- Joined
- Oct 11, 2016
- Messages
- 3,855
Perhaps it is a bit basic, but in the thrill of the find, often overlooked (and I have several discarded remains of ignoring this). You can't ignore your instincts - if the guy feels shady, or the entire package looks or feels a little dodgy, it is a very good idea to walk! Sometimes it is just the overall look of the machine or what is missing (and you ask yourself "why would this be missing?")
If you love rebuilding machines as I do, you can forgive a bunch, as long as the deal and the machine are solid. I agree with vtcnc about repainted machines, a definite warning sign!
I recently bought a 1920s shaper from the 'here's the castings, now build it yourself' era of machine tools. it is a 6" storke 5" X travel shaper in very rough condition, but all the parts were there and the hard stuff: the gears, the scotch yoke, and the ratchet advance were in good shape. I'll have to replace a gibb, and is about a 200 hour project. But it is what I love to do, so I bought it.
Part of what to look for is what you feel you are willing to fix, or do you want a working machine? Do you have the budget for a perfect one, or do you have to go discount? Do you have the tooling, skills and time for a big project? In some ways these answers will dictate how picky you look at the machine.
In any machine tool I check fo cracks in the casting, looking in and out if possible. I look at the wear marks and chipped paint for signs of abuse. I try to look at what I can see of the ways to look for excessive wear due to non-lubrication. These things can scuttle the deal for me.
If you love rebuilding machines as I do, you can forgive a bunch, as long as the deal and the machine are solid. I agree with vtcnc about repainted machines, a definite warning sign!
I recently bought a 1920s shaper from the 'here's the castings, now build it yourself' era of machine tools. it is a 6" storke 5" X travel shaper in very rough condition, but all the parts were there and the hard stuff: the gears, the scotch yoke, and the ratchet advance were in good shape. I'll have to replace a gibb, and is about a 200 hour project. But it is what I love to do, so I bought it.
Part of what to look for is what you feel you are willing to fix, or do you want a working machine? Do you have the budget for a perfect one, or do you have to go discount? Do you have the tooling, skills and time for a big project? In some ways these answers will dictate how picky you look at the machine.
In any machine tool I check fo cracks in the casting, looking in and out if possible. I look at the wear marks and chipped paint for signs of abuse. I try to look at what I can see of the ways to look for excessive wear due to non-lubrication. These things can scuttle the deal for me.