Restore Or Not To Restore...

cdhknives

cdhknives

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H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Apr 12, 2013
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Doing some heavy thinking about my lathe. Here's the laundry list of worn out items:

Leadscrew worn and gouged. tops of AMCE threads worn round
Tumbler gears worn thin, basically to thin triangles with no top flats
Bearings pitted and noisy
Bed with several thou wear at headstock
Large 2 step pulley on countershaft bent/wobbles

All are fixable, but by the time I spend that much $$$ I'm over halfway to a better quality, heavier duty machine like a PM1127. http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM-1127-VF.html

I've already put a bunch of money into it for a QCTP, tooling, collets, etc. I can get much of my $$$ back out of those...all are less than 2 years old. Many major parts of this lathe are in good enough condition to be saleable. QCGB is good. Tailstock is good. Other gears are good. Motor is quiet and strong. Stand is a beast. No cracks or repairs on any of the cast parts.

Kinda hitting a wall here...someone talk me out of selling out and buying a newer machine!
 
Sorry, I'm with the angel on your left shoulder. Sounds like you really just need a little push to get that PM. Bed wear really isn't fixable, just something you'll have to tolerate and work around it. The other items listed tell me that you'll soon be into new bushings, etc, maybe with no end in sight. Do you enjoy the restoration or being able to do work with it?

I see the atlas is an heirloom, so sentiment may be involved, maybe get the PM and keep both till you can divest of one without the heavy heart.

I've never owned a new machine, but have used them. Gotta say, everything is tight, no wobbly stuff, feels nice like closing the door in a brand new car.
 
First step is to get the actual delivered to your door price of a new machine that is actually as good as the Atlas and that will last another 65 years with no maintenance other than proper lubrication. Include the cost of any tooling you have for the Atlas that isn't worn out and that won't work with the new machine. Chucks, steady rest, anything for the tailstock if the new tailstock isn't 2MT, that sort of thing.
 
My quick costs for a restoration of the worst of the wear:
Precision bearings, $800+
Bed regrind and scraping, $500
Precision leadscrew stock and machining $250+

Kinda hard to argue that over $1500 in restoration resulting in a nearly good as new but small and light duty 250 lb lathe is hard to justify. Currently my thinking is to use it within its limits as a learning tool (its current role) and when my skills grow enough to actually be able to use the better precision and bigger lathe upgrade as future needs (wants!) dictate.

At least, that's my thinking. As much as I like my 10F, it is always going to be a light duty machine capable of only so much precision...and I hope to see some moderate gunsmithing in my future...not really enough machine for that.
 
Where did you get the $800 price for Class 3 bearings?
 
wa5cab said:
Where did you get the $800 price for Class 3 bearings?
Click to expand...

Amazon.com, only place online I could find them...and that's with standard price for the front cup as the #3 grade is out of stock. Clausing parts personnel estimated $800 but wouldn't give a precision class without a formal quote/order. Several other online bearing places said they couldn't get #3 grade...meaning they didn't want to mess with a one off order. Standard precision Timken brand is still over $250 shipped from 3 places I checked...mostly because of the front cup at almost $150.

http://www.amazon.com/Timken-Tapere...8&qid=1433466834&sr=8-2&keywords=timken+16150
http://www.amazon.com/Timken-Tapere...&qid=1433466899&sr=1-1&keywords=timken+16284b
http://www.amazon.com/Timken-Tapere...&qid=1433467013&sr=1-2&keywords=timken+14125a
http://www.amazon.com/Timken-Tapere...&qid=1433467136&sr=1-2&keywords=timken+14276b
 
I talked to a couple of rotating equipment engineers at the refineries where I spend much of my time. Conclusion is the current high quality (not chi-com) standard bearings are 95%+ likely to be better than original equipment...so I bought a set and have them en-route.

Since I marked and trued my 3MT dead center in the old spindle, I'll have a good reference to see how good the new bearings are...
 
As I think I wrote in an earlier thread on this subject, the ANSI/ABMA specs on Class 2 bearings limit how bad bearings can be. But they don't say that they must be that bad. Assuming that bearings are tested to class like for example resistors used to be, you could buy a Class 2 bearing and actually get one that could have met Class 00. If the line had met it's quota for 00's and 3's that day. I started to suggest earlier that you buy a set of Class 2's. You'll probably be better off than you are now.

The proper place to measure spindle runout is on the OD of the register.
 
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