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Lathe dilemma
- Thread starter GreyhawkUSA30340
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2020
- Messages
- 1,861
Just my opinion but,
I would disassemble and move your dad's machine to a solid surface preferably concrete. Wash , stone and reassemble the clean (notice I didn't say painted) machine parts bottom up.
It sounds like alot of work but a 12 inch lathe is a perfect first time project.
During the assembly you will learn the function and fit of every part.
Grasshopper, you will know your lathe inside and out and when it doesn't function the way you want you will understand what needs to be done.
You can drive a cadillac or a yugo but it's STILL YOU DRIVING.
A nicer more commercial duty machine (cadillac) would be sweet but in the end
Spending some money on grandpa's machine and working on it would be great for both of you and will do most of what you can do on a cadillac.
It shows grandpa financial wisdom, he will like that.
As far as issues on his old machine do what you can on the reassembly and make notes on what you need for repair in the future, but get it right back together .
Another nice thing about grandpa's machine is its simplicity and availability of cheap parts, lots of documentation...
.
I would disassemble and move your dad's machine to a solid surface preferably concrete. Wash , stone and reassemble the clean (notice I didn't say painted) machine parts bottom up.
It sounds like alot of work but a 12 inch lathe is a perfect first time project.
During the assembly you will learn the function and fit of every part.
Grasshopper, you will know your lathe inside and out and when it doesn't function the way you want you will understand what needs to be done.
You can drive a cadillac or a yugo but it's STILL YOU DRIVING.
A nicer more commercial duty machine (cadillac) would be sweet but in the end
Spending some money on grandpa's machine and working on it would be great for both of you and will do most of what you can do on a cadillac.
It shows grandpa financial wisdom, he will like that.
As far as issues on his old machine do what you can on the reassembly and make notes on what you need for repair in the future, but get it right back together .
Another nice thing about grandpa's machine is its simplicity and availability of cheap parts, lots of documentation...
.
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2015
- Messages
- 304
I wish my father had left me a lathe - Any lathe.
I entered this so called "hobby" late, and the learning curve is steep ......
I entered this so called "hobby" late, and the learning curve is steep ......
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2022
- Messages
- 24
Moving my Dad's lathe out of his basement required first building an off-road dolly:
But now the lathe is set up in my barn, next to my mill, and while there is still some tweaking to do, it's already being put to use:
The lathe is sitting on an old laboratory bench top -- whatever it is made of (concrete?) it is very, very heavy.
I made this arbor to hold the part shown on my H/V rotary table for drilling and tapping of holes in the face and edge of the part, that the machinist who originally made the part forgot to do:
But the machinist did gave me this Burgmaster Bench Model Turret Drill Press which he had acquired in buying out another shop but which he had never used ... I just thought it looked cool:
But now the lathe is set up in my barn, next to my mill, and while there is still some tweaking to do, it's already being put to use:
The lathe is sitting on an old laboratory bench top -- whatever it is made of (concrete?) it is very, very heavy.
I made this arbor to hold the part shown on my H/V rotary table for drilling and tapping of holes in the face and edge of the part, that the machinist who originally made the part forgot to do:
But the machinist did gave me this Burgmaster Bench Model Turret Drill Press which he had acquired in buying out another shop but which he had never used ... I just thought it looked cool:
