Author Topic: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...  (Read 49063 times)

Offline ttrikalin

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On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« on: June 18, 2013, 11:22:48 PM »
Your Graces, 

there are threads that are captivating, engaging and informative. Threads that take us on adventures, spur the imagination, forge bonds across countries and timezones. Threads that unravel in fast, steady and fulfilling pace; knowledge laden, each post more valuable than the next. Threads we long to follow, to read again, to brief our spouses about. 

This is not one of those threads.

This thread is about the sorry state of affairs I have found my self in, still continuing on a journey that started three winters and a baby ago. In 2010, I parted with a thousand odd dollars to acquire a South Bend 10K that had never seen a day of production work, yet was blessed with two decades' worth of caressing touches by high school teens.

Unencumbered by the thought process (I hear this is what my car mechanic's uncle's brother says), I embarked on a reconditioning. I must be reconditioning with hitherto unseen skill and care, as I have been at it for several calendar years and am not even half way done. 

The modest motivation of regular reporting might help me progress, and why not, finish this summer. So here we go...


« Last Edit: June 20, 2013, 02:02:08 AM by ttrikalin »
take care,

tom in MA

Offline ttrikalin

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On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2013, 11:33:20 PM »
This is the bed, fresh off the grinder, and shimmed and leveled within Connelly's specs: The deviation from the horizon is 0.001" over the length of the bed (the saddle is just sitting there, not scraped in yet).



This is the cross-slide, after several cycles of spotting and scraping.  The upper surface






and the lower surface (sliding/bearing ways):





take care,

tom in MA

Offline ttrikalin

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On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2013, 11:38:31 PM »
It seems to me that the cross-slide's bearing surface needs a round or two to carry better...

upper and lower surfaces of the cross-slide are within Connelly's specs with respect to parallelism. A tenths indicator registers under one tenth over the length of the ways... but my indicator is one I restored my self and needs repeated measurements to trust, and I am measuring on a chinese tombstone (to borrow from nick mueller)...

I still have to scrape the guiding way of the dovetail and the flat gib...

 
take care,

tom in MA

Offline steamer

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2013, 11:48:49 PM »
Hey Tom!
My condolences!
If I can help...let me know.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline steamer

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2013, 11:54:31 PM »
Who ground it for you?

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline steamer

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2013, 11:55:51 PM »
What are you using for a master?.....and do you need to borrow any?

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2013, 12:17:27 AM »
This is not one of those threads.

 :lolb: :lolb:

Oh man. That was a great post. I really enjoyed that.

I can't contribute to the subject...I know next to nothing about it...but know that I'm supporting you.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline ttrikalin

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2013, 01:07:01 AM »
Who ground it for you?

The same bloke who ground yours. The other Dave at Forest City Grinding, IL. I am happy with his work...  Dave is a gent. He shipped the bed back to me before I even put the check in the mail...

I trust the guy and I would recommend him...

tom
take care,

tom in MA

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2013, 01:12:32 AM »
Nice to know there are still folks out there like that, not that common these days.

Bill

Offline steamer

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2013, 01:14:30 AM »
Tom
Ill help you any way I can Tom...you know that.
The bearing on the flat way is coming along nice.  A few more cycles.

I find classical Boston suites me when the points count goes up.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline MuellerNick

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2013, 10:09:36 AM »
Glad to see that there is one who actually does a recondition. And not just a paint strip, some putty and a layer of lacquer.
You'll need a lot of patience (if that's your first). Spotting looks promising, but the way needs something like 5 more passes.


Nick

Offline steamer

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #11 on: June 19, 2013, 10:35:16 AM »
Glad to see that there is one who actually does a recondition. And not just a paint strip, some putty and a layer of lacquer.
You'll need a lot of patience (if that's your first). Spotting looks promising, but the way needs something like 5 more passes.


Nick

As am I.   I knew you have been thinking about it...and I guess I can't say I didn't know you started....but I did caution you!  :ROFL:
The pain goes away eventually.....

But you've gotten farther than I did in the same time...so keep at it!....Mine has been two years yesterday! :censored:.but the scraping is done, and its assembly and debug at this point....life does throw up distractions doesn't it!

Best of luck with it Tom....and again glad to help if you need it.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline Roger B

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2013, 03:23:27 PM »
I joined this Forum to learn new things and this is certainly stuff I had not thought about before. Keep up the good work!
Best regards

Roger

Offline NickG

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On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2013, 06:27:41 PM »
Hi, great project and looks like it'll be a nice piece of kit when back together. I've never understood scraping - how do you get the blue on on to highlight the high spots? Or are those the bits that have been done? How do you go about scraping? Just scrape a bit off and check for fit again?

Offline steamer

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Re: On the vices and joys of machine tool reconditioning...
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2013, 06:43:28 PM »
Hi, great project and looks like it'll be a nice piece of kit when back together. I've never understood scraping - how do you get the blue on on to highlight the high spots? Or are those the bits that have been done? How do you go about scraping? Just scrape a bit off and check for fit again?

It's a bit more complicated than that Nick...and like lots of things, there are various ways to approach the problem.   One of the best references on this side of the pond is Connelly's book   "Machine Tool Reconditioning"...though it doesn't talk much about the actual technique.    Some of Nick Mueller's  (OUR Nick )  video's would be well to search out on Youtube as a picture is worth a thousand words and clearly Nick knows what he's doing! :NotWorthy:

  I learned from some scraping hands ...for some of my education...while at Heald Machine ( Cincinnati Milacron)  and Moore Tool....though I am mostly self taught, and scraping is one of those things you can't really learn unless you do it.  I'm an Engineer by training...not a scraper.....but I get by.  I can assure you there are a lot of different ways to put on the marking media...and types of marking media...and types of scraper tools...and techniques for using those tools.....and for making do with the tools you have!....which you have to do sometimes.   Sounds like Tom will be demonstrating....and I'm looking forward to whatever he would like to present....

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

 

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