# Scraping of The Saddle On My 15" Sheldon



## 4GSR (Apr 28, 2017)

I have setup and started scraping on my saddle.  As you will see in the posted pictures, I have taken a Horrible Freight welding table and turned it into a universal scraping table.  Worked out perfect, well almost, good enough for me.  Scraping from one direction, it's stable, but from the other direction, it shakes. I just put my foot down the base and stabilize it while I scrape.  Starting off, I "fuzz" down the ways or shears (depending on which side of the World you are on) to get a fairly clean surface to work from.  This saddle has less than 0.003" wear on the shears that rub against the way.  Amazing shape for a 57 year old lathe. 



Next, I took and scraped heavy the middle length of the areas on each shear.  This provides a relief in the middle of the bearing surfaces on the saddle.  This is something that some people do and others do not.  It may also keep the slide from "rocking" giving you a false impression too.   Then I took a impression to see what kind of pattern I get.



Almost all four corners touching!  Touching on the end which is away from the headstock end of the saddle.  So, starting off, I will heavy scrape the bottom right hand way surface, which is the flat way and take another impression and see if I get better four point contact on the ways.  Right now, I will not touch the vee ways.  I'll report on my progress later this weekend. Ken


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## Ulma Doctor (May 1, 2017)

i may shamelessly plagiarize your use of the HF welding table Ken, great idea!!!
looking good!


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## 4GSR (May 1, 2017)

I haven't had a chance to post my progress on the saddle.  After six impressions and some heavy scraping, I've got it touching at all four corners on both ways.  Next weekend after I get back from my trip to Houston, I'll pull out big blue and start power scraping and get my bearing points established to where I get about 20-25 ppi as Richard puts it on the bearing surfaces.  Ken


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## Plum Creek (May 31, 2017)

Ken 
Hows the project coming along?


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## 4GSR (May 31, 2017)

Have the saddle scraped in as close as it's going to get,  It's not Richard King perfect, good enough for the girls I run around with!
My next step is providing lubrication points to the saddle.  Everything is in place, just have to drill and tap a few holes for the lube fittings.  Been having to work on stuff that makes my living this month along with fighting with my RA and sickness.  It's not easy!
Here's some pictures of the last impression taken of the saddle.  Ken


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## ThunderDog (May 31, 2017)

Very cool!!  

Why is it that work and paying the bills always have to get in the way?


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## Plum Creek (Jun 1, 2017)

Sorry to hear you've been sick, makes it hard to pay the bills. 
I don't know much about scraping yet, but it looks good to me!  This is probably a dumb question but is there surface plate for the v ways?


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## Bamban (Jun 1, 2017)

Ken,

I need a quote  to scrape the ways, the saddle, and the tail stock on my Taiwanese made 1236, so I don't have to think about replacing it...... 

Austin is not that far from Victoria, I can drive up in no time.

OK, I know the answer - wishful thinking, nice try...


Worth the try, though..


nez


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## 4GSR (Jun 1, 2017)

Plum Creek said:


> .............  This is probably a dumb question but is there surface plate for the v ways?


I use the vee way and flat on the lathe bed.  The lathe bed is nearly new.  May have a quarter thousandth wear if even that.  Got very lucky on this lathe.


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## 4GSR (Jun 1, 2017)

Bamban said:


> Ken,
> 
> I need a quote  to scrape the ways, the saddle, and the tail stock on my Taiwanese made 1236, so I don't have to think about replacing it......
> 
> ...



Yeah, 143 miles my driveway to ADC Clinic North.
We can work out something if your dead serious needing some work done.  You may have to do it all, at least do some of it, at the same time learn the scraping technique.  First question I have to ask, how straight or how much wear do you think your bed has on it?


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## Bamban (Jun 1, 2017)

Turning a 20 inch AR barrel from 1.032 (what I get unturned) down to 1.00x, right at the headstock and tailstock are within 0.000x in the middle as much a 0.003 to 0.005. When turning shorter length I have to adjust the tailstock at every setting. I have not swept the ways how much wear, will do when we get back from hanging with grandkids.

In one of my posts others suggested follow rest, but even 0.005 doc with a new indexable daft 32.51 or CCGT 32.51 super sharp intended for aluminum, I get the bulge in the middle. For months of using the lathe I never bother to measure the middle, just the ends, and I was fat, dumb and happy.

Yes, I am serious about making lathe as perfect as I can get. The rest of the lathe is every as good as I could ask for. The VFD driving the 2HP motor has been real great. I am willing to go the distance, spend the money in this one instead of buying a new lathe. I am willing to shore up a consulting fee if you were kind enough to come up to Austin and assess the lathe.

If and when we get a project going on this lathe, I can spend a few days in a hotel in Victoria and I can hang out at your place and learn.


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## kvt (Jun 1, 2017)

I depending on when some of this is going on I would not mind learning some as well,   I could possibly help a little, learn some  etc.  
KVT


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## 4GSR (Jun 1, 2017)

Guys,  I think something is doable.  This month is definitely out. Maybe something next month?

I do have a 42" straight edge that is about flat as I can get it.  We can use to determine if your bed does have any wear.  If it does, best thing to do is send the bed to a grind shop and have it reground.  A harden & ground bed is no task to scrap straight and flat..

EDIT:

I can't do anything until I get my 15" Lathe running. Hopefully that is soon!


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## Bamban (Jun 1, 2017)

All is well, whenever you are done and have the time, Ken and I will make ourselves available.

My contact

nez.rongero@gmail.com
512 300 7021


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## Plum Creek (Jun 4, 2017)

4gsr said:


> I do have a 42" straight edge that is about flat as I can get it. We can use to determine if your bed does have any wear.


If you have any time after Nez and feel like dropping by, I would like to check the ways on the Cincinnati.  I would be happy to pay a consult fee as well.  The shop is 12 miles from 183. 
I don't know how debilitative your RA is, but it you could use any help on the lathe project or anything, I'm old but still have a good back. I get near Victoria at least once a month on my way to the coast.


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## 4GSR (Jun 4, 2017)

Plum Creek said:


> If you have any time after Nez and feel like dropping by, I would like to check the ways on the Cincinnati.  I would be happy to pay a consult fee as well.  The shop is 12 miles from 183.
> I don't know how debilitative your RA is, but it you could use any help on the lathe project or anything, I'm old but still have a good back. I get near Victoria at least once a month on my way to the coast.


Sending a PM


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## Ulma Doctor (Jun 4, 2017)

i wish i could come down for the party!


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## Plum Creek (Jun 4, 2017)

Ulma Doctor said:


> i wish i could come down for the party!


That would be great!!!


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## Bamban (Jun 4, 2017)

Plum Creek,

Where about is your shop, I live  in the corner of 183, 620, triangulated by Anderson Mill Road, maybe we can hook up sometime.

My contact information is in one of my posts.

nez


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## Bamban (Jun 4, 2017)

Ulma Doctor said:


> i wish i could come down for the party!



Mike,

Come on down. We'll leave the lights on for you. BBQ and Shiner on me.


nez


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## Plum Creek (Jun 4, 2017)

Bamban said:


> Where about is your shop, I live in the corner of 183, 620, triangulated by Anderson Mill Road, maybe we can hook up sometime.


Nez, The shop is a few miles south of you... near Uhland off of Hwy 21.  Next time  I get up north I will give you a call. I would enjoy meeting you!


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## Sblack (Oct 20, 2017)

4gsr said:


> I use the vee way and flat on the lathe bed.  The lathe bed is nearly new.  May have a quarter thousandth wear if even that.  Got very lucky on this lathe.



How do you ensure that the vee ways on the saddle stay parallel to the top of the saddle? The vee ways might (and most likely do) wear unevenly. I can see how the lathe bed would be fine, especially out near the tail stock, but just using that does not ensure that the ways are parallel to the top of the cross slide. Or do you check that later with some sort of indicator setup? Nice work, thanks for posting.


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## 4GSR (Oct 20, 2017)

Does it make a difference if it's not parallel?  In my book, it doesn't.  

I did check it for parallelism.  It was out about .008" in the length of the saddle.  And of course, most of the wear was at the headstock end of saddle.  
When I rescraped the underside of the saddle, I scraped heavy on the less worn area at the opposite end of the wear on both the vee and flat.  Once I did that, went back and scraped heavy in the middle for relief.  After that, I started scraping to get good bearing at all four corners. Once that has happen, then I start scraping to get around 15-20 ppi in the bearing areas.  Then I call it good.  After doing all of that, parallelism was within .0015-.0020".  

Again, how important is parallelism?  I know all of the experts out there say it needs to be parallel.  In reality,  It could be 0.030" difference end to end, and it would never be notice in normal lathe operations.  It's your discretion on how close you want to make it.  And how much time you want to spend getting it there.

Ken


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## Sblack (Oct 20, 2017)

Ok just to be clear, I have not done this before so my question is aimed at understanding, not trying to be critical because at this point I couldn't scrape to 1 ppi let alone 20. I think the only problem is when you are doing something other than turning, like knurling or parting, when u want the tool exactly 90 deg to the axis of the lathe. I guess we are talking less than a deg off vertical so perhaps it doesn't matter.


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## 4GSR (Oct 20, 2017)

It wouldn't matter in knurling.  If off by 0.0025" in parallel, saddle is about 17-18 lg. I'm not going to go out and measure. That would mean about 0.00013" in 1"  That would be zero effect on knurling.  If it was .030" out of parallel, that would be about 0.0016" in 1".  That still would not have any effect on knurling or parting or even boring.  On boring, you generally set the tip of the boring bar up high if the bar is sticking out say 4-6" on a 1/2 or even a 3/4" bar.  (I shouldn't have brought that into the discussion. Save it for another time.)
Ken


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