Tootin my own horn

[ltlvt]

Today is the first time the motor has been spun by the controls on the lathe. Lots of work left to do before it is ready to make chips, but it's came a long way from where it was when I unloaded it off of my trailer 3 years ago. I don't call a clean and repaint a rebuild but I did strip down to bare metal and prime and paint it. Next step is to get the belts on it and get the hydraulic speed control working. Not an easy task putting 2 gear belts on by myself, but I will get it done. Once i have the chuck rotating next will be the precision work of rebuilding the cross slide and re bushing the apron crank bearing. It all sounds easy but if it was, I would already be finished. When finished it will have new cross slide screw and nut and the ways of the saddle will be built back up with Moglice. If the winter doesn't keep me in the house hopefully it will be all finished by spring of 2024. I've got other machines that I am in the process of getting back in shape so as the pieces come together, I will be back Tooting my Horn. LOL

 

[MrWhoopee]

As my dad told me, "He who tooteth not his own horn, the same remain untootethed."

 

[ltlvt]

What I thought was going to be the hardest thing to do by myself was actually EZ-PZ. I should have the chuck spinning tomorrow. I really expected putting both belts back on would be next to impossible but was not hard at all. I used a hydraulic wedge on my porta power to spread the spring-loaded sheave so I could put a temporary spacer between the two halves. Once I get the speed control full of fluid and working, I will simply just take the spacer out from the bottom side of the sheave. then onto the precision work. My day has been full of hard work cleaning and moving machines around in my shop. But I feel good about what I have got done. When you are 100 lbs. overweight and a 71-year-old crippled, hard work is really satisfying.

 

[ltlvt]

first time this chuck has rotated under its own power in at least 2 years. I am now in the process of searching for noises that drive me nuts. You will see how the chip pan and bed have become my Pilots Roost over the last year. As I begin to tweak the power system much of this will be relocated these PILES to another table/machine/in the middle of the floor to trip over and other various places that will hide what I am looking for. One of the pictures you will see 2 green plastic bucket lids with a hacksaw blade in between. The blade is an important source of a rattle that I thought was in gear train inside the head stock. Well, if it wasn't fun, I wouldn't be doing it. The picture of the Kindle Tablet is my way of having portable information in my shop since my WIFI is pretty iffy out in the shop I have most of what I need on USB thumb drives and keep this kindle in the shop just for viewing those files. I hate trying to keep up with paper documents. Thanks for looking.