Lets see those machines!!

[cyberwolph]

There are alot of people that do most of thier own truing/restoring. So lets see some pics. Maybe even elaborate as to how its done. I know there are people out there that just need to see pics of machines and how some things are done. ie. scraping, painting, alignment, tear down, etc Maybe it will help with others that forget to search and just ask the same questions over and over. No offense.
I'll start by showing mine, its not restored mind you. F. E. Reed Co 14 " not sure of the date.

This is before I moved it.

This is after. Notice the motor and lima shift drive is removed. I just sprayed a bunch of cleaner on it to start cleaning before disassembly.

More to come.

 

[DocsMachine]

Well, I've already posted this here several times, but what can I say, I'm reasonably proud of the job.

And for those few who haven't yet heard me brag about it like a new father with a walletful of baby pictures, the important bits: It's a 1962 W.H. Nichols Hand Miller, 1HP/3-phase (now run on a VFD) and a 40-taper spindle. Five belt speeds from 100 to 1,200 RPM, and 19" x 7" x 13" travel, combined table and head movement. Weighs just short of 1,200 pounds, and with my 8" riser block at the bottom, is a little over 5-1/2 feet tall.

I took delivery of it in early June, and cut the first chips with it (boring it's own overarm support) in early November.

Doc.

 

[cyberwolph]

I hope mine turns out that nice. Don't know if I have the wallet for it yet though. Nice job man.

 

[garyphansen]

Doc: If I had one of those, I would want you to build a riser for mine also. The Shipping would kill the deal unless the Reds were running in the Russian. Just dreaming, right now I could not afford the mill, for you to build me the riser, or a trip to Alaska. Gary P. Hansen

 

[cyberwolph]

I was wondering, did you make that riser out of wood or metal. My covel surface grinder is kind of low too.

 

[DocsMachine]

I hope mine turns out that nice. Don't know if I have the wallet for it yet though.

-It really wasn't that bad.

Now, I do have more than a few hours into it, but not that much actual cash.

The machine itself cost me $300, plus another $200 to get it shipped down to me. (That was at the height of the gas-price spike.) I've probably got $125 in paint and materials (bondo, primer, sandpaper, brushes, rollers, etc.) The base has $100+ in steel in it (to answer CW's question) and I bought a $150 VFD to run it.

I seem to recall the new motor bearings and seal cost me a total of $100 to $125, and there's a long list of little things like new bolts, pipe plugs, grease zerks, threaded rod, electrical fittings, and so on, that probably add up to another $150 or so.

That's roughly $1,150, give or take a hundred bucks.

Now, I've come close to doubling that in tooling, but that's common for almost *any* machine.

Gary- the base is easy. It's four chunks of 8" channel, a chunk of 6" pipe, eight inches long, cut into quarters, and a few bits of scrap cut to fill the rest. If you know your way around a stick welder and a gas-axe (or plasma cutter) it's simple and quick.

Doc.

 

[Hephaestus72]

I've posted this a time or two before but here's one of my restorations in progress...it's a Simplex Lathe...

 

[wippin' boy]

Gary- the base is easy. It's four chunks of 8" channel, a chunk of 6" pipe, eight inches long, cut into quarters, and a few bits of scrap cut to fill the rest. If you know your way around a stick welder and a gas-axe (or plasma cutter) it's simple and quick.

that's art now
i'd a quessed that was factory all the way

 

[Mike Powell]

My 1903 American Tool Works Lathe

Here is my 1903 American Tool Works Lathe as it came into my shop.

After a good bit of elbo grease and some paint.

It still needs the paint finished up, but at least it makes parts. A short 20" lathe is great for re-surfacing flywheels for trucks and tractors.

Mike

 

[johnoder]

I hope everybody thinking about powering their cone head will look at Mike's drive. The wee little pulley on the motor and the huge pulley on the upper cone pulley shaft is a good way to get the speed down where it needs to be.

John Oder

 

[JST]

A fair sample of the "pre-work" condition......

Nice gear!

old and new

In position...all 7 foot of it... needs a belt guard, not likely I'll find the original type.

I hope everybody thinking about powering their cone head will look at Mike's drive. The wee little pulley on the motor and the huge pulley on the upper cone pulley shaft is a good way to get the speed down where it needs to be.

John Oder

It gives minimal "wrap" though....... an idler can fix that if slip is ever an issue..... less likely with the major ratio, but possible.....

 

[cyberwolph]

I too thought about doing since I have a 5hp 3 phase that turns at 3200rpm or so. Instead of using my 3hp single phase for my lathe.

 

[zachary]

Mike, the wooden tool chest under your ATW lathe is identical to the one my grandfather had, in the car shops of the Great Northern Railroad.
Where'd yours come from?

Zachary

 

[johnoder]

turns at 3200rpm or so

You'll need a big pulley twice as big as Mike's.

John Oder

 

[garyphansen]

Most likely everyone is sick of seeing this photo of my 1909 14" Leblond but it shows how I used a serpentine idler pulley of a F150 to get more wrap around the small motor pulley. The wood pulley on the right gives the lathe twice the speed than LeBlond intended. However I mainly only the tow slowest pulleys on the cone which gives approximately the same high speed that LeBlond intended . By the way I have been using it this way for about a year and a half now and the cherry pulleys are holding up fine. Gary P. Hansen

 

[Mike Powell]

That Chest Under My ATW

So you guys noticed that thing? I will be happy to start a thread about it. Watch for it later.

Mike

 

[cyberwolph]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but alot of poeple have looked at this thread. It just goes to show you that there is apparently lots of people that are interested in this kind of stuff. Lets keep thoses pics coming.

 

[Charlie W1]

Bought this 1965 BP about 10 years ago. It was missing the "X" feed motor for the gearbox. The "X" screw was in very good shape but the "Y" screw and nut were worn out. I found the needed parts on ebay for about $50 total.

When I powered it up the first time, it had a terrible rod-knock sound comming from the head. It turned out to be comming from the motor. The man I got if from ran it on a static phase converter, for 15-20 years though he didn't run the mill daily. I took the motor apart and found the shaft was so loose in the armature core that I pulled it out by hand. I bored the core until the wobbled out hole was true again. I made an over size shaft and pressed it into the core, reassembled the motor and it has run as smooth as glass for the last 9 years now.

 

[antique iron]

Tuned up this 3100 Oliver Filer a few years ago. This first pic. was taken by McKean Mach. in Cleveland.

Here after making up the over arms & chucks & and a good clean up inside & out.

 

[inwoodcutter]

Here is my ATW Lathe I drug up from Tennessee.

It took alot of scrubbing and wiping and electrolysis and a little machining.

Dan Warner