Good afternoon all,
When the motor on my Cowells ME90 seized, it seemed about the right time to look at some jobs for the machine that are long overdue. Mainly cosmetic jobs as the lathe has been looking tired for some time (in common with its owner), for example, the nice cast aluminium bedplate paintwork has some unsightly dings in it.
Removal of the lathe from the bed, a visit to a DIY returning with a can of 'Hammerite' blue, brush and cleaner, some Gunk and the rending of my favourite - but worn - shirt equipped me for the simplest part, that is, painting the base. Now done, it looks good, not as new, but much better than it did.
The motor problem was where the pulley grubscrew had miraculously undid itself slightly and had wound the pulley onto the motor shaft hard up to the motor casing thus preventing rotation - another successful little job, but it gives rise to question 1. below.
The lathe. Well, that's tired, too, and I decided to strip it and inspect its parts. There doesn't seem to be too much wrong, but the main bearing oil supply method could do with an improvement, but I know not what - I don't want to over-tighten the main bearings. Ideas would be welcome. The previous owner was, I think, a large lathe man, and there are numerous dings on the bed, for instance about a centimetre from the gap at the headstock end there is a series of marks that look suspiciously like saw teeth marks - he cut something off and didn't protect the bed. There are some other, similar, marks and I can feel them even with my rough fingers. I suspect that to have the bed re-ground by small amount (say 0.1mm) that wouldn't affect the bed strength would need to be carried out by a specialist and would cost lots. So I most probably will live with the dings. I don't know if some judicious work with a scraper might help, but, then again, it might worsen the problem.
Otherwise, having cleaned off years' worth of swarf from places I didn't know existed, and giving the body a lick of said 'Hammerite', I'm ready to re-assembly, which brings me to question 2, below.Once I've made progress I'll put up a photograph, followed by - who knows - something I've made with the lathe, sometime this century. So, a couple of questions:
1. The motor pulley had not one, but two grubscrews in the same screwhole: firstly a short one followed by a slightly longer: is this normal?
2. What's the best all-round lubricant to use when re-assembling, and ought I to use different oils for different purposes, for example, it has been suggested to me that I used motor oil for both main bearings and slideways?
All and any answers gratefully received.
Regards,
Cliff
