1952-53 10

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Cfurnitureguy

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Lets try this again;)
This is my new South Bend 10" Tool Room Lathe (1952-53)
Serial No. 4236RKL11
Model No. CL8187A
4ft. Bed
Came with a 3phase 3/4 hp motor but i am swithching it to single phase 1hp

This is what it looked like the day i brought it home! Since it was produced in 1952-53 it appears to have been painted about 3-4 times... the last being the pale green, which obviously didnt hold up too welll! My plan is to tear the lathe down section by section and completely strip it and restore the lathe and make it shine again. wish me luck!
 
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The first thing I did when i got the lathe home was to break it down into its major assemblies. I am starting my restoration from the ground up... Just a side note: this is my first lathe restoration so i dont know how many posts i will have that will be a "professional" "how to" because this is my first time.. but at least i can show you my progress and hopefully if there are any questions on anything i did i can show you more pics or answer with more info!

So here is the progression of the base... first pics show what it looked like when i got it home! you can see the layers of paint, grease and oils. After removing the doors, countershaft assembly and motor the entire base was stripped inside and out. I use CitruStrip to remove all the paint, filler and grease. It is my new favorite product!!! purchased at Home Depot.

The inside of the base was then painted with 3 coats of Sherwin Williams Industrial enamel (Iron Ore gray)... next i moved on to the outside of the base. The outside was also stripped with the CitrusStrip down to the bare metal.

View attachment 30950 View attachment 30951 View attachment 30952 View attachment 30953
 
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After the outside was stripped i then apllied a coat of filler to smooth out the casting and grinder marks(pic 1). I used MetalGlaze (by Evercoat). the goal wasnt to make the panels smooth and straight like you would see on a hot rod! just to even everything out and remove the rough texture of the castings. so far so good!

After the filler was applied and sanded it came time for 3 coats of paint (Iron Ore Gray from SW). I did use a brush to apply the paint as i dont have the room to spray anything! So brushing is the most practical for me.... So after 3 coats of paint it started to look really good but i was bothered by the brush marks in the finish (pic 2and 3). I can be "anal" when it comes to things like that! so I decided to wet sand the entire base to remove the brush marks and smooth out the paint. i wasnt looking for a smooth, perfect finish like on a car so i decided to then apply a coat of paint with an Ultra Smooth Foam Roller... yes, i used a roller! typically i would not use a roller on things like this but it gave me the look i was going for!!! I ended up with a "slight orange peel" finish. It really evened out the base and it almost has a factory appearance. (pic 3 is a closeup of the final roller coat and you can see the subtle "orange peal effect).

later you will see a better overall pic of the base (with no brush marks!:) )
 
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On to the Counter Shaft Assembly....
So after the base was finished and the paint cures... i broke down the CS assembly (pic1-2)! I know they recommend leaving the pullies on the shaft because of the taper pin... but if you have to change the bearings then it has to come appart! since i have the entire lathe broken down in pieces I decided that i was going to replace the bearings now, rather than have one fail and have to do it again later :(
One of my bearings had a slight "gritty" feeling so i couldnt just ignore it!

Anyways, the CS was broken down and the paint/ grease was removed (pic 3-4). All the pulleys were removed and cleaned as well (pic5-6). Ready for finishing.
 
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The next Pics show you some of the CounterShaft Assembly parts after they have been painted (pic1)... this picture also shows you the most accurate color of the paint (Iron Ore Gray from SW). it is a couple shades lighter than black...

At the same time as the CS parts are drying i began to strip the old finishes on the Belt Tensioner parts (pic2). In this picture you can see most of the parts before they were stripped. and refinished.
 
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This past week end i got the Underdrive (Counter Shaft) back together! (pic 1-3)
My friend that i purchased the lathe from helped me press the bearings back on the shaft and we made a new taper pin to replace the old one on the large pulley. We ended up just drilling a new (larger) hole through the pulley and shaft (together) and then used a tapered reamer and then installed a new taper pin.

Oh yay... i also found a new motor on craigslist to replace the old 3 phase 3/4hp motor that was on the lathe when i purchased it. the new motor is single phase 1hp and i purchased it for $35.00 on CL. It's a different shade of gray but i am not going to worry about that!! but believe me i thought about repainting it!!! LOL! ;D
 
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After reinstalling the Underdrive components the base is nearly complete!
I found the easiest way to reinstall the assembly was through the bottom of the base (base laying on its back). i just used wood blocks to shim the assembly in position then drove the CS pins through the base. I also found it easier if i removed the motor to reinstall the underdrive then once eveything was in place and all the set screws were tight mounted the motor.

All i have left on the base is to complete the doors!
 
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Here are the close ups of the Tensioner Parts i finished this past weekend as well....
every nut, bolt and fastener was clean and polished... i typically would use the CitrusStrip to remove all the old paint and grease, then use a steel or brass wire wheel on my dremel to polish everything. they handle on the tensioner i ended up chucking it up in my drillpress and sanding it up to 400 grit.... i had to get creative since i dont have another lathe to finish parts!! (you need a lathe to fix a lathe sometimes ;) ).

I decided I am going to go with a brushed finish on parts like the handles instead of the Polished/ Mirror finish.
 
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Re: 1952-53 10" Tool Room Restoration

Jim B:
sounds like we are using the same rollers! they work really well! the drill press looks really great!

I will be working on the legs this weekend and i will post the results probably on monday!
 
Update on progress this past week and weekend!

First off are the doors... i managed to strip and refinish all the doors for the base! so now the base is completed and i can move on :)
I have attached images of the doors before and after they were stripped and cleaned down to bare metal.
 
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