What am I supposed to do with this...
- Thread starter Chris C
- Start date
For a good metal lathe, that is a small lathe. That size is probably the most desirable for a home hobby shop.
Those Jacobs Rubberflex collets and chuck, if in good condition, are highly useful when re-chucking and precision is needed. Used ones go for about $500.00.
Lots of old school accessories there you'll likely not use.
Since you like restoring things, this lathe will expand your abilities many times over.
You'll need a good set of calipers if you don't have one already. Shars Aventor are a good value. Lots of other gauging accessories you'll need, but that will come later with experience.
Get a good wire wheel on a buffer and go for it.
Youtube is your friend.
Down the rabbit hole you go!
Those Jacobs Rubberflex collets and chuck, if in good condition, are highly useful when re-chucking and precision is needed. Used ones go for about $500.00.
Lots of old school accessories there you'll likely not use.
Since you like restoring things, this lathe will expand your abilities many times over.
You'll need a good set of calipers if you don't have one already. Shars Aventor are a good value. Lots of other gauging accessories you'll need, but that will come later with experience.
Get a good wire wheel on a buffer and go for it.
Youtube is your friend.
Down the rabbit hole you go!
Hi Skymaster, When you talked about your big lathe it reminded me of when I was a kid in Louisiana my dad took me to a machine shop. They had the opposite of your lathe. These lathes turned oil well pipe. They were normal except there was no tail stock on the lathe. Out the door across the parking lot were pedestal ways for steady rest and around 100 ft,+ from the head stock was the tailstock on a pedestal. Each one of these pedestals had a section of way on it about 12 or 24 in. long. I have long wondered how they lined these things up & how they kept them aligned.
Pop
Pop
Lotsa work, check recheck check again. It is very possible this was a permanent fixture so most likely way better than we think,since this was most probably a steady job. All the aggravation up front. It is mind boggling how they did things way back, all done by some smart guy who just gets an idea
Resist the temptation to put a single phase motor on that. Instant reverse is something three phase motors do quite well.
I suspect that it has a static phase converter on it. That doesn't work well for quick reversing, but the motor decisions will come in the future.
You're a very lucky guy to have a lathe of that size to start with. Likely your Aunt called it a small lathe because that's how your Uncle referred to it. In the world of metal lathes, it is small. Do a little internet searching for small metal lathes for sale that would go into a home workshop. That should be a learning experience as to value of what you will be restoring for yourself.
I suspect that it has a static phase converter on it. That doesn't work well for quick reversing, but the motor decisions will come in the future.
You're a very lucky guy to have a lathe of that size to start with. Likely your Aunt called it a small lathe because that's how your Uncle referred to it. In the world of metal lathes, it is small. Do a little internet searching for small metal lathes for sale that would go into a home workshop. That should be a learning experience as to value of what you will be restoring for yourself.
If you decide that the restoration is too much for you, I will gladly take it off your hands (for $$$) and restore it. I've been looking for a lathe for my metal shop and that's just the right size.
Charley
Charley
Know that you've got a quality phase converter there. It will likely need 240 volt current.
Get things up and going as is. Fine tuning will come later.
Brings back great memories of my tool and die maker days--that's a really nice little tool room lathe. Many of the home hobby lathes came with a box of gears to make precision threading possible; your lathe has the quick gear change setup which is a real plus. Look into the possibility of machine shop courses at your Community College. Back in my days, high schools had wood and metal shops, and might offer skill building courses at the school nights. Geez--that was a long time ago and a totally different culture; I'm old and moldy!
Now that I think of it, other Sheldon lathes of that vintage I've seen used a 66 frame motor. That size was discontinued decades ago. It had a 3/4" shaft but it does have a single pulley. A modern 56 frame size won't directly bolt up so a 1" high riser strip has to be made to accommodate the more narrow and lower 56 frame motor base. Its no big deal. A couple of strips of 1" hardwood with t-nuts will work but the aluminum ones shown are fairly easy to make. This is scenario is mentioned in case you're forced to use 120 volt single phase current. You're not in trouble.
good, you have collets! Do you have the collet chuck? and draw bar? Hopefully you can find all these parts to make it all work!
Nice photo of the mechanisms. Looks like a 66 frame motor as I remember.
Its a good thing to have the mechanism tucked in under the lathe rather on top and in the back.
The grease fittings look well attended to. That means that its very likely that the shafts and bushings are in very good condition.
Its a good thing to have the mechanism tucked in under the lathe rather on top and in the back.
The grease fittings look well attended to. That means that its very likely that the shafts and bushings are in very good condition.
Portable Abrasive Blaster Kit this will be tremendous help
I was wondering how that was going to go. Often the chuck is on so tight that damage occurs before the chuck gives.
All the gear teeth I see look as fresh and sharp as the day they were cut.
I see a reversing drum switch and I also see a reversing lever for the gearbox. That will be essential for cutting left hand threads or feeding the tool from left to right. The potential for this lathe keeps getting better.
One caveat on a metal lathe that isn't an issue on a wood lathe:
That threaded spindle may try to unwind when you run it in reverse unless it has a lock nut on it (which I doubt). Best to drill and tap a set screw into the chuck and make a flat on the spindle at its point of contact.
That threaded spindle may try to unwind when you run it in reverse unless it has a lock nut on it (which I doubt). Best to drill and tap a set screw into the chuck and make a flat on the spindle at its point of contact.
That spindle is in sweet shape but I'm thinking you know that already.
Plastic bags and good notes. You're going about it correctly.
Plastic bags and good notes. You're going about it correctly.
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