abeship · Feb 13, 2015

Great looking machine! Long bed and camlock spindle excellent find.

Out of curiosity, what makes ou think the bed is hardened? I thought SB didn't start that until 70s or 80s, and I see no tag that says It is (at least where I have seen them before)

stonehaven · Feb 13, 2015

nice looking lathe. 1966 cool

SBLatheman · Feb 13, 2015

Abeship said:
Great looking machine! Long bed and camlock spindle excellent find.

Out of curiosity, what makes ou think the bed is hardened? I thought SB didn't start that until 70s or 80s, and I see no tag that says It is (at least where I have seen them before)

South Bend started offering hardened beds in the '50's. The unit code number of the bed will deturmine if it is hard. By the looks of it, and because it was for Uncle Sam, I'd say it is hardened.
Ted

jim rozen · Feb 13, 2015

Also absence of flaking on an otherwise good-condition bed. I think at some point they stopped
putting the "Flame Hardened" tags on the machines, because they all were. The Amstad Industries
ones were some of the last machines built.

moonlight machine · Feb 13, 2015

You need to treat that thing like a sore dick....don't f^ck with it. Just use it and learn how to take care of it.

New heavy 10 owner, did I already mess up?

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