So I got a lathe...now what?

[motomaniac]

I bought that same lathe about 7 months ago for $200 it came with Enough tooling to get me started. It had been sitting in a barn with a dirt floor for the last 15 years. I did a full tear down repainted it and got it back up and running a few weeks ago. I watched a lot of youtube videos while I was rebuilding it to learn a little and also keep me motivated to get it done. As soon as it was done I chucked up a piece of PVC and did a little cutting, once I had the hang of it I decided to try and make my first real piece. I had absolutely no machining experience up to this point.

And here is my first piece, turned a feed screw for my DP vise. Bottom one to replace the top one that the tip broke off.

Point is hurry up and get it running you'll be glad you did.

 

[raddksn]

I bought that same lathe about 7 months ago for $200 it came with Enough tooling to get me started. It had been sitting in a barn with a dirt floor for the last 15 years. I did a full tear down repainted it and got it back up and running a few weeks ago. I watched a lot of youtube videos while I was rebuilding it to learn a little and also keep me motivated to get it done. As soon as it was done I chucked up a piece of PVC and did a little cutting, once I had the hang of it I decided to try and make my first real piece. I had absolutely no machining experience up to this point.

And here is my first piece, turned a feed screw for my DP vise. Bottom one to replace the top one that the tip broke off.

Point is hurry up and get it running you'll be glad you did.

Dam son, nice job on the clean and paint!!! Love the color combo, is that factory correct colors?
I picked up a 1942 Logan 9x24 last spring. I'm mid clean and paint but currently out of town working. Can't wait to get back at it!!!

 

[motomaniac]

Dam son, nice job on the clean and paint!!! Love the color combo, is that factory correct colors?
I picked up a 1942 Logan 9x24 last spring. I'm mid clean and paint but currently out of town working. Can't wait to get back at it!!!

Nope rustoleum hammered black, and hammered bronze for all the pulleys, hand wheels and levers. I will say the contrast between the black and bronze is nice. You can be looking at your work piece and see the hand wheels, and all the levers on the apron in your peripheral. I think it looks good and makes the machine safer.

To the op if you feel that I'm high jacking your thread I will remove my post.

 

[jz2delta]

I have a southbound C and the 6" Atlas. The manual that came with the atlas is awesome. I'd suggest picking up a copy.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fergus: any more progress on the bench or lathe?

Moto: awesome restoration and it should almost have a thread of it's own. if you don't want to start one maybe post that amazing looking old lathe on one of the old vintage threads.

nice work on the new screw too

 

[fergus]

you might also think about putting a piece of plywood across the bottom stringers and putting "project materials" on it. It would make the table heavier and is a handy storage location.

That was part of my plan all along.

If you look at the lathe bed you will see where it's "feet" or base pedestals are. Those should be sitting on steel. I'd weld some steel on your table to coincide with where the lathe pedestals are. You can put plywood on top of that as long as you bolt through to the steel. The lathe needs to be kept level and the problem with wood is it compresses. You'll have to tweak it periodically. The other thing is your chip plate should be the very top of the table and should be sheet metal because you will be using oil to lube and cool your cutting tools and it gets dirty and wet. All the chips you create can make a real mess so a metal chip plate is mandatory. Your old lathe table top may work fine as a chip plate. The time you spend now setting up will pay off for years.

Oh and YOU ****!

Great suggestion. I will do that.

Take a night class at the local tech school. I did, best three months, once a week, I ever spent.

I wish I had the time. I just don't. Hopefully I'll at least get it cleaned up by the end of the year...snails pace these days with so many other irons in the fire.

I bought that same lathe about 7 months ago for $200 it came with Enough tooling to get me started. It had been sitting in a barn with a dirt floor for the last 15 years. I did a full tear down repainted it and got it back up and running a few weeks ago. I watched a lot of youtube videos while I was rebuilding it to learn a little and also keep me motivated to get it done. As soon as it was done I chucked up a piece of PVC and did a little cutting, once I had the hang of it I decided to try and make my first real piece. I had absolutely no machining experience up to this point.

Point is hurry up and get it running you'll be glad you did.

AWESOME resto! Making me want to get it done!

Fergus: any more progress on the bench or lathe?

So far, all I have got done is cleaned, wire-wheeled, primed and painted the table:

Lathe table by Tim Ferguson, on Flickr

Two coats of Ford grey engine enamel...since that's what I had...and thought it would be close to the original color...and resist oils/solvents well.

 

[fergus]

Finally made a little progress.

Had some 16 ft 2x4s I got for free when I bought some other wood.



Made em into a pile of shorter pieces.




Started gluing up.



I ran out of clamps. To be continued.

 

[GJoustra]

wow, nice score!