Seneca Falls 9" Lathe

[Fred1000]

I don't know if it's been mentioned to you but these lathes have a design issue . You can engage the power cross slide & the half nuts at the same
time , so keep that in mind . If you forget & if your lucky you will just destroy the brass key that is in the worm gear in the apron that slides in the lead screw groove . If your not lucky you can be looking for gears or a right side lead screw support . Most of the supports I have seen have been repaired . I need a new thrust bearing for the left side of the spindle for mine , but it's a bastard size & after a few yearts of looking I bought a bag of 3/16 bearings & will replace the bearings in the cage . When I took my spindle apart several of the thrust bearing balls were in several pieces . If you need any pointers on dissambling the head stock assy let me know .
animal

I don't know if it's been mentioned to you but these lathes have a design issue . You can engage the power cross slide & the half nuts at the same
time , so keep that in mind . If you forget & if your lucky you will just destroy the brass key that is in the worm gear in the apron that slides in the lead screw groove . If your not lucky you can be looking for gears or a right side lead screw support . Most of the supports I have seen have been repaired . I need a new thrust bearing for the left side of the spindle for mine , but it's a bastard size & after a few yearts of looking I bought a bag of 3/16 bearings & will replace the bearings in the cage . When I took my spindle apart several of the thrust bearing balls were in several pieces . If you need any pointers on dissambling the head stock assy let me know .
animal

Regarding that worm gear, mine is brass and it seems like it doesn’t have a key way slot when I removed it. The ends have what seems to be a key way slot started however it’s smooth all the way through.

It’s the worm gear that slides of the lead screw above the clutch worm gear. Do you have any more information regarding that worm gear by any chance?

 

[animal12]

IIRC there is no slot in the worm there is a brass key with a small tip on each end that fits in the 2 little slots on each end of the worm . Have you by change DL'd any of the catalog's ? Look at item 581 on page 43 of this catalogue . I found that mine was missing also when I got my lathe . Once I figured how things worked I made one from a piece of brass . I figured that by using brass I had kinda like a fuse & that this part would break before any real damage was done .

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/734/3416.pdf

good luck
animal

 

[Fred1000]

Absolute legend thank you. I was wondering how it all worked without a key way. I’ll most likely do what you did and make it out of brass. I could be wrong but it seems like my worm gear is also made out of brass. Was yours as well?

 

[animal12]

Pretty sure mine war brass of a pretty like material . Yea brass is the way to go . Like I said in my earlier post being able to engage the power feed on the cross slide at the same time the half nuts are engaged is just lookin to break something , something real important & parts for these lathes are pretty scarce . While it's apart ya may as well make a extra . My star lathe has been sittin for a couple of years . I needed to re-shim the spindle & when I took things apart one of the balls in the thrust bearing was broken in half , never seen that in a bearing before . Of course the thrust bearing in a bastard size , I couldn't find one the same size so I bought a quantity of the right size balls . My Amazon history shows these are the ones I bought in case you get that far to check yours out .

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GFYYLC4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

good luck
animal

 

[Fred1000]

IIRC there is no slot in the worm there is a brass key with a small tip on each end that fits in the 2 little slots on each end of the worm . Have you by change DL'd any of the catalog's ? Look at item 581 on page 43 of this catalogue . I found that mine was missing also when I got my lathe . Once I figured how things worked I made one from a piece of brass . I figured that by using brass I had kinda like a fuse & that this part would break before any real damage was done .

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/734/3416.pdf

good luck
animal

Before I forget, lucky last question. What do you use to lubricate your apron gears?

Pretty sure mine war brass of a pretty like material . Yea brass is the way to go . Like I said in my earlier post being able to engage the power feed on the cross slide at the same time the half nuts are engaged is just lookin to break something , something real important & parts for these lathes are pretty scarce . While it's apart ya may as well make a extra . My star lathe has been sittin for a couple of years . I needed to re-shim the spindle & when I took things apart one of the balls in the thrust bearing was broken in half , never seen that in a bearing before . Of course the thrust bearing in a bastard size , I couldn't find one the same size so I bought a quantity of the right size balls . My Amazon history shows these are the ones I bought in case you get that far to check yours out .

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GFYYLC4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

good luck
animal

 

[Fred1000]

You have been amazing, greatly appreciated. Lucky last question, regarding the gears behind the apron, did you use grease on them? Mine is packed with grease from what seems to be a long time ago. I was going to pressure wash it off with degreaser then re apply some sort of grease. Or is there an alternative?

 

[animal12]

I pretty much use Open Gear Lube on things like all the gears in the gear train . I'm guessin you have the apron off the machine ? Theres a couple of tubes that are fed from holes in the front of the apron ,l those are meant for oiling the apron guts . I don't remember how many there are . I may have used some assembly lube when I put it back together , I can't remember that was many years back . The Open Gear Lube ya can get at any good auto parts or motorcycle/bike shops . The stuff I have came from Napa auto parts , but I reckon ya don't have those over there . Yer lathe did some travelin to get to yer place , do you know any of the history on it ? That clutch has some pretty important parts in it , make sure ya don't loose them . The screw that holds the clutch wheel to the shaft in the front of the apron may be a left hand thread , I know the one on my South Bend is . My clutch didn't work right I ended up putting washers between the nob & apron till I got it to work , when I got that workin I made a few shim washers different sizes but smaller than the washer I tried different sizes till I got it to work with the thinest shim that I made. There was a guy here that said he had a taper attachment for my lathe but I haven't heard back on wether he found it or not .
No problem anything else that I can help with is no problem for me . It's a god feelin ya get when ya bring something like these machines back to life .
animal

 

[Fred1000]

I pretty much use Open Gear Lube on things like all the gears in the gear train . I'm guessin you have the apron off the machine ? Theres a couple of tubes that are fed from holes in the front of the apron ,l those are meant for oiling the apron guts . I don't remember how many there are . I may have used some assembly lube when I put it back together , I can't remember that was many years back . The Open Gear Lube ya can get at any good auto parts or motorcycle/bike shops . The stuff I have came from Napa auto parts , but I reckon ya don't have those over there . Yer lathe did some travelin to get to yer place , do you know any of the history on it ? That clutch has some pretty important parts in it , make sure ya don't loose them . The screw that holds the clutch wheel to the shaft in the front of the apron may be a left hand thread , I know the one on my South Bend is . My clutch didn't work right I ended up putting washers between the nob & apron till I got it to work , when I got that workin I made a few shim washers different sizes but smaller than the washer I tried different sizes till I got it to work with the thinest shim that I made. There was a guy here that said he had a taper attachment for my lathe but I haven't heard back on wether he found it or not .
No problem anything else that I can help with is no problem for me . It's a god feelin ya get when ya bring something like these machines back to life .
animal

Thank you, ill try and source some open gear lubricant tomorrow. Yeah I have the apron off, ill do as you said and shim with a washer in case the power feed doesn't engage.

I know a brief history from the seller. He told me he acquired it 10 years ago from from his farming neighbour who was a mechanic. He was around 90 or so when he died and had the lathe for over 50 years in his mechanic shop, any further than that I'm not sure to be honest.

 

[animal12]

Have fun with your new machine . Mine was owned by a uncle that used it in his gun smithing business .
safety glasses
animal

 

[Fred1000]

Have fun with your new machine . Mine was owned by a uncle that used it in his gun smithing business .
safety glasses
animal

Thank you, I’m sure to have questions as I keep rebuilding it. I may shoot you a few messages along the way