New guy, old lathe...

Gondul

Gondul

Registered
Registered
Joined
Apr 14, 2018
Messages
5
Hello! Bopping around looking for information on this old Sheldon lathe I picked up... already subscribed to the Sheldonlathe yahoo group, and went through the files there and found a little info, but not as much as I had hoped! It is a 10x for sure (haven't measured it yet)... looks like someone made some aftermarket adjustments, but nothing terrible.

Anyway, most of the important parts seem to be there... the motor (and pulley) are certainly new... all the gears appear to be in great shape, the ways has some superficial rust (nothing terrible)... will be wiring up soon and once that's done, will be taking it a apart to clean off all the old gunk and see what needs fixing (if anything)... the gear guard that came with machine does not fit, so likely for an newer model.. hoping to find a replacement.

Looking forward to talking to folks!

30226955_1761254387270983_6190799240940224512_n.jpg

20180411_060718.jpg
 
Hello,Gondul, and welcome to the forum,

Nice looking lathe you have there. Looks like someone took pretty good care of the machine before you purchased it. I would encourage you to NOT take it apart to clean it. First, it looks like it doesn’t need it. Second, You can assess everything you need to know about the machine’s condition by the work it produces, not, by what the parts look like stripped down and laid on the bench. And third, it will take months and months to put the thing back together again. Year or more if you decide to strip and repaint everything. This will delay what you really need to know about the machine - which is: how well does it hold tolerance when making parts.

So right off the bat, (certainly after you clean and oil the ways, and level it on a table), if it were me, I’d try turning some round stock and write down how well it holds tolerance while making repeated cuts. Also look at what kind of finish it produces. Wavy lines in the work, or inconsistent thousandths in cuts mean your compound screw and nut are worn and need to be replaced. This is worth doing, if they are worn. Consistent finish, consistent depth of (finish) cut- compound is just fine, leave it alone. Also definitely fiddle around with eliminating taper, by adjusting the tailstock. If everything is OK, just continue using it, and having fun making stuff. Maybe take on the project you imaged you would build when you first got interested in buying it! THEN after all that, you might decide to take it apart, or not! :)

Anyway, enjoy your new lathe. And let us all know your progress !

Glenn
 
Thanks for the advice Glenn! It really does seem to have been relatively well kept! Cleaning will really be just making sure all the lubrication points are clear and making sure nothing is impeding any movement. The ways do have what appears to be a superficial rust layer which should come off easily... many of the dials have been painted over making it difficult to read them.

I'm certainly looking forward to having it setup so I can start learning and experimenting!
 
So... finally had some time to search through the pics/albums in the Sheldonlathe Yahoo group.

Lo and behold I found the *exact* same lathe in the photos!
User who posted seems to be a Todd (phobozsphere)... John answered some questions he had and I saved that information.

Hopefully he's still on the board, would love to chat a little about the lathe!
 
Good news. Iam sure there are some Sheldon lathe owners around who can offer assistance. Also, you might search old threads relating to cleaning ways. Do’sand dont’s , what materials to use, etc. You will definitely want some kind of rust AND oil remover to lift the iron oxide and dried up way oil off your machines surfaces. Also an assortment of soft scrubbing rags to remove the gunk, and some Vactra Way Oil to clean and preserve your soon to be shiny surfaces.

Personally I keep gallon jugs of Ospho, diesel, penetrating oil (ATF and acetone mix) and Evaporate-Rust around just to combat rusting, and use small quantities almost daily on something or other.

The big thing is keep each exposed metal surface coated in Way Oil. And wipe down your ways and reapply every time you get ready to use your lathe. The microscopic grit that floats around in the air acts like cutting compound when you roll the compound back and forth along the bed. So you want to keep even the slightest debris out from underneath the mating surfaces. Not a big deal just part of the daily routine for operating the machine. Plenty of good info on what to look for in the old threads.
Enjoy!

Glenn
 
Last edited:
Yeah.. I'm searching through ever board/yahoogroup I can find for information.

Thanks for the tip on getting things cleaned up and oiled!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top