Ok.. So I am Playing Around

Indeed, Jack. Grit will ruin machines. I do not use "cloth" for my drop cloths. Grit goes right through cloth. To cover the lathe ways and other parts I use wet newspaper.
Yes indeed and in my picture that I posted it is really staged, just to get a shot of the set up. The picture is actually a very fine polishing wheel for polishing pivots, but it is indeed slightly abrasive.

I always cover the ways with paper towel sprayed with wd-40. Sometimes I use plastic food wrap since it conforms more with moving of the carriage.

Thank you for emphasizing this.
David
 
Indeed, Jack. Grit will ruin machines. I do not use "cloth" for my drop cloths. Grit goes right through cloth. To cover the lathe ways and other parts I use wet newspaper.

I guess it would depend on what the newspaper was wet with...................
 
I guess it would depend on what the newspaper was wet with...................
I have used mineral spirits, water, and WD40. All of those work. I quit using mineral spirits for fear of fire or explosion. WD40 is too expensive for that (tightwad). Kerosene would be about the same, but cheaper. Don't know if it is a fire hazard around sparks. Actually, water works pretty well, lay the papers down, get them arranged, and then spritz them with a spray bottle to keep them damp but not soggy. Still looking for the ideal protection that is also cheap.
 
I use plastic sheeting, the kind used for home construction. It covers almost the entire lathe except the parts that are actually turning/working and is held in place with magnets. I give it a light spray with WD-40 to make the chips stick. When I'm done, I take it out and spray all the chips off and let it dry in the sun before storing it for the next use. Cheap enough for the limited use it sees and it works well. I do admit that I use this mainly for cutting cast iron as I have not done any grinding on the lathe.
 
Indeed, Jack. Grit will ruin machines. I do not use "cloth" for my drop cloths. Grit goes right through cloth. To cover the lathe ways and other parts I use wet newspaper.

I never thought of wet news paper thankyou.
This will come in very handy when I start on grinding my slightly belled chuck jaws.
 
I've been using 3M painter's film that is pretaped on one end. It's not always ideal but it works for me most of the time. Pull a desired length out of the dispenser & pull to cut off with the built in serrated blade. I stick the pretaped end to my backsplash. It unfolds where it is long enough to reach past my leadscrew & power feed rod. My apron leaks a bit so the spindle power switch rod is always a bit wet, the end of the film will stick to the rod. Figured out to do it that way after a time where the film wrapped around my power feed rod when it was running. :)

The dispenser/rolls are expensive but a few years back Home Depot & Osh were clearing out the dispensers w/ roll & refill refils for really cheap. I think they were being discontinued for that size but they're now available again. I bought everything I found at few locations when I was in the areas. I have enough to last me a pretty long time. One downside is I have to wipedown my backsplash to stick it on whenever it's filthy or oily.


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Sorry for the blurry pic, only one I can find except I mostly have the black dispensers.
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USMCDOC, I have one of these brackets from ebay that screws onto the nose of a Dremel. I have no idea how well or bad it works, I purchased it when I had a mini lathe but I never used it. If you want it, it's yours for free, just PM me your mailing address.

Some people have had good results using Dremels for light duty grinding, many have not. Problem is a Dremel is a light duty tool, small bearings that are housed in plastic. So no matter what part of the Dremel you use to attach it, it will flex.

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