Is it worth saving?

It was your dad's lathe so you know what you are going to do.

I have a Grizzly G0709 and a Clausing 5418 in my shop. My dad was the shop department head at Waverly High School in Lansing, MI when the school opened in 1964. He took a trip to Atlas/Clausing in Kalamazoo, MI to buy lathes for the school. The 5418 lathe in my shop was one of the original lathes he ordered back in 1963. I bought it at auction when they shut the shop down in 1987.

It has a 2 1/4"-8 threaded spindle, 24" bed, belt drive with the tensioning lever on the floor (deep knee bends to change speeds). No clutch, no brake, as bare bones of a Clausing lathe as there is. Clausing made a very solid, smooth lathe and I wouldn't hesitate picking up another if I needed one. I've seen very good deals on 5914 (variable speed, 36" bed) with a taper attachment, collet closer, clutch, L00 spindle, etc. But I don't have room for a third lathe and can't part with the 5418 because my dad taught on it.

You know your dad would be smiling from ear to ear if he saw it in restored condition, so it's what you will do. It'll be a lot of work, but parts are available and you'll be able to pass it on as grandpa's lathe.

Bruce
 
Well stated Bruce!
I know I am pleased when I see some of my Fathers hand saws on the wall of my oldest son's den wall.
All tools he must have used while working on the construction of the Mississippi River dams in the early 1900's
 
I would not be thinking in terms of “a good starter lathe” etc if I had the opportunity to restore a metal lathe that my father used. That would be a journey of pleasure in itself. Lots of hobby machinist have started out with similar lathes.

For rust removal I would suggest electrolysis and below a good place to learn about that process.

http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/RustRemovalByElectrolysis.ashx?HL=electrolysis

Harry
 
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I always love bringing something like that back from the brink of death! There is a very good feeling when you are done knowing that you refurbished a piece of equipment and it has a new life. On top of that, you can't beat "free ninety free", leaves more money for renovations!
 
if you need a lathe now, buy one that works
if you want a project that will span hundreds of hours, you got the perfect project in the TH42
i would warn that many of the Zamak parts may have disintegrated during the decades
parts are available, although the parts cost and search time should also be considered.

i bought a crashed TH42, fixed it , cussed while using it for 6 months and traded it away for a broken south bend.
your experience may vary.
my expectations were too high for a low end lathe- it didn't suit my needs
 
Speaking of the Zamak issue, AKA Zinc Pest, it is most often an all-or-none situation. If you find that many of the parts are deteriorated, then all are probably original to the lathe and you just have the misfortune to have a machine built with a bad batch. If only a few are bad, then probably they were bought later as additions, or they were for some reason left over from an earlier batch that hadn't all been used before a new batch was ordered or made. In any case, the problem is caused by the batch having used Zinc that was of insufficient purity. This is known to have happened several time over the production life of the Atlas lathes.

In any case, I would suggest that you inspect all of the Zamak parts as an early step if you go ahead with your plan to restore the lathe.
 
The fact that it was your Dad's lathe and not used for over 55years makes me wonder if he was happy with it and whether he would wish it on you. The stuff I want to leave to my son is kept good condition ready to go. However it is perfectly OK if he does not want it for whatever reason.
I understand the sentiments you might have. I kept some stuff from my Dad's shop, not all for my own use but solely to offer to my son should he want it. But there is nothing there as bulky as that metal lathe.
In my Dad's heart I believe that your father would rather see you enjoy more modern equipment.
 
If the photos are not misleading (sometimes they are) and the rust is really as bad as the photos suggest, I would say that lathe is beyond restoration.
 
Everything does look pretty bad in the photos. However, you can't tell from the photos whether most of the buildup is rust or dust. If the latter, then it may not be nearly as bad as it seems. But to find out, I would strip the headstock, tailstock, carriage, FWD-REV gear box, rack, nameplate and legs off of the bed. Build a quicky tank out of cheap plywood and 1 x 1's, put in three or four triangular cross pieces across the bottom to hold the bed clear of the bottom, and line it with Polyethylene film. Then set it up for either electrolysis or chemical cleaner. Wash the bed down as clean as practical with a hose and stiff brush and put it in the tank. If it comes out looking usable, proceed with the rest of the machine. If it is badly pitted, so will be the other cast iron and steel parts. And the only reasonable thing to do will be to salvage any usable parts like hand wheels, cranks, gears and gear covers, and haul the rest of it to a scrap metal dealer.
 
Also consider using molasses. It will take longer but is rather cheap (stock feed).
I can't (of course) find it now, but I remember seeing a video where the whole bed was tossed in a 'tank' and left to sit for some time.

I did my front Jeep® springs with electrolysis in a 55gal plastic drum. It was a tad time consuming.
When I get around to the rears I might go with molasses.
 
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