M.B. Naegle
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Location
- Conroe, TX USA
(Kind of a toss up to post this here, or in the general forum, or in the reconditioning forum)
So I'm in some negotiations horse-trading machinery again. I have an opportunity to pick up another lathe, a Whitcomb Blaisdell, which there is not a lot of info about out there. The only issue would be getting it from Mass. to Texas without breaking the bank.
(on that note: if anyone has specs. on a 12"x144" (overall bed length)Whitcomb Blaisdell from the late teens or early 20's, I'd really appreciate it! All the data I've found so far was for bigger swings and shorter beds)
While I contemplate it, I have some questions about the bed. This lathe has a 12" swing and is 12 feet overall long with 3 legs under it. I've never leveled or dialed in a lathe with a bed long enough to have 3 legs so how would you go about it? My first thought is to use a precision level, but would you still do so considering it has some degree of wear? Level the ends and then touch off the middle? I think I have a good grasp of how to set a lathe that sits on the ends, but the 3rd leg and the droop it is supposed to eliminate has me scratching my head.
Similarly, I'd be interested in how I would go about inspecting it for wear. Normally after the bed is leveled, I would consider each surface of the bed as one plain set on 2 points and any drop between those 2 points is worn. Is there something like the 2 collar test for such an application?
The current owner found the lathe face down half buried in mud and it looks like he did a great job bring it back, but he hasn't done anything with the ways. IMO a lathe this long is meant to turn long accurate work, so If I were to get it, I'd want to set it up as true as possible. Otherwise the added length is just dead iron.
So I'm in some negotiations horse-trading machinery again. I have an opportunity to pick up another lathe, a Whitcomb Blaisdell, which there is not a lot of info about out there. The only issue would be getting it from Mass. to Texas without breaking the bank.
(on that note: if anyone has specs. on a 12"x144" (overall bed length)Whitcomb Blaisdell from the late teens or early 20's, I'd really appreciate it! All the data I've found so far was for bigger swings and shorter beds)
While I contemplate it, I have some questions about the bed. This lathe has a 12" swing and is 12 feet overall long with 3 legs under it. I've never leveled or dialed in a lathe with a bed long enough to have 3 legs so how would you go about it? My first thought is to use a precision level, but would you still do so considering it has some degree of wear? Level the ends and then touch off the middle? I think I have a good grasp of how to set a lathe that sits on the ends, but the 3rd leg and the droop it is supposed to eliminate has me scratching my head.
Similarly, I'd be interested in how I would go about inspecting it for wear. Normally after the bed is leveled, I would consider each surface of the bed as one plain set on 2 points and any drop between those 2 points is worn. Is there something like the 2 collar test for such an application?
The current owner found the lathe face down half buried in mud and it looks like he did a great job bring it back, but he hasn't done anything with the ways. IMO a lathe this long is meant to turn long accurate work, so If I were to get it, I'd want to set it up as true as possible. Otherwise the added length is just dead iron.