Funny Old World....

Hi All,

Funny how things sometimes come together!

Sunday morning walking around a large car boot that we do not normally go to I saw an old lathe tailstock on a table and bought it for £3 from the sellers wife.

An hour later I wandered by again and she called her husband over and said loudly 'That's Him!'; I was a bit taken aback but the bloke said he had some other bits and pieces like that which were in the way. He was unable to offer more detail other than there was a 'long metal thing' under a pile of rubbish in a shed that he was going to bin by the ned of the week.

I took a chance and made a drive over about an hour away in the middle of a forest, waited for him to show up to get me past the biggest dog I have ever seen!

This is what I got for £15:

Alsoin the box was a Myford Swivelling Vertcal Slide and a really nice undamaged 4" Starrett Precision level all wrapped in oiled leather!

Just as I was leaving he said, 'Hang on there's also these' and produced the original change wheels and brass oilers!

Thats this weeks cleanup project sorted out!

Cheers,

Martin

Martin,

What a snip.

The Starrett level alone is worth the dosh you paid. Keep the Myford slide (or flog it) then weigh the rest in with the tat man and your'e in an "obscene profit situation"! If thet old Grayson does clean up, someone will have a bit of fun learning how to use it. Well done you.

I think the least you can do is buy the dog a couple of cans of Butchers Tripe!

Eug

You did OK there and no mistake !!

A bucket of brick cleaner will soon sort that out.

Mike

Mike Poole,

I was thinking of a water elcto bath for the cleaning the above.... ie metal and rust........have some stuff of my own that needs a good de-rust.......not had time to make up a

does brick cleaning acid work ?

any major probs ? understanding the need for protective gear.........

thanks Clogs

Hi Al,

Will pull the lathe apart tomorrow, weather permitting and see what we have,

There are a couple of broken castings on the countershaft brackets but the heaadstock looks oK so far. 3 jaw & 4 jaw chucks, cobbled up steady, face plate, full set of change wheels etc so not bad at all.

The level cleaned up well after freeing off the adjuster collars and running a 3/16£ BSF tap and die over the threads:

The Myford slide is all stripped and repainted, looks in good order.

Cheers,

Martin

I wouldn't use brick cleaning acid, which is basically dilute hydrochloric acid. Yes, it cleans the iron, but also Yes, it leaves chloride ions in the surface of the iron, which are very difficult to get rid of and will promote future rusting. (Same effect as common salt, which is sodium chloride.)

Far better to use the traditional pickle of dilute sulphuric acid, (if you can still get it after all the recent acid attacks). It's used concentrated as a drain cleaner, and in car batteries. When diluting it, remember:

"For safety's sake do as you oughter,

And add the ACID to the WATER. "

as it gets very hot. If you add water to acid it can boil and splash hot, concentrated acid all over you.

George

It may not matter much but I doubt if a Starrett level has BSF fasteners.

The level looks very nice.

A couple of gallons of vinegar will clean up the rust. Just make a bath out of a decent poly' sheet.

I did my old Zyto ( long gone to a new home) when I got it and it worked a treat.

Great find btw.

regards.

Edited By Oldiron on 23/11/2017 15:13:59

Hi ega,

I was a bit surpised also but the thread is 3/16" 32tpi so I assume BSF?

These levels are really very nice; I currently have about 10 in various sizes awaiting a source of new vials but will not pay £30-£40 as not viable. I sometimes get some at David Stanleys if a certain dealer is there, he will let me have a few now and then.

Cheers.

Martin

Hi all,

Got the Grayson apart today, taking pics as I went along.

It is mostly in pretty good order just dirty and gummed up, headstock is fine, tumbler reverse is good, one tooth missing on the small idler gear. There is no compound slide and just a basic toolpost with a set of cutters in a box. The ways look very good under just a light powdery surface rust, Scotchbrite will do the trick I think. Quite a few of the grubscrews have manky slots will replace them all. Tailstock missing one clamp just a bodge fitted.

The Myford Vertical slide was just covered in thick grease, cleaned up well and given it a coat of RAL7100 grey!

Will start the cleanup and reassemby tomorrow.

Cheers, Martin

Martin King 2:

Thanks for your response. I have never felt at home with American threads but I think it more likely that your level has ANF 10 - 0.190" OD x 32 TPI and, of course, 60 deg thread form.

I have a 12" one of these lacking a cross vial. Checking the Starrett catalogue, I notice that the longitudinal groove in the base is of involute form for better seating on large shafts - something new every day!

ega,

Just checked the static screw, yup, 0.187" OD, For me, close enough to use BSF for cleanups.

Cheers, Martin

Brick cleaner was advocated by the late great JS and I have used it successfully, I forgot to remove an aluminium label and it destroyed that. I have not noticed any inclination to rust of the cleaned parts but I rinse them clean and then keep them oiled. I would be wary of any non steel or cast iron parts. I would remove any aluminium parts or use another method if separation is not easy. I would not let any bronze bushes or ball races get the treatment but if a ball race has any sign of rust anywhere it is scrap in my book.

Mike

Question about brick cleaner. Will it remove zinc plating from steel nuts and bolts ?

Yes it will. It will give off hydrogen, and you end up with zinc chloride in solution. That's how Baker's Soldering Fluid was born.

George

Georgineer -Thank you for your helpful reply. I'm trying to blacken some nuts and bolts by heating them and dunking in oil, but the zinc plating is interfering with the process.

Edited By Anthony Knights on 24/11/2017 11:54:31

Progess on the Grayson:

Just got the headstock apart, the grub screw in the bullwheel sheared when I looked at it so had to file it flat and centre pop it, then drill, tried an easy out no go so drilled it right out altogether.

The centre boss of the bullwheel has a chunk missing so will make a mandrel and shrink a steel collar on and turn to size. I usually put the wheel in the freezer for an hour then heat the collar and drop it on, works OK mostly.

Most of the castings are now painted except the headstock and main body. Will do those tomorrow.

Cheers, Martin