Lathe bed marks - would you be happy to have this?

I honestly think, if I can get around whether the scraping is genuine, the dinked appearance, it could be the basis for a workable machine and a good solid bed at that, as well as a leadscrew. A few touches over with a diamond file could remove any burring and raising on the damaged areas that might affect the play on the table.

If the price is right and you want to make a lathe then go for it.

Michael W

Michael,

I've no doubt those are scraping marks so in that sense they are genuine. However from the pictures the quality of the work is poor and does not present itself as a "genuine" effort to improve the lathe bed.

Again if the price is right I would not worry about it being rebuilt in to a perfectly adequate lathe bed. However that requires tools which the OP may not have and may not wish to invest.

Thanks,

Steve

This thread underlines why I'm wary about buying second-hand. Based on the photos, the expert opinion varies between 'no problem' and 'walk away'. No doubt there would be full agreement if the experts were able to see the lathe in the flesh and take test cuts. As it is, I'm still none the wiser.

Is there anything mrbuilder can do to prove that the bed really is bad as opposed to just looking suspicious? My guess is that a hard-worked lathe has been dished up for sale by someone semi-skilled like me. It could be a bargain or a con. What else should mrbuilder be looking for?

Dave

As I was one of the ones who suggested that I would probably walk away perhaps I could explain my reasoning a little more fully. I agree with those who say that the marks on the bed would not really affect the accuracy of the machine and if I already owned the machine or had it given to me I would not be bothered overmuch.

However my take on purchasing the machine is that there are many more lathes out there and I don't necessarily have to buy this one unless I am convinced. Basically you have to have a figure in mind as to what you want to pay and try to get the best value for your money.

I think the responses have answered your initial question and the dings on th ebed will not matter. What you have to pick up on is what they say about the general condition of the lathe. You have not mentioned a price so we cannot comment from that angle.

Have you had a look around at similar lathes and could you take a mate along to take a look. Taking someone else with you helps you stay realistic and not get 'star struck' with what is in front of you.

So to return to my original statement that 'I would think twice ', that comes not from a beleif that the lathe won't operate adequately but from the notion that I could probably do better elsewere. Personally I would be looking for an unrestored lathe that looks in good condition. You can always paint it and fix smaller items.

However you are the one with the dosh so it's up to you.

regards Martin

My only comment is that the 'scraping' looks to have been done with a file, rather than a scraper blade, which points towards it being done by an amateur. The usefulness of it will be entirely down to how well they succeeded in levelling the bed, but they clearly realised it was only worth taking off high spots, not trying to gouge out the dings.

As for the dings, they probably occupy about 1% of the bed area, completely negligible if the accompanying high spots were scraped down OK.

Neil

Hi,

Sorry I wanted to edit my last post but now cannot.

"Again if the price is right I would not worry about it being rebuilt in to a perfectly adequate lathe bed. However that requires tools which the OP may not have and may not wish to invest."

Should have read:

"Again if the price is right I would not worry about it being rebuilt in to a perfectly adequate lathe bed. However that requires tools, know how and time which the OP may not have and may not wish to invest in."

There are some excellent video on youtube with myford lathe rebuilds. Recently a complete rust bucket was successfully being rebuilt by a skilled amateur with the tooling and some money to buy parts that are not possible to save, and turcite to build up the lost height.

Martin is quite correct. Only the buyer can assess the value to them, and to define whether it is a rebuild project machine tool or something to immediately start using. It's a hobby after all.

Steve

Edited By SteveI on 12/05/2017 15:04:07