Build a watchmakers lathe

I Decided to strip it down and give it a fresh coat of paint. I used paint stripper to get all the old paint off.

Then used an Etch primer and finaly an enamel matt black spray.

The bed I decided to run through the buffer and just keep it polished.

Upright photo of bed.

1. First out was the spindle.
To take the spindle out I needed to undo the two retaining round nuts at the rear by the draw bar (left). This was done with a brass bar and a bumping device.

The spindle required a tap with a nylon hammer as the bearings were tight. Also I ensured not to loose the key in the shaft that locks the pully on to the shaft.

2. The two bases were removed from the bed and stripped of paint and etch primer applied.

3. The bed was stripped of paint and then subjected to the buffer.

4. Headstock stripped and masked for priming.

The red circle on the right is marking a hole that I was unsure of until I started to put it back together. The circle on left outlines what looks like to be a plug. At this stage I choose not to remove the bearings from the headstock.

Headstock all masked and holes plugged.

5. Etching Primer added to headstock and tailstock. 

Edited By Michael Edwards 1 on 29/12/2019 19:15:14

6. Bed and feet now back on.

7. Rest of little bits in Evaporust

8. A few more items cleaned and polished.

9. Tailstock back on. The tailstock is on in reverse at the moment so you can see the locking handle.

10. Now back to that headstock hole. Well that supposed to contain a pin to stop the bearing from turning.

So time to strip it down and take a look. Yep there is a pin supposed to be in there.

The hole in the bearing contains a felt wick that locates in a well at the bottom of the bearing housing. I have removed this for replacement.

Edited By Michael Edwards 1 on 29/12/2019 19:45:23

Edited By Michael Edwards 1 on 29/12/2019 19:46:23

11. Now time for a new pin. I found an imperial drill bit a tight fit in the hole and used Loctite to keep in place. This will be cut off to size and filed down flush.

Well this is it so far.

I have ordered a few bits. 1. Oil cups so I can replace the nipples that were on there as someone had put grease in them and there should be oil.

2. A belt. I need to get a motor to power it.

3. I've also ordered some 10mm blank arbours from RDGTools so I can make a face plate and also have a good model to make some collets. As I am not a production unit I think semi hardened metal will be ok for the collets.. I have a Boxford lathe so cylindrical grinding wont be a problem. After seeing my uncle cylindrical grind on a Coronet Wood Lathe to excellent tolerances for local machine shops when he retired I think anything is capable by an Engineer. He was a tool maker in the 60/70's and apparently designed and built some motorcycle suspension during his lunch breaks for someone that won the Isle of Man TT during the 60's or 70's. Alas he has past and I cant find much information. The local Model Engineering society has a picture on the wall of him but the current members do not know him, and I know he was not a member but the supervisor of some of the guys that used to work in the tool room that were members.

Edited By Michael Edwards 1 on 29/12/2019 20:10:26

Great progress, Michael ... and much easier than building a replica from scratch !!

MichaelG.

Thankyou Michael. Well worth the 300 mile round trip to pick it up. Amazing person, I am going to keep him anonomus on here as he is a member.

12. Drill bit now successfully Loctited in and cut off with a mini cutoff wheel

Time to start filing flush

13. Ok its destroying the paint work but hayho I can replace that. I think thats flush enough now.

Really happy with the pin it fits great

14. Removed both bearings this time so I can mask up to respray.

Also marked them up front and back and also saved the felt wicks for safe keeping.

15. All keyed and masked up for respray of etching primer before the matt black enamel.

I received the oil cups today from RDGTools. Doh!! I ordered 1/4" BSP They are the wrong size measuring 1/2" I should have checked my Zeus Book before I ordered. Oh well nice little project I can get my son on the lathe and get him to make me some. Time to produce some drawings for him. Get him off the XBox.

16. Checking spindle on the comparator b y putting in a V-Block and turning slowly on the bearing surfaces to see if any deflection.

Well the bearing surfaces are perfect to within .0001"

Edited By Michael Edwards 1 on 30/12/2019 21:24:59

.

Well ... it is a Pultra

MichaelG.

Oh heck I noticed the collet key was missing so thats the next job to make a new one

Would love to know the age of this it certainly is well engineered.

... made just in time for WW2, I believe

MichaelG.

oh wow

17. Just made a nice pair of oli cups.