I have found that gap bed lathes are not very useful, because even when you remove the bed block and manage to swing your intended work, you would often have insufficient cross feed length for the tool to be able to reach the work OD. Many years ago I owned a Smith Drum lathe with a sliding bed. This was a very useful machine although not very stiff, but even with this machine that was designed to turn large diameter pieces, as you approached the max swing diameter, you still would run out of cross feed length. The lesson here is to always use the appropriate machine for the job. If you don't own it, send it out to someone that does.
I had a similar experience with Richard a few years ago when I bought a 13x40 late model SB (Korean) from the USAF that had been dropped off a forklift on to its front face. The damage was not the bed. It was all the broken hand wheels, bent shafts and smashed power control box. Those replacement parts took 6 months to arrive from SB and none of them fit correctly. Each part required hand massaging and custom fitting. The machine had a TA and that differential cross feed shaft was one of the casualties. Think nightmare to get right. In the end the machine was very nice. I still own it and use it a lot, but the cost of the parts and the labor it took to complete the repair did not match the machine's end value. The machine should have remained scrap. I could have bought a new machine for less money. I lust for the new LaBlonde 14x40. That's a nice machine.
Your right on. The lathe was turned over and the owner called me after the young guy had already replaced the saddle, hand wheels and feed screw. I had a real problem trying to protect this young guy as he did not know what he was doing and that was obvious by what he had done. I know the company very well and it's a good place to work and in this area companies have issues finding experienced people. He was a sharp machinist and can run conventional and CNC machines. Mistakes were made before and during their decisions to move and fix the machine themselves.
It was a cheap machine as they only needed a machine to turn small stuff. They said the paid around $6500.00 for the machine and I told them they should have scraped it. They tried to fix it and said they also a huge issue getting the parts and made the mistake in just installing them "as-is". The old cross slide did not fit the new saddle. They made the mistake assuming it would fit. Many shop people assume they can buy parts that will fit much like a automobile part, no fitting needed. Like replacing a feed screw or bearing.
These parts that are suppose to be match fit do not fit with-out a specialist who can scrape does the job. I told the young guy and his bosses who knew he made a mistake but as I said, it's hard to find good help. I was put in a very awkward situation. The young guy said I didn't have to put in the new dowel pins that I refused to do and he also said he didn't care if I took test cuts or level the machine. I ignored all of those things as I am a pro and need to fix things I not only am asked to fix, but find when doing the job for liability issues.
I pointed out the problems I found to the young man, his foreman, the purchasing agent and head of maintenance. I was told "its a cheap machine and as long as it turns straight they could live with the other issues. I plan on writing a letter today explaining things.
The head of maintenance a longtime friend of mine said he told them to scrap the machine when it happened. It was another department and they assumed everything would fit if they ordered it from the factory. As I said it didn't and they slapped it together assuming it would. I pointed out to everyone where I could slide in feeler gages and how the wear pattern was hitting harder in area's of the bed as it was not match fit scraped.
They called me after they could not get the gap insert to fit the bed ways. I fixed that as best as I could. Showed them how the bed was bent near the middle. I took apart the tailstock and used it as a sled to compare the TS ways to the bed ways and they were different. The scraping on the TS was terrible. The gap was never scraped before, it was ground with an angle grinder. They said it never fit even when it was new and hadn't flipped over. I said I could not make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
That is why I insisted we take test cuts and we pinned the gap plus we used lock-tite on the bolts. I though I had taken more pictures but didn't. The lesson here is to not buy cheap Asian made machines. Much like the rules Milicron has. They are not made to the standards we need. You get what you pay for.
I tried to upload pictures, but it's a new system and is not working....signnnnnnnnnn
