At Last
The lathe has been completely reassembled and test bars cut. Considering the machine is 55 years old, and what I just finished on the inside face is far from a complete reconditioning, the results are very pleasing. What follows is what has happened since my last post, in the order it happened.
The oil grooves have been cut using the end of a round file ground flush. The cutting action bears a very strong resemblance to the scraping motion. The patterns of the grooves were measured, recorded prior to the milling of the slide faces, and then drawn out on the Multifil after scraping. The machine was then reassembled.
35" and 14" test bar cuts after the reassembly. Unfortunately, I have lost my notes on the recorded dimensions, but for the 35" bar there was .0014" differential between the high and low. IIRC, the biggest difference was on the TS end, with the middle being relatively constant, and a minor variation on the HS end. I could have worked withese results, but I decided to do a modified "2 collars test" on the 14" bar. A .004" difference, small at the HS, convinced me otherwise.
Before I could get to the scraping, I had to use the lathe for a job, turning a 10" D X 22" long piece of aluminum. I was the only lathe I could load the piece in, I can't get my little forklift in position to load the 16" CY. Please note the small piece of plywood C clamped to the TA guard in an attempt to contain the coolant. At the speed I was running, it was mostly successful. The turning accuracy was very encouraging, the diameter didn't vary over .0005" the entire length.
The 14" test bar mounted, and the inside face has been spotted. I'm concentrating my efforts on the section(s) nearest the HS. At this point, I'm very close to being finished.
This is the same spotting as above, from a different view. The spotting may look like I'm hust starting, but it's due to the way I'm recharging the medium on the straight edge. The is spotting in the nearest "bare" area, but it is extremely faint.
The final 14" test bar results. The results from yesterday afternoon are; HS 2.2016", 4"- 2.2015", 7"- 2.2018", 10"- 2.2022, 12"- 2.2024", 14"- 2.203". Remeasured this AM the only changes are; 10"- 2.2018", and 14"- 2.2028". Maybe there is a reason the 2 collars test is only 12" long.
The final 35" test bar results. The results from late yesterday afternoon are; HS 2.2427", 6"- 2.2425", 12"- 2.2423", 18" 2.2427", 24"- 2.2427", 30"- 2.2426", 35"- 2.2427". Remeasured this AM; HS 2.2423", 6"- 2.2423", 12"- 2.2423", 18"- 2.2422", 24"- 2.2424", 30"- 2.2426", 35"- 2.2425".
Keep in mind the remeasurement points are not the same as the first points, but very close approximations. I could move the micrometer in between and get slightly different measurements.
There are still a few minor things to be done to the lathe, an oil seal replaced on the gearbox, a rear splash guard, etc., etc., but for all intents and purposes I'm done, and ready to get back to the "Wreck".
Harry