First Lathe - 12" Craftsman Lathe - Attempting Restoration

[Heezea]

Hey guys, first time posting. First time owning a lathe, though I've wanted one for about as far back as I can remember. I picked up a 12" craftsman, with Babbitt bearings, for $100 a bit back.

Got started on cleaning it up and trying to make it useful again. I thought I'd share so I can hopefully get some guidance from all the experienced folks here.

Anyone have any thoughts on the ways? They have a few smaller dings and also some wear. I tried to measure the wear and seemed like only about 0.001" if I'm reading that right. It seems like the wear is just where the saddle rides so may not be a big deal? I gently went over the ways with some 400/800/1000 grit flat stones to try to knock down the impact spots a bit and it feels, by touch, much nicer.

Also, the threading chart is pretty rough. Can I paint this black and then gently sand the paint off the raised portion? Any other ideas on how to bring back the contrast? I lightly rubbed the top left corner with some scotch pads and the "brass" seems to scrub off leaving behind grey metal; similar to what's happening to the middle portion, but I didn't do that part, I'm guessing it's maybe UV fading.

 

[twhite]

Nice score. That .001 is nothing to be concerned with. Stoning the high sports is fine.

Yes you can lightly sand the gear chart to bring up the writing.

It looks like you gave most everything there. $100 is a deal in my book. Looking forward to seeing your progress on it.

PS. I like the old Stanley bench vise.

Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[Janderso]

Welcome to the forum.
You are in good hands, you’ll find many willing members who are glad to help and we all enjoy bringing old iron back to life!

 

[markba633csi]

Did you get a countershaft assembly with it?
Unless you are planning to replace the motor with a variable speed drive you need a countershaft to
reduce the spindle speed to a manageable range
-Mark

 

[Richard King 2]

I would put a scrotch brite on a old 1 2 3 block and use some brake cleaner and polish off the rust on the bed. Brake cleaner helps remove the rust and doesn't eat away like some of the harsh rust removers. After it's clean wipe it off with some Acetone or mineral spirits as it gets sticky. An old timer told me years ago about brake cleaner and I have always used it. Then wipe some Vactra 2 on the shinny metal. You can use a 1" micrometer to measure top top of the ways to the bottom. Up near the headstock and on the tailstock end will be original. Measure every 6 " on the front and back sides. I would take pictures and then take everything apart and clean it up. Buy a wire wheel and put it in a drill motor or on a double end grinder. Put on some safety classes and use it to clean the gears and hard to reach area's. Then oil everything or use some PT Blaster. You will be able to get a manual on Vintage Machinery. $100.00 is a steal. That machine has helped the machine trades and hobbyists for years and many people have learned how on one of those. If you have any questions please ask away. Have a nice weekend! Rich

 

[markba633csi]

I wouldn't use a wire wheel, especially on the relatively soft alloy (zamak) gears and parts. Mineral spirits or naphtha would be my choice and a little scrubbing with an old toothbrush
-M

 

[Heezea]

You guys are awesome. I should've mentioned this in my first post, but it's amazing how generous you all are with your time and resources. I've already downloaded a bunch of manuals and read so many great posts about a huge array of complicated topics here.

@twhite Yes, the little vise is pretty cool. I'm going to be cleaning that guy up too. I feel like I got a good deal and happy to hear you all confirm. But, it's definitely not "ready to use" out of the box, that's for sure.

@Janderso "Old metal", love it! Back to life, love it!

@markba633csi I did get the countershaft assembly but the large wheel was highly damaged, see photo. I do think I could weld or braze it back together but a bit worried about it running true afterward. I haven't even started on cleaning it yet. I did buy a VFD as I thought it could help with some of the issues. Do you think this means I can totally bypass the countershaft assembly? I don't really know how to wire it but hopefully I can figure it out. My father in law is an electrical wizard and always helps with this kind of stuff so we should be able to get it.

@Richard King 2 I've read a lot of your posts and info!! I have brake cleaner, will use! Will try to get a micrometer on the ways. Yes I can see that up near the headstock are like original ways. I've got almost everything taken apart, cleaned, a lot painted, and am almost ready to start reassembly. I took lots of pictures and even some videos. I was thinking about trying to scrape some of the parts but I've never scraped so it's a bit intimidating and not sure if it's actually necessary. I'll get back with the measurements!

@markba633csi Yes I read up on the zamac (also Mr. Pete videos). The material is a little concerning so I've tried to be delicate with it. I've used hard nylon brushes on these gears/parts so far. I even let them soak in the industrial degreasers (second round of cleaning) for a very short amount of time. I did the first round of cleaning with some kerosene but I'll try some mineral spirits on the pieces left to clean.

 

[markba633csi]

Pretty sure the motor shown in your first post won't work with that VFD unless it happens to be a 3-phase motor.
With a compatible 3-phase motor you could in fact do without a countershaft at least initially.

Those large spoke pulleys are often broken. You might be able to fix but they do come up for sale on Ebay sometimes

Kerosene works as a cleaner too but it's kind of stinky and oily; I like to use Coleman fuel (naphtha, white gas) as it's a good degreaser and
evaporates cleanly
-M

 

[Richard King 2]

I have been washing off crud on machines for 60 years. I was the mucker in my Dads Machine Rebuilding shop and got the crap jobs like cleaning gears that were made out of steel, iron, aluminum and phenolic I used different methods on all. I am sure the OP is mechanically inclined enough to know not to use a wire brush on aluminum or fiber gears, If I was washing dirty paint crud, I would go buy something that can be poured down the drain. Like Purple Power or Dawn dish soap mixed with the hottest water he can stand wearing rubber gloves. If that doesn't get it, then use lacquer thinner. People who answer questions have to remember that most here are adults and are mechanically inclined and should not be threated like a kid working on his Tonka Truck.

 

[wayback machine]

I wouldn't be too concerned about the broken large pulley.
Unless you're trying for an absolutely original restoration, Surplus Center has cast iron pulleys in all sizes and bores.
In that size they'd be spoked, and look OK on that lathe (to my mind, anyway) - They're decent quality, and I've used them many times:

Finished Bore Pulleys | Pulleys | Power Transmission | www.surpluscenter.com

Finished Bore Pulleys,Pulleys,Power Transmission, SINGLE GROOVE PULLEY Brand new. Single groove, cast iron pulley with smooth bore and set-screw (no

www.surpluscenter.com