Thread: A new lathe or three.

Originally Posted by Christos

The paint that I have is not the highly florescent version but more like a pinkish orange. You certainly can not get sunburned from this colour.

One think I will mention I used this paint for a dog house that my wife had built for her friends. So your lathes will have something in common to the dog house.

I don't need that I'm sailing pretty close to the dog house as it is. I just bought three lathes
And I think it's sad that your wife's friends have to live in a dog house. I know there is a housing shortage but.........

Are we there yet?

Not quite there yet Ross.
I have replaced the bearings in the two long bed lathe headstocks but haven't got the other one apart yet. Haven't been able to find anyone with a hydraulic press.
Will rig something up over the weekend. Then I need to strip the paint from all three. This is going to take a while

Good pickup there. Any idea what year model they are?

I got a 1989 single phase woodfast recently and love it!!

Going to keep an eye on this one

Oh come on Tony since when doesn't a Mine workshop not have a press or a darn big hammer

The short bed is 1977 and the other two are earlier by a few years. Probably late 60s/early 70s I'd guess. I found serial numbers but no date.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Oh come on Tony since when doesn't a Mine workshop not have a press or a darn big hammer

I actually tried that avenue Ray but you have no idea what you have to do to use any sort of equipment on a mine site. Even if they would let me use their gear I'd have to fill in and sign a contractor authority form allowing me on site for the day and complete a job hazard analysis and emergency rescue plan and have it approved by the site supervisor. To use any equipment I need to be specifically trained in it's use and be authorised and approved by the mine manager to use it. I also have to have a current generic mine induction and a current site specific familiarisation. I also have to have a mining electrical package induction as well as first aid and work at heights qualifications.
That's just to get on site and I need to do that for every mine I work at.
It's just not worth the hassle to try and use mine equipment. But it's only a five minute job, who'll know? If I get caught working without authorisation not only will I be banned from site but my whole company will be banned.

Tony these things I understand ..............gone are the days of people able to stroll in and ask for something to be done.

There is a way you could try remove it using either your drill press if you consider it strong enough DO NOT risk breaking the table.
Supporting the headstock case etc so it doesn't become stressed.

Or rig a 10T jack and frame plenty WD40 to loosen it

photo borrowed from Bottle jack press - Page 2 - MIG Welding Forum


If the bearings are internal removal rather than external a simple puller maybe made

Was speaking with a girl from the US who is a wood turner.

She repainted all her gear bright red, pin striped it and painted it with flowers and some baroque art. I looks absolutely fantastic.

I was thinking of doing it to my gear....makes it look very lively and creative.

....better than BEIGE or "Boring Machine Green"

Why is gear such hideous colours anyway!

My son-in-law scrounged up an old lathe for me from a job which I pondered over for a while with the thoughts of removing the headstock (motor in intact) and just using it as another buffing machine, but after rewiring it (longer power lead) and a really cute repaint in stunning black, I'm having second thoughts on whether I should put it back together again.
It's not as 'substantial' as the ones in the pics, but it is a nice enough un it, plus it has a nice long bed.
Trouble is I already have my little old Durden lathe nicely tucked away in it's own little corner (see pics in my "old shed" posting), and I don't need or want another one.
So......?

Bob

Bob, everyone keeps telling me I can't have too many lathes I think they're all nuts. You know who you are, you sad lathe collectors

Evanism, you've got me thinking about the paint jobs now. I'm only going to do it once so I might as well get a bit creative. I'm envisioning pin striping and some fancy scroll work (I think that's what it's called)

Ray, I got the final headstock apart this afternoon. I used a bottle jack but my press wasn't as fancy as the one in your pic. Two bits of angle iron with some all thread holding them together. There was a bit of scoring on the shaft where the pulley must have come loose at some stage. Was just enough to grab onto the aluminium pulley and prevent it from moving. 4 tonne of pressure soon got it mobile argh argh argh as Tim the Toolman would say.

I vote one lathe with scroll pinstriping like the ones they used to do on truck cabins; one with starburst ( like a guitar) and one like the partridge family bus. Whats life without whimsy.

Originally Posted by Evanism

She reprinted all her gear bright red, pin striped it and painted it with flowers and some baroque art. I looks absolutely fantastic.

Originally Posted by Pac man

I vote one lathe with scroll pinstriping like the ones they used to do on truck cabins; one with starburst ( like a guitar) and one like the partridge family bus. Whats life without whimsy.

The truck cabin was what I had in mind. Not too sure about the Partridge Family Bus
Anyone got any other suggestions?

For those youngsters who have no idea who the Partridge Family was PFB.jpg

Way back in the industrial past the machine tool manufacturers made a pact that they were not going down the path of the sewing machine and gun makers.
Regards