# Torquing machine parts when scraping



## AndySomogyi (Mar 3, 2020)

I’ve just started scraping the top slide to my lathe and noticed an interesting wear pattern. The high spots here are directly where the top slide bolts to the cross slide.

I know when we machine automotive engine parts, such as heads or blocks, we normally clamp a “torque plate” onto them, to simulate the actually mating parts in a stressed assembly.

All metals deform under load, it’s just question of how much.

I’m most certainly NOT a machine tool rebuilder, this is literally the first machine tool I’ve repaired, so I don’t really know how professionals deal with these issues.

I don’t know, the tension on the cross slide nuts was clearly enough to distort this part enough to alter the wear pattern where it contacts the top slide. I’m sure on a entry level class lathe like my Clausing, it probably wouldn’t matter. I’m just kind of curious how high end machines like say a Monarch are built / scraped.


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## Cadillac (Mar 3, 2020)

How does the bottom blue?


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## benmychree (Mar 3, 2020)

The compound rest of a lathe is likely the least important slideway on a lathe; "forget about it"!


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## AndySomogyi (Mar 3, 2020)

benmychree said:


> The compound rest of a lathe is likely the least important slideway on a lathe; "forget about it"!



I’m totally not worried about it at all, it would make zero difference at all on a lathe of my class.

I was just curious if very high end machines (like say a Monarch 10EE or Hardinge)  were scraped / fitted under torque.


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