grinder&paint
Plastic
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2020
Hello everyone, I am a mechanical engineering student and I just happened upon a free LeBlond Regal 12. I have never used a lathe before, and I have a few questions for everyone to make sure I don't destroy my machine or spend unnecessary money.
The machine seems to be in decent condition, the ways seem to be straight and there is only 2 thousands of runout on the chuck. I just got the machine running with a VFD and the motor and headstock gears seem to be decent. Here are the questions I have.
- Is AW-46 an acceptable substitute for 'Medium Grade Machine Oil'. I just changed the oil in the headstock and used that
- It it worth replacing the lead screw and powerfeed on a machine this old? Currently the screw and powerfeed shaft are both missing, but the apron seems to be in good condition. I was thinking of buying a precision grade ACME shaft from McMaster.
-What is the best tooling for a beginner to invest in? I am leaning towards HSS because I will learn the most about tooling design.
-How can I level this machine? I don't have a machinists level, and to be honest it isn't in my budget. I think the most precise level I have is the one in my phone, which is accurate to one degree.
-Does anyone have a manual for the Regal 12? VintageMachinery.org | Welcome doesn't seem to have one.
-Does anyone want to buy 3hp Baldor VFD? It came with the machine and I don't have 480V (Heres my listing Baldor ID15H403E VFD New Old Stock | eBay)
Here are some pictures. I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum to post my questions.
Machine
Headstock Gears, the oil looks a little frothy I hope that is OK
The gearbox
The machine seems to be in decent condition, the ways seem to be straight and there is only 2 thousands of runout on the chuck. I just got the machine running with a VFD and the motor and headstock gears seem to be decent. Here are the questions I have.
- Is AW-46 an acceptable substitute for 'Medium Grade Machine Oil'. I just changed the oil in the headstock and used that
- It it worth replacing the lead screw and powerfeed on a machine this old? Currently the screw and powerfeed shaft are both missing, but the apron seems to be in good condition. I was thinking of buying a precision grade ACME shaft from McMaster.
-What is the best tooling for a beginner to invest in? I am leaning towards HSS because I will learn the most about tooling design.
-How can I level this machine? I don't have a machinists level, and to be honest it isn't in my budget. I think the most precise level I have is the one in my phone, which is accurate to one degree.
-Does anyone have a manual for the Regal 12? VintageMachinery.org | Welcome doesn't seem to have one.
-Does anyone want to buy 3hp Baldor VFD? It came with the machine and I don't have 480V (Heres my listing Baldor ID15H403E VFD New Old Stock | eBay)
Here are some pictures. I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum to post my questions.
Machine
Headstock Gears, the oil looks a little frothy I hope that is OK
The gearbox