Thread: Rivett 715

I now have the head in a weak caustic solution, about a 1/4 of the recommended on the tub (30g per L). It seems to be working well.

Here are some pics of the t/s in bits. The screw and nut are in great condition, no backlash can be felt at all.
I meant to put a 6" rule in the pics but forgot....the screw is 7/16" 10tpi, the dial would be 1 1/4" or so. The thrust race bearings are 1/8" dia.

Cheers,
Ew

Originally Posted by Brobdingnagian

... any chance you can persuade them to join the forum? -Josh

Josh,
Unfortunately my sighting of the immaculate 608 happened around 40 years ago and at that time the owner was well and truly retired, so I don't think he would be around now. Hopefully his machines finished up in good hands.
Bill

The total of 3 castings are now in the caustic. I'm liking it better than the electrolysis as the coverage I'd better, no shadows, even if the brew is not as safe.
One of the local dulux places has luxathane and duremax in stock, the bad news is the smallest tins are 3 or 4l, not really what I need for one tiny machine. And I don't want her the same colour as blondie, who will probably be a really dark blue, almost black.
I actually really like the green that Michael's 608 (that BT photographed) is. Do you know what the green is called Michael?

Cheers,
Ew.

Ew,

I think that the colour is actually a case of shiney metal under some odd lighting with bad colour calibration, etc. That lathe is just bare metal and form ground.

Michael

Michael,
You are right now i go back and look at the pics (i guess you should know), it was this machine i was thinking of https://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/rivett-608-a-150120/ but its lighter now i look at it again than i remembered. I looked at a few colours this evening in Bunnies, there is a Dulux green i liked, can't remember the name of course.

Ew

There is un-patinated metal in those photos. Machine oil has a way of discolouring cast iron.

BT

DSCN9959 (Large).JPG

I now have all the dimensions i need to make the slide units. Some tricky work there. I have attached a pic of what i should look like.
I ordered the CI i need today, plus what i need to remake the spindle pulleys and handwheel. Just waiting on the rest of the spindle measurements and i can hack into the 4140 Ray and Josh delivered.

The head, tailstock and switch mounting plate are all clean now, just waiting on the bed. As the Duremax and Luxathane are only available in 4l tins, i'll probably go with a white 2 pac epoxy primer and epoxy topcoat. The pics posted of the Flying Scottsman in the FP2LB thread have given me some colour ideas. Since there are so few about its hard to know just what colour they were.

Cheers,
Ew

I've just been looking at the pics again. It looks to me like the compound at least makes full contact with the way, the center flat as well as the outside 2. Would this have been a done thing i wonder, or maybe its just a really tiny gap. I guess i can check the 608 slide i have. The flat center was scraped from what i can see of the other pics, but it may not have been for bearing.

Ew

Originally Posted by Ueee

I've just been looking at the pics again. It looks to me like the compound at least makes full contact with the way, the center flat as well as the outside 2. Would this have been a done thing i wonder, or maybe its just a really tiny gap. I guess i can check the 608 slide i have. The flat center was scraped from what i can see of the other pics, but it may not have been for bearing.

Ew

Ew,
I deleted my previous reply because what I had said was incorrect. When you mentioned way I thought you were referring to the bed so I was thinking carriage not compound.

BT

Yeah compound and cross slide not where it bolts onto the bed. Still haven't checked, after yesterdays crappy efforts looking at fine details and taking measurements was the last thing on my mind.

Ew

Just as a matter of interest, when you have restored these old beauties, what do you do with them? It's not like collecting football cards, lathes and such take up a lot of room.

Hehe....use them to fix the next machine?

I do what i imagine most of us do, use them to make more tools, fix things etc. Oh and make weapons for the medieval reenactors. I have a fair interest in stirling engines, if i run out of other things to do i can always make engines. Do the odd paid job as well, sometimes more than others.

Ew

I checked today and the dovetails make full contact across the top section, as well as the bottoms and the angles themselves. Fun scraping, glad i have the blohm.....

The bed is now stripped (or striped?-one has no paint and one has lines.....) There is casting sand embedded into the castings everywhere, anyone would thing the machine was rushed out the door so it could be put to use making weapons.....

Hopefully if the weather is good i'll get some paint on tomorrow.

Cheers,
Ew