TheeeeeaOK, time to start trying to derust/unfuck the mini lathe. It's been sitting for about 3 years, with a blown up motor controller (was running it with a variac and bridge rectifier lol)
Chucks reassembled, tailstock has initial clean and WD-40, cross-slide and compound in the soup.
4 jaw has always had some binding and cleaning has not helped. Pretty sure I'll need to do some more filing to get it freed up. Oiling with Vactra No. 2 way oil as that's what I have on hand
4 jaw has always had some binding and cleaning has not helped. Pretty sure I'll need to do some more filing to get it freed up. Oiling with Vactra No. 2 way oil as that's what I have on hand
Don't think I can press the spindle out without destroying the bearings (given that pounding on it with a dead blow hammer did not move it at all), so have made a thing
Tail stock back together. Most of the compound/cross slide parts are out other the soup, and all remaining small parts are in. Only parts left are the bed, leadscrew and rack, which I'm gonna need to bodge something together for it to soak
Bed soaking, and headstock and carriage reassembled. Hopefully that should be the end of the derusting.
Bed has been derusted. There is quite a bit of pitting, but hopefully it won't cause too much trouble, I think there is still enough contact area and I'm not going to be putting this under a lot of load. Next will reassemble and futz with the electrical stuff.
Mostly reassembled now, initial testing of motor controller done. Pretty happy it actually works as it's been sitting in a box for like 5 years. Also much better than the old setup. The switch used to just swap the motor wires, which is not great, new controller slows the motor then switches it with a relay.
New controller connected up and tested, pretty sure I'm gonna need to make a new enclosure for it or hack the old PCB supports out of the old one
OK, so small road bump, I didn't originally buy this controller for use on this lathe so it's a little too big. So I'm making an enclosure with an improvised acrylic bender. Controller will be mounted behind and to the side of the lathe hopefully out of the path of cutting fluid, chips etc. First half seems to fit.
Lathe is finally back together and functioning.
Did a small batch of derusting for the change gears and some other random junk.
Used for first project in a long time, a ring mandrel. This was my first time turning between centers, and first to me taper turning between centers. Turned out ok, is shiny.
Did a small batch of derusting for the change gears and some other random junk.
Used for first project in a long time, a ring mandrel. This was my first time turning between centers, and first to me taper turning between centers. Turned out ok, is shiny.
Here is the finished mandrel and the reason I made it: a copper and brass ring I started making in a jewelry and silversmithing class.
It was not quite soldered properly and the joint has cracked, and it is a little out of round. I'll need the mandrel to hammer closed the point and make it round after soldering it.
The ring mandrel is just big enough to hold the ring at 12mm to 19.5mmon the taper, and 250 mm long. I'll need to get some more steel to make one that goes to 25mm for bigger rings.
It was not quite soldered properly and the joint has cracked, and it is a little out of round. I'll need the mandrel to hammer closed the point and make it round after soldering it.
The ring mandrel is just big enough to hold the ring at 12mm to 19.5mmon the taper, and 250 mm long. I'll need to get some more steel to make one that goes to 25mm for bigger rings.
elle@ThreeGerbilsInACoat Cool! ✨
@ThreeGerbilsInACoat How's it going?
Ra (Freyja) (it/its)𒀭𒈹𒍠𒊩@ThreeGerbilsInACoat gods that sounds like the saddest SCSI hard drive ever\