# Niles lathe rehab ...



## FOMOGO (Jul 8, 2021)

Have started a new thread here, and included the earlier posts from different forums.



Update on the Niles lathe project. Started disassembling it on site yesterday, will be going back tomorrow to load up all the components, and will be loading the main section latter in the week. Ordered a 7.5hp inverter duty 3 phase motor for it today, which will be mounted overhead using the original line shaft pulleys that came with the lathe. Found them in the boxes of tooling that were included. Thinking this will be my last lathe purchase, but we all know how that song goes. Cheers, Mike


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## FOMOGO (Jul 8, 2021)

Went out and loaded up the Niles lathe and all of the ancillary parts. Was an interesting job, as the lathe was anchored to the floor by six 1 1/2" studs studs set in concrete. Had to raise it above the level of the mounting bolts and then with the use of cribbing, an engine hoist, a floor jack, and a come-along attached to a power pole outside, moved it sideways far enough to clear the the concrete mounting risers, and bolts. Then it was just a matter of lowering it onto the skates, and winching it up to the ramp, which we greased with some of the copious amounts of schmuts covering the machine. Pulled up pretty nicely. Cinched her down, and made the 65mile trip home with no issues. She will be getting a total wash down sometime latter this week, when I hope to find a serial# or some other means to date it. The patent date on the tag says 1891. I'm thinking it's somewhat newer than that, but probably still over a hundred years old. Cheers, Mike


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## FOMOGO (Jul 8, 2021)

After the big wash down it was time to get her moved into her new temporary space. Got her off the trailer with the hoe, and a lot of in and out of the machine, rig and re-rig. Tried moving it with a spud bar once I had it on the skates. She just laughed at me. Resorted to pushing it in with the hoe. Had one dicey moment, but the machinery gods were with me, and the forces of truth, justice, and the American way prevailed, and she is now waiting comfortably for me to get her into operating condition. Tried WD 40, and some Scotchbrite on a few areas, and it looks like it will clean up nicely. Gonna try to put a day a week or so on it while I finish up the building chores. Mike



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





            [IMG alt="tjb"]https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/avatars/m/46/46440.jpg?1509047199[/IMG]          









> FOMOGO said:
> 
> 
> After the big wash down it was time to get her moved into her new temporary space. Got her off the trailer with the hoe, and a lot of in and out of the machine, rig and re-rig. Tried moving it with a spud bar once I had it on the skates. She just laughed at me. Resorted to pushing it in with the hoe. Had one dicey moment, but the machinery gods were with me, and the forces of truth, justice, and the American way prevailed, and she is now waiting comfortably for me to get her into operating condition. Tried WD 40, and some Scotchbrite on a few areas, and it looks like it will clean up nicely. Gonna try to put a day a week or so on it while I finish up the building chores. Mike


You are one brave man! And you didn't even move the T-Bird! I've done some cringeworthy moves into/out of the shop with a backhoe and skid loader, but this is amazing! You win.

How long did it take?

Regards,
Terry


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## FOMOGO (Jul 8, 2021)

Spent a few hrs. cleaning up the ways. A lot of real estate to cover yet. Mike


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## Aukai (Jul 8, 2021)

I buy my PB Blaster in a 1 gallon can, and there is a metal trigger bottle to go with it from NAPA.....Acetone, and ATF is a  good home penetrant 50:50 also.


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## markba633csi (Jul 8, 2021)

That's one looooong lathe, congrats
-Mark


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## Martin W (Jul 8, 2021)

That’s a lot of great work you are doing. Wish I was closer to help.
Cheers
Martin


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## NCjeeper (Jul 8, 2021)

Glad you made a separate thread. This is one cool lathe.


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## Winegrower (Jul 8, 2021)

Most impressive.  What I learned about BIG lathes from the railroad museum is that in addition to being incredibly powerful and capable, a day of using one is just plain work.   Even moving the tailstock up or back strikes a little fear in you.  But, the fun of turning a 2’ diameter rail car wheel or some 8’ pipe is good compensation for that.


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## FOMOGO (Jul 8, 2021)

Thanks for all the kind words guy's. Martin, I really appreciate the thought, it would be great to have someone close by who was as interested in this stuff as I am, but I'm used to working alone, and just have to be content with what I get accomplished on my own. Winegrower, I'm just glad that it has a powered carriage, and cross slide. Might try to rig up a small winch under the bed with some pulley's to move the tail stock back and forth, as it is a beast to move manually. Cheers, Mike


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## Winegrower (Jul 9, 2021)

FOMOGO said:


> Winegrower, I'm just glad that it has a powered carriage, and cross slide. Might try to rig up a small winch under the bed with some pulley's to move the tail stock back and forth, as it is a beast to move manually.



That would be a great step to install a winch, I hope you do that and document it.   

I looked at an even bigger lathe we were considering, and the tailstock had a handle operating a rack and pinion scheme.  That would almost be mandatory, I’d think.


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## stupoty (Jul 9, 2021)

Seems a little on the small side , I think you should keep ur eye out for a bigger one


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## talvare (Jul 9, 2021)

Nice job moving that beast. There were a lot of large lathes produced with a rack and pinion for moving the tail stock. Might make a fun project to build a set-up like that for this lathe.

Nice looking '60 T-bird too !

Ted


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## f350ca (Jul 9, 2021)

Congratulations, nothing like a new family member.
Building a gear with a crank to engage the rack for moving the tailstock has been on my list for some time. Guess I haven't struggled enough yet.
You mentioned it had power feed on the carriage / cross feed, is that the belt driven shaft? My Summit has a motor on the carriage for rapid carriage and cross feed movement. Nice on heavy long bed lathes.

Greg


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## FOMOGO (Jul 9, 2021)

Yes it's pulley driven from the head stock end. Thinking about motorizing the lead screw from the tail stock end for threading. Not sure if that's been done on something this size. I have the change gears for it, so will see how it goes. The rapid on the carriage would be a great feature to have on a long machine. Mike


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## FOMOGO (Jul 9, 2021)

The tail stock winch is definitely on the list of modifications. I think this would work just fine https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capacity-120-volt-ac-electric-winch-61672.html. Might want to increase the speed some. Mike



Winegrower said:


> That would be a great step to install a winch, I hope you do that and document it.


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## MrWhoopee (Jul 9, 2021)

Here's hoping you don't fall victim to the machinist's curse of always needing a little more capacity than you have.


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## FOMOGO (Jul 14, 2021)

Found a description of my lathe in a 1891 catalog. By1898, the tail stock had changed slightly, and the carriage drive had changed from pulley to gear, so that puts it somewhere between 1891 and 1897. Didn't have any luck on the US patent site searching the 1891 and up dates. Mike

                       1891



                                                      1898


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## FOMOGO (Sep 2, 2021)

Have been really busy with other work, but have managed to get some more cleaning work done. Finished up the ways, top of the carriage, and the spindle area. The spindle pulley's took a lot of time. First scrapping with a sharp putty knife to remove the major baked on crude, then went at it with the 9" Milwaukee with an 8" wire wheel. It's looking better, but still a long way to go. Someone had cut out a six inch section of the inner tail stock way at the head stock area with a torch, and none to neat of a job of it. I assume the did this for clearance for something. Shouldn't really affect anything. Cleaned it up with a 4 1/2" grinder, followed up with a 120 grit sanding disc. Starting on the face plate, and four jaw chuck next, as time allows. Mike


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## rb67mustang (Sep 23, 2021)

OMG, if that Lathe could talk, it would tell you all the amazing parts that were turned on it. The last Machine Shop I worked at had a Leblonde with a 20' bed. That machine was a Beast. I ran it many times and I turned some long heavy shafts on it. All the lathes at that shop had Travadials on the tables and they were great to work with. The last couple of years I was there, the Leblonde was upgraded to a digital readout, but I trusted the Travadial more than the readout.


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