More on Needle Scalers

morestainless · Jun 17, 2018

I read through all the existing discussions on needle scalers and still have a question. I'm using one (HF) on the base of my Van Norman 1RQ to get to bare iron. The paint comes off almost immediately but it takes a bit more work to get rid of all the "Bondo". Finishing up one side, I noticed that there is a burr on the edge of the flat, column mating surface that I will have to remove. Logical. Obviously I'm peening the surface layer a good bit. I sharpened the needles some and it works quite a bit quicker with a nice finish. So, planning to get to bare iron on all painted surfaces, am I risking distorting/warping the castings? I plan on levelling/spotting all reference and bearing surfaces, scraping/aligning as needed, on reassembly.

DDoug · Jun 17, 2018

What is your question ?

kpotter · Jun 17, 2018

thats nuts, I would remove the loose paint with the scaler then skim coat with bondo and prime and paint.

morestainless · Jun 17, 2018

digger doug said:
What is your question ?

2nd to last sentence.

morestainless · Jun 17, 2018

kpotter said:
thats nuts, I would remove the loose paint with the scaler then skim coat with bondo and prime and paint.

My tools have a waxed, bare iron finish. Nuts is looking at paint, IMO.

JST · Jun 17, 2018

That question would be the sentence without the question mark.....

Why are you removing the Bondo? You then either have to re-coat it, or look at rough castings every time you use it. The rough castings would not bother me as long as the machine was in good shape, but it is simpler to just repair any bondo you knock off, and paint. No sense going to more trouble to remove the bondo, unless it is just scaling off and is a nuisance.

For that matter, paint never improved the accuracy of a machine yet.... just ignore paint and put it to work.

morestainless · Jun 17, 2018

JST said:
That question would be the sentence without the question mark.....

Why are you removing the Bondo? You then either have to re-coat it, or look at rough castings every time you use it. The rough castings would not bother me as long as the machine was in good shape, but it is simpler to just repair any bondo you knock off, and paint. No sense going to more trouble to remove the bondo, unless it is just scaling off and is a nuisance.

For that matter, paint never improved the accuracy of a machine yet.... just ignore paint and put it to work.

I prefer a waxed, bare iron finish.

Ianagos · Jun 17, 2018

morestainless said:
I prefer a waxed, bare iron finish.

If it’s a showpiece does the warpage in the ways matter?

sfriedberg · Jun 17, 2018

To answer your question, "yes, but not enough to matter on things like the column, base, and body of ram." I would be more cautious on smaller parts.

morestainless · Jun 17, 2018

sfriedberg said:
To answer your question, "yes, but not enough to matter on things like the column, base, and body of ram." I would be more cautious on smaller parts.

An answer to my question. Much appreciated! Thank-you.

gmach10 · Jun 17, 2018

They do work wonders. Used the snot out of them on bridge machinery. 2 things, 1st, WEAR A GOOD RESPIRATOR 2nd, HEARING PROTECTION. Some of our parts were better than 100 years old and primed with red lead and tallow. Some were primer with a trace of with some form of hex....chromium. Not sure of the spelling maybe someone could help. Anyway telling a friend in the environmental business about these parts having a bright orange primer he said be careful. A couple of years after I left that job one of the guys how used to "rattle" parts was diagnosed with a tumor in his chest. We butted heads constantly, I was on him all the time to wear a respirator and ear plugs. He was horribly hard of hearing, thought it was a joke. I was worried someday someone would WATCHOUT and he wouldn't hear it. Another guy that worked for me kept telling "Joe" I didn't know what I was talking about. All I'm saying to everyone is work safe. Leads based paint goes way back.

morestainless · Jun 17, 2018

gmach10 said:
They do work wonders. Used the snot out of them on bridge machinery. 2 things, 1st, WEAR A GOOD RESPIRATOR 2nd, HEARING PROTECTION. Some of our parts were better than 100 years old and primed with red lead and tallow. Some were primer with a trace of with some form of hex....chromium. Not sure of the spelling maybe someone could help. Anyway telling a friend in the environmental business about these parts having a bright orange primer he said be careful. A couple of years after I left that job one of the guys how used to "rattle" parts was diagnosed with a tumor in his chest. We butted heads constantly, I was on him all the time to wear a respirator and ear plugs. He was horribly hard of hearing, thought it was a joke. I was worried someday someone would WATCHOUT and he wouldn't hear it. Another guy that worked for me kept telling "Joe" I didn't know what I was talking about. All I'm saying to everyone is work safe. Leads based paint goes way back.

Miller P100 mask, ear protection, gloves, and safety goggles. If you have stiffness in your hands, 30 minutes with the scaler will loosen the joints right up, for a few hours anyway.

Limy Sami · Jun 18, 2018

morestainless said:
If you have stiffness in your hands, 30 minutes with the scaler will loosen the joints right up, for a few hours anyway.

And eventually give vibration white finger.

FYI Vibration white finger - Wikipedia

morestainless · Jun 18, 2018

Limy Sami said:
And eventually give vibration white finger.

FYI Vibration white finger - Wikipedia

Use a scaler 4hrs/day for 3 years straight and you will start to have
HVS symptoms.

DDoug · Jun 18, 2018

morestainless said:
Use a scaler 4hrs/day for 3 years straight and you will start to have
HVS symptoms.

Why are you doing any of this ?.... :nutter:

Light application of the needle scaler for the falling off paint, new paint
and get on with it.

morestainless · Jun 18, 2018

digger doug said:
Why are you doing any of this ?....

Light application of the needle scaler for the falling off paint, new paint
and get on with it.

I don't mind if you paint your own machine tools but you won't be painting mine, thanks.

DDoug · Jun 18, 2018

morestainless said:
I don't mind if you paint your own machine tools but you won't be painting mine, thanks.

So your using a needle scaler and not sandblasting, and your dooing all
of this so you "don't paint it" ?

You sir, have a problem.

morestainless · Jun 18, 2018

digger doug said:
So your using a needle scaler and not sandblasting, and your dooing all
of this so you "don't paint it" ?

You sir, have a problem.

Ahh, then it is my problem. Not yours. I'm enjoying it.

JST · Jun 18, 2018

Some folks use tools.

Some folks polish and finish them to whatever degree they please.

I suppose some do both.

Machines around here get painted to prevent rust. If there is loose paint, it gets knocked off first. Whatever gray paint is available gets used, so there are a few with a rather interesting selection of gray on them. But the working parts, THOSE get attention. If the machine has been taken apart for repairs, it gets a cleaning and the paint job is better and may be all one color. Whoopee.

Carefully strip all paint, and then wax the bare casting? THAT ain't gonna happen. Sounds like steam punk decorations to me.

Porschefix · Jun 18, 2018

digger doug said:
So your using a needle scaler and not sandblasting, and your dooing all
of this so you "don't paint it" ?

You sir, have a problem.

Really, you must be joking? Why does it make any difference to you? He simply asked a question and a simple response is all that is needed, why make your own values the most important part of this thread?
To the OP, I sorta like that look too,I have an old Hardinge TL with no paint and no rust, but I think it all wore off, I know it hasn't been stripped, at least in the last 60 years.

More on Needle Scalers

Cast Iron

Diamond

Diamond

Cast Iron

Cast Iron

Diamond

Cast Iron

Stainless

Diamond

Cast Iron

Hot Rolled

Cast Iron

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Similar threads