SB 9 Rebuild

[Don1966]

Thanks Dave, I ordered the precision level today and the securing bolts to the base of my lathe look like just studs with a nut on top and bottom. I will take photos of my set up and email them to you. I use jacking  bars that i made on the front and back to level it with. It's not the most stable way and you can rock it if you push on it.
Hope you son gets better, not the best time of the year to be sick, Christmas and all.
Don

[steamer]

Had my Daughter inthe ER last year Christmas day...she had of all things POISON IVY!

We had a mild winter and she was playing at the edge of the woods and apparently found a patch.....even in December you can get it!

That was fun!...poor little girl

My son is fine....just a nasty cold....get more rest...lots of fluids....yada yada yada.....

Dave

[steamer]

Thanks Dave, I ordered the precision level today and the securing bolts to the base of my lathe look like just studs with a nut on top and bottom. I will take photos of my set up and email them to you. I use jacking  bars that i made on the front and back to level it with. It's not the most stable way and you can rock it if you push on it.
Hope you son gets better, not the best time of the year to be sick, Christmas and all.
Don

Good!   Let me see those photo's ...I bet they're adjustable....do you need to move the base around?...can it stay in one place?

Dave

[Don1966]

The only reasoning to have it that way, well for instance attaching the DRO to it, changing the motor if required and getting behind it in general.
The base is adjustable yes, here's where I run into a problem. The lathe is attached to the base and the base is the cabinet. Now if I level the lathe, it is in a sense leveling the cabinet. Now how do I know that the lathe is actually level to the cabinet with out unbolting it from the cabinet then leveling the cabinet and securing it back to the cabinet.

Don

[Mosey]

The only thing that is important, is that the ways are level from front to back, all along their length. Cabinet can be any way you find it.
My SB is on a cabinet base also, and it has no provision for bolting down. You cannot get inside the cabinet base to attach it to the floor. So, I shim the cabinet until the lathe bed is level, and check it every couple of months. It stays quite level to within 1 division on the precision level bubble almost all year long, as it is on a concrete slab.
Mosey

[Don1966]

OK, this is the way I secure it and its not bolted to the floor. The one thing I need to do is weld my top jacking bracket to the cabinet base to make it more stable. So here are some photos of what I have.
The first photo a look at the cabinet, second photo how it is secured to top and next to the bottom of cabinet.
The fourth and fifth photo is my setup for jacking it off the casters.

Don

[steamer]

Mosey is right...the only thing that matters is that the lathe bed not be twisted.....the base can anywhere it wants

Dave

[Don1966]

OK Dave & Mosey, I will give you the readings once I recieve my test bar and Level.


Thank You,
Don

[Mosey]

Don,
Here are a couple of pictures showing the level on the lathe bed. You also want it to be level at the Tailstock end of course. Please forgive the brass dandruff on my lathe.
Mosey

Sorry about those big photos, try these.

[steamer]

Don,
Here are a couple of pictures showing the level on the lathe bed. You also want it to be level at the Tailstock end of course. Please forgive the brass dandruff on my lathe.
Mosey

Sorry about those big photos, try these.

YUP...top of the Vee's is the leveling surface on the SB....I suspect the flat ways of the Myford is what you will use Don.

Anywhere you put that level Don,  the lathe should be level....

Dave

[Mosey]

Ho, Ho, Ho !!!

Dave and Don, and everyone else, Merry  you know what.

Mosey

[steamer]

OK Yesterday when I wasn't enjoying time aroud the tree....or cooking ...or repairing completely making new RC helicopter landing gear  ...or attempting to teach my kids the patience it takes to learn to fly said helicopters......I spent some time in the shop on the SB... I got the mortise squared up...I got the TS test bar point towards the front by .0007/9"....which is too much...but it's close and way closer than it was at about .002/ 2" ......I still need to lower the TS base by about .019"...and scrap it flat....ect....so I'll leave it there for the moment until I get closer...I'm in the ball park.   The mortise fits tight and the base has good bearing...so that's the important thing.

I need to make and mount the set over block on the TS base so the setscrews have something to push against.

Dave

[Mosey]

Dave,
It would be appreciated if you would illustrate how you measure the alignment position of your TS. Do you use a bar?
What is the bar?
Where do you mount the Test Indicator?
What to do if it is low?
I'm just curious, as this would never apply to a machine I have.

[steamer]

Will do Mosey...once I'm convinced I've finished it!.... I think I'm done with the tailstock...but wat a PITA that was!

She seems perfect one moment...and a complete mess another....I can't seem to figuire out why it's not repeating that well

At the moment it measures perfect...but ...I have the feeling I'll go out there in an hour and find her pointing down 3 feet or something....just to spite me....I'll have to think some more on it.....and it took me of the day to get to here!

Anyway...I know I'll poke at it some more this evening.....If I can go through the check 3 times in a row and get the same answers...I'll call it done...

Dave

[steamer]

Oh I am so close....The TS is .001" high, which is the good news....I consider that perfect......the bad news is the quil is pointing low .0003"/9"....so I"m not quite done yet...but I am for tonight.....I can still get it .0003 pointing up and not lose the .001"...so tomorrow...when I'm fresh ...and if my arms hold out...

I did this test 3 times and I found the variable....make sure I clamp the tailstock down with the clamp....a quarter turn an its locked down tight.

I am really amazed at how tight everything is...when it's locked down...it doesn't move....at all!

I need to finish the lever lock tomorrow....

Another productive day in the shop....won't be long now....

Tomorrow I'll get some of the lathe work done....the parts for the lever lock, and the motor control panel...as well as some milling on that panel....I need to put Norm to work before he leaves!

Dave