My first lathe! What model is it? Pics!

If you can't rig a tank or trough try naval jelly. It's jellied phosphoric acid. You just glop it on and leave it for a few hours, covered with plastic to prevent drying. Get all the oil off first, of course.

I see that we are neighbors. I'm in Elmwood.
 
stevos758 said:
I forgot I have a friend who has access to a large surface grinder. Should I even have thoughts of doing that in my head?
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If you grind the tops of the ways, it drops the carriage in relation to the leadscrew. You have to compensate for that somehow. For an Atlas it's not that hard. But I don't see that your ways are that bad. Check them with a micrometer. Thickness at the edge should not vary more than maybe .002" along the length. Check the rear edge also.
 
Oh wow! Didn't even catch that! Howdy neighbor!

Ill try making a tank. maybe some 2x4s and some plastic?
 
AR1911 said:
If you grind the tops of the ways, it drops the carriage in relation to the leadscrew. You have to compensate for that somehow. For an Atlas it's not that hard. But I don't see that your ways are that bad. Check them with a micrometer. Thickness at the edge should not vary more than maybe .002" along the length. Check the rear edge also.
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Will do! Thanks!
 
Soaking just the ways in a shallow field-expedient tank would work. You will get a line of crud at the top of the fluid level. You can get phosphoric acid in the form of pipeline cleaner or milkstone remover at a farm store such as Fleet-Farm. Dilute it about 4:1 and soak overnight. It will do pretty much the same job as Evaporust.

When you are done you want to coat your ways with some sort of way oil. I use chainsaw bar and chain oil. WD40 will only last a couple of days.
 
My ways were rusted like that in spots, I took a fine scotch brite type of pad along with wd40 and went at it again and again. Maybe not the best way but it removed the rust and worked.
 
Ok. I think I will just try and fabricate something that will get me by until I can find someone with the same machine to get me going. I have the keyway bushings. I just need to make the bushings between those and the bolt itself. Should be easy enough to make. Luckily we have a working lathe at work! : )
 
Evapo rust is working it's magic as we speak. Looked pretty good this morning.

Can anyone get some rough dimensions of the bolts, and bushings that hold on the gears?

I have the double keyway bushings. I need the dimensions of the ones between them and the bolts. Also Bolt dimensions. I am going to try and make some bushings after work. I will also need to pick up some bolts from the hardware store and try and get them to work.

One more question. What fits inside the tailstock? Is it in fact MT#2?

Pics of progress to come later this evening.
 
Just a note of caution on Evaporust: If the part is not fully submerged, any bare ferrous metal at the liquid/air line will be etched. If that portion is painted it will be OK. So when doing a bed, invert it in the tank an make the liquid level intersect with a painted section, such as the "feet" or possibly the area of the bed just below the carriage rack, provided the ends are also painted at that level.
Raise the level of liquid as needed by packing additional rusty parts around and inside the bed
 
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