The Stars Have Been In Alignment For Me This Week. Just Got My First Lathe, A D/r 11x36, 25-100

Tony, can you post the part numbers or dimension of the bushing you ordered? Also is there numbers on the bearings for the headstock? This way others can order up our before we take our machines apart. This could be a good reference. Tim
 
Yes, I can do that. I ordered all my bushings from McMaster-Carr and for some of the bushings I just took the closest thing and will have to trim or turn it to fit. One such case is the worm bushing. It needs a 1-1/8 ID by 1-1/4 OD X 1" long bushing, but the closest they had was 1-1/8 ID X 1-3/8 OD, so I'll have to turn it down to fit. Not a big deal, but another supplier might have had the right one. I just didn't want to have to make a bunch of orders from different suppliers. Some of the other bushings I'll have to face off a bit to get down to the proper length, so as not to interfere with adjacent components.

As for bearings, I wouldn't order until you check yours. I haven't yet found current versions of the old bearings, but when I do, I don't expect them to be cheap.

I'll get my McMaster-Carr order list together and post it and try to indicate where each bushing goes. May take me a few days.
 
I found the bearing I need from Alpine Bearing. They are out of Boston, MA. I Gave them the numbers off the bearing and they found one. They said their supplier has 14 available. It cost more than I hoped, but less than it could have been. Mine is on the way.

6209-2RSP53TN ORS 1 each 72.50

Alpine Bearing Company, Inc.
298 Lincoln Street
Boston, MA 02134-0003
Phone: 617-254-1420
Fax: 617-783-5263
www.alpinebearing.com
sales@alpinebearing.com

The original bearing numbers are the following:

New Departure
Inner - 3209
Outer - 99509
Sealed
Special code X3 (indicates precision bearing)

The old bearing has "Sealed" stamped on it, but by modern standards it is a "shielded" bearing, rather than "sealed". It also has "X3" engraved in the outer diameter race, as well as "3" on the inner race. I believe those markings indicate it is a precision bearing, specifying less than -.003 tolerance. Make sure you tell your supplier it is a precision bearing.
 
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Had a long talk with my financial manager (wife) yesterday. She gave me the go-ahead to continue with the rebuild of my lathe and allowed me an advance on Christmas, birthday, and my allowance for the next year. That allowed me to go ahead and place a sizable order for parts. I will be replacing the following items:

Complete compound
worm
cross feed screw
half nuts
precision bearing mentioned in previous post
clutch gear
compound gear (for carriage handwheel)
bushings
steel for several shafts
tumbler gears

Most of the items I ordered from Plaza Machinery. After looking around a bit, I discovered that Joe's prices are not as over-priced as some would have us believe. I have done a bit of comparing and shopping and found that if I take my time and shop around a while, I may come across some of the items at a lower price from individuals, but the quality is hit-and-miss. However, I have also found that many of the items listed on his inventory sheet are priced lower than similar items currently being marketed on other sites, including eBay. Once I get the items, if they are in "excellent" condition, as described in his list, I'll be happy with the prices I'm paying for them.

Additionally, I got the go-ahead to purchase the South Bend 9A that I mentioned in a previous post. It was a deal I could not pass up. So now I have a lathe I can use to make the shafting I need to replace, as well as to trim some of the bushings to fit. I am looking at purchasing a Palmgren 250 milling attachment for it, so I can cut the keyways in the shafts myself. Once I'm done with the SB, it will go to my dad's workshop, where it will remain until it eventually comes back to me. Hopefully, that will be a while yet.

Making progress. Having fun.
 
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A little more progress today. I would post some pictures, but it really doesn't look like I've got anything done. I'll wait until a few more parts trickle in.

I found a machine shop to re-grind the journal on my headstock spindle for the pulley gear. I had considered buying one that's listed on eBay, but in the end decided to go ahead and have mine repaired. It will be turned down about .010 or so and I will fit new bushings to it. It's going to cost me $100, but I made a friend of the shop owner. He has volunteered to help me with my lathe rebuild during his down time. Even lent me some videos and the South Bend book, "How to Run a Lathe".

I also bought a Palmgren 250 milling attachment, so I can do some limited milling operations, such as keyway cutting. I opted for the Palmgren because I will be able to use it on both the South Bend and the Rockwell. Eventually I hope to get a decent mill and the Palmgren will then go with the South Bend to my dad.

I'm still looking for a cross slide feed screw and feed nut, and I'm waiting for a fellow to make a tumbler gear for me. Other than those, I have bought all my parts and am just waiting for a few of them to arrive. By the end of next week I should be starting to put things back together.

By the way, Tim, I started that parts list you mentioned. Give me a couple more days and I'll get it up.

It was warm today, so I stripped the old grimy green paint off my taper attachment and tried to apply red primer to the paintable areas. I say "tried" because I decided to see how it went on with a brush. It's a no-go. The primer flashes so quickly that the brush marks will not flow out. I'll have to re-strip the parts and apply the primer with my gun. Looks like that's probably the only part I'll paint this go-around I doubt I'll have any more warm weather this year. Although, come to think of it, I didn't smell much in the way of fumes and don't remember seeing any "flammable" warnings on the cans. I'll have to take a look. I may be able to spray in my shop even with the wood stove going! Wouldn't that be great!

Well, with any luck, I'll be putting the lathe back together before Christmas.
 
I used to spray gallons of solvent based paints with a jet heater running, just had to open a door to push the fumes out and use the jet heater to bring in fresh air. It was stinky but worked in recovering my airplane. I have found any paint in a rattle can is not sufficient enough to adequately hold up on a machine, I will probably use a 2 part self etching primer like vari-prime and an epoxy/poly paint. I am anal that way though.

Your spindle could have been knurled and the gear pressed on, I am not picturing it, but I think its not a sliding surface right? Or is there a sliding surface with a bronze bushing in the gear? Tim
 
I'm painting with the farm implement primer and enamel from Tractor Supply. I bought the reducer and hardener for it as well. I was just testing to see whether the primer would flow out the brush marks if I painted with a brush, but it wouldn't. I'll be spraying the primer and paint through my old paint gun. I just didn't want to blow myself and my workshop to kingdom-come while I was doing it. I was surprised that the paint in the can didn't produce more fumes than it did. I think I'll be ok spraying paint in the workshop with the stove going.

The part that needed to be re-ground on the spindle is the part the pulley gear turns on. Everything else on the spindle is either keyed or runs on a precision bearing. It's the only part on the spindle that runs on a bushing. When the spindle is in "Free" mode, with the motor running, the pulley gear is spinning, but the spindle is not. It is disengaged, so the chuck is not turning. When you put the shift handle into either direct or back gear, the bull gear locks up with the pulley gear via a clutch, which then drives the spindle (NEVER ATTEMPT TO SHIFT WHILE THE MOTOR IS RUNNING). I got it back from the shop today and it looks like new. It was turned about .0214 under. I bought bushings with an ID of 1.750, so I can bore them out to fit (the stock bushings are 2.00" ID.). I felt like it was the right way to fix things. Now there won't be any question marks about it later.

I also got the new precision ball bearing this morning. Pressed out the old one and in with the new one. Interestingly, both the old one and the new one pressed with not much more than hand pressure, so I set the new one with bearing retainer, just to make sure.

Hopefully, some pictures tomorrow.
 
Well, I brought the South Bend home yesterday. What a mess! I spent all day getting it cleaned up. I still have the headstock, end gears and QCGB to clean. I expect I'll end up painting this one as well, since the paint is coming off in huge chips. It appears to have been painted at least twice in the past, but little of it remains.

Other than the paint, though, it is in reasonable condition. Wear, but nothing appears to be worn out at this point. The lead screw appears to be in very good condition, as do the gears in the apron and the end gears. In cleaning, I found some surface rust on the ways, but no pitting, and a little on the tailstock ram. The tailstock ways show a little wear, as do the saddle ways. Most of what I thought was rust has turned out to be just gunk and is cleaning up, though.

Several months ago some renters of mine left me a large crock pot for which they had broken the lid. I kept it, thinking some day I'd find a use for it in my shop. I filled it with rust-remover fluid and turned it on low. It enhanced the action of the rust-remover noticeably. Cleaned up a bunch of rusted parts very well.

So, now to finish cleaning it this week and put it to work making parts for the DR! I'll wait until I'm finished reassembling the DR before I take the SB apart for paint and refurb.

When I picked up the SB the owner let me look through her late husband's shop for parts and accessories for the lathe. The shop is a mess and has been stacked with junk by a hired hand on the farm since her husband's passing. I found a small tool box that had all his lathe stuff in it. I found several dead centers and several mics, so now I have a full range of mics, most of which are Mitutoyos, a set of Starrett inside mics, two screw thread gauges, a ton of bits, an a boring tool and post, and a bunch of extra holders. I got 3 and 4-jaw chucks in good shape, a set of Hardinge 3-C collets, a collet closer, and a taper attachment with the lathe. I was happy to find the thread protector and collet insert in the tool box, along with a set of Rivett collets. I expect I'll be selling some of these parts that are redundant.

One thing that really fascinates me is the cutest little milling attachment you ever saw. Looks like it attaches to the compound, but lacks a vice. Wonder what he used it for. If anybody knows anything about this thing, I'd appreciate the info. No manufacturer marks on it, but the graduated collar and handle looks like South Bend parts. I'm going to inquire about it on the South Bend forum as well.

In the pics you see the SB next to my DR. Still working on getting the shop cleaned up and organized, but we're progressing.

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you guys are really doing some nice work! i have put my lathe on hold till spring or summer next year, i am tapped financially till than. i am working on my south bend knee mill and the chinese lathe i bought. This thread will be a good resource for the bearings and such i think i will need. I am hoping each of you could please do me a favor and provide as many pics of your compounds as possible, measurements, anything to help me recreate my own, that is part of the reason i am concentrating on my other machines first, I think I will be making my own. I have an old Hardinge cross slide and compound i can use as a model, but i would like to be a little closer to an original design if possible... not 100% but at least sorta :))

Keep the pics and info coming guys!

rich
 
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