Lathe crosslide recut ? ? ?

[MrFluffy]

is that dovetail something that could be trued up on a surface grinder by a competent company in not that much time and cost?
It all depends on if the table traversal required by the grinder is not so long that it goes into the realm of specialist equipment from the general jobbing surface grinder domain.
It could still be worth enquiring with local engineering companies. If its in the footprint of the table traversal of a standard surface grinder, then maybe it can be done economically.

I wouldnt like to have to learn scraping and flaking on a lathe bed for my first scraping job, what would you use as a standard to check progress? a camelback surface plate longer than the bed? how would you keep both sides of the dovetail in parallel as you progressed? Its going to have worn most in the centre of the travel, where its been working its whole life on some production line, so you would be scraping in the extremeties of the dovetail to match the wear, having to keep them all in alighment...

 

[yarpap]

I thought it was the cross slide? surely its possible to mate one dovetail to the other by scraping,then final adjustment on gib strip.
looking at my (colchester) cant imagine removing the saddle and getting it on a surface grinder..i may be wrong though..i thought the dove tails would be milled and finished by hand
Dave

 

[Andy from Workshopshed]

You should learn to make a lot of what you need, that's what machine tools are for

http://homepage3.nifty.com/amigos/index-e.html

Here's a slightly simpler project...

http://www.workshopshed.com/2008/10/milling-in-lathe.html

and some thoughts on gib strip adjustment

http://www.workshopshed.com/2009/08/gib-strip-adjustment.html

 

[chap]

There's some debate on lathe bed grinding here.
I know translating this to the cross-slide is more tricky. But if the lathe is no good to you as is, then rigging something up might be worth a punt?!

 

[jugs]

Just been speaking to a friend on the phone about my Lathe. He has told me that most enginiering shops should be able to re'cut the track/jib so it will run true for only about an hours labour. Is this right? If so would save me alot of bother selling mine and buying a new Lathe.

Now the crosslide is worn, like you can set it up in the center but the outers are tight so it makes skiming not accurate.

The crosslide is a V type with screw's to tighten down the path, a little like the Clarke Lathe's.

DONT SELL, it's a super little lathe, (except sell to me of course, in which case it is a heap of junk & I'll give you £5 ).
Your friend is correct, about an hr, 45mn setup + 10 min cutting. will sort it. I have the model "A" , had same problem.

1. disconect Apron (the lump with feed handels & wheel) from Saddle (wide bit that slides on bed) Nb support Apron or it will bend Leadscrew.
2. remove Saddle from bed, watch for any shims you'll need them on reasembly.
3. take to machine shop, where they will clock it up on a milling machine & using a dovetail cutter will skim a few thou off to bring it back to parallel. ( just the way SMART & BROWN made it).

Don't even think about scraping - it will ruin it, the part that is worn can't be scraped properly anyway.

Scraping on machine beds turned out to be more for aesthetics than practicality. When you scrape a bed you form small holes, which were supposed to hold oil, but in fact break down the suface tension of the oil, and provide a pocket for grit to lodge in, and act like grit paper.

The way to go is perfectly smooth sufaces, and the correct lubrication eg Shell Tonna Oil T68 slideway oil. (Way oil is tenacious (ie sticks like **** to a blanket)! & is waterproof). The dangerous tiny grit particles float on the oil suface.

Tony Griffiths is expensive but good, and you get lots of good free advice.

PS join this forum - http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/search.php?searchid=313383

lots of help & info, good bunch, like migweld.

 

[busastars]

Chears all.

I think I may just try my best to get it sorted. There is a machine shop near me that I could call in to ask.

Also ontop of this I have stumbled accross a Southbend, the bed looks like mine and from what I can see the carrige looks the same apart from the bit that locks the carrige to the thread/travel part.

Im thinking of putting a sensible bid on for it so please more comments.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140396273095&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


Ive read Southbend is a copy of the Smart & Brown and also some Boxford share the same bed and carrage like ths CUD range.

 

[MrFluffy]

3. take to machine shop, where they will clock it up on a milling machine & using a dovetail cutter will skim a few thou off to bring it back to parallel. ( just the way SMART & BROWN made it).

Not induction hardened then I take it , no wonder its got a wear spot after all this time

 

[jugs]

Chears all.

I think I may just try my best to get it sorted. There is a machine shop near me that I could call in to ask.

Also ontop of this I have stumbled accross a Southbend, the bed looks like mine and from what I can see the carrige looks the same apart from the bit that locks the carrige to the thread/travel part.

Im thinking of putting a sensible bid on for it so please more comments.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140396273095&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


Ive read Southbend is a copy of the Smart & Brown and also some Boxford share the same bed and carrage like ths CUD range.

No, Smart & Brown Sable (1947ish) is a copy of the Southbend (1935), but better built & with bigger spindel.

Any machine of that age will probably be worn in exactly the same places as yours. but may be worth getting for all the bits!

 

[busastars]

No, Smart & Brown Sable (1947ish) is a copy of the Southbend (1935), but better built & with bigger spindel.

Any machine of that age will probably be worn in exactly the same places as yours. but may be worth getting for all the bits!

Right Jugs, you seem to know a fair bit here, does that Southbend look the same as mine, I do have a few more pics he sent me of the carrage that I could post.

 

[jugs]

Right Jugs, you seem to know a fair bit here, does that Southbend look the same as mine, I do have a few more pics he sent me of the carrage that I could post.

Hi, busastars,
Just had a look @ the ebay one, nothing like yours, I think it's a 15, much lighter construction, have a look on tonys site

http://www.lathes.co.uk/southbendmodelfive9inch/page4.html

john

 

[busastars]

Chears jugs, glad I got that second opinion. There is another top slide on ebay that might be handy as a spare for me of a Boxford CUD.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250605685030&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT