Chinese 9 x 20 lathe rebuild - the adventure begins

[mrsbruce]

This is a potential, but if your metal sheds are like one I assisted in erecting a while ago, door in gable. The eves will be quite low, so when you take the wall out, there is little support for the origional roof, and the eve height will be a cause to wear a hard hat at all times..

Post a picture face on and suggestions will be forth coming.

At 4’ 11 3/4” in height, hard hats are merely decorative.

And it'll leak......

Ye of little faith.

 

[mrsbruce]

Ok a picture of progress (bench building), and other Chinese lathe.

I have been giving the lathe a whirl. It’s lots of fun.

 

[james butler]

Ok a picture of progress (bench building), and other Chinese lathe.

I have been giving the lathe a whirl. It’s lots of fun.

i have one of these, been very pleased with it so far.

 

[mrsbruce]

i have one of these, been very pleased with it so far.

It genuinely was not on my wish list in any way shape or form, but for what it is, it does it pretty well. I’ve been turning some aluminium and delrin, and it has been fascination to do this ‘lathe’ thing, even when it is going horribly wrong.

I’m so looking forward to working on the other lathe.

Just to add I really had fun today, building the bench, organising the hut, and playing with the lathe. it’s the first day in ages where I have felt very content with myself.

 

[addjunkie]

Bench looks a sturdy job, tin tray on top and your in buisness!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Ye of little faith.

And much experience

 

[slim_boy_fat]

It’s lots of fun.

Yes, isn't it

 

[mrsbruce]

Had a couple of spare hours to play this afternoon, so had a look at the big(ger) lathe, as I couldn’t remember seeing the lever to release the tension on the belts. It had obviously been removed long ago, so this would be my first proper repair, using the Clarke lathe.

Made the handle out of brass, and will thread it to fit a 12mm rod. It’s small, but perfectly formed (IMHO), and my first almost completed turned object.

 

[Farside]

Made the handle out of brass, .

I don't know whether it's just me and perhaps my skin chemistry, but whenever I handle a brass doorknob or anything brass, my hand stinks.
Old brass is worst, probably contains more of whatever is causing it.

 

[MattF]

It genuinely was not on my wish list in any way shape or form, but for what it is, it does it pretty well. I’ve been turning some aluminium and delrin, and it has been fascination to do this ‘lathe’ thing, even when it is going horribly wrong.

I’m so looking forward to working on the other lathe.

Just to add I really had fun today, building the bench, organising the hut, and playing with the lathe. it’s the first day in ages where I have felt very content with myself.

Sounds like a perfect day. There's something soothing about using a lathe. Even though I know I'll have to dismantle & move it in the not too distant future, I'm currently trying to get one of mine up & running. I miss using a lathe.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Made the handle out of brass, and will thread it to fit a 12mm rod. It’s small, but perfectly formed (IMHO), and my first almost completed turned object.

You're a born natural

 

[pod70]

Those little Clarkes are great, I had one as my 1st lathe until the speed controller burnt out (common problem apparently) and used this to justify the purchase of something bigger. If you need any parts, let me know as I still have most of it & a few accessories in the shed

 

[mrsbruce]

Managed to clean up the cross slide handle and screw, and the 3 jaw chuck.

Still no luck getting a replacement cross slide bracket, although I did see one on the Grizzly website in America. Strangely, although they claim to be set up to deliver to the UK, everything I put in the basket was flagged up as not available to post to the UK.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Tried axminster?
They sold plenty of rebadged lathes
https://www.axminster.co.uk/machinery/lathes/engineering-lathes

 

[Farside]

Managed to clean up the cross slide handle and screw, and the 3 jaw chuck.

Still no luck getting a replacement cross slide bracket, although I did see one on the Grizzly website in America. Strangely, although they claim to be set up to deliver to the UK, everything I put in the basket was flagged up as not available to post to the UK.

Look up Shipito - you give the seller their address in Nevada (or California, etc), they'll forward it to you quite cheaply.

 

[mrsbruce]

Tried axminster?
They sold plenty of rebadged lathes
https://www.axminster.co.uk/machinery/lathes/engineering-lathes

Thanks, I shall give them a call.

Look up Shipito - you give the seller their address in Nevada (or California, etc), they'll forward it to you quite cheaply.

Good to know, I’ll check them out.


No pictures today, but I did attempt to hammer the old dents out of the tray and back guard. They won’t win any prizes, but they are certainly looking ready enough to have the old paint stripped off. I have some Buckingham Green metal paint to redo them with.

I also started cleaning off the old oil and grease from the gears, so we are definitely moving in the right direction.

 

[mrsbruce]

Dismantled the tailstock and gave it a bit of a clean. It still needs a good scrub in the parts washer, then painting, but wanted to see what kind of state it was in. Not too bad, and should look great painted and polished.

 

[gaz1]

your making us all look bad with our lathes

some of us still havent got theres up and running as of yet

 

[addjunkie]

your making us all look bad with our lathes

some of us still havent got theres up and running as of yet

This depends on your point of view.

Some buy a lathe as a tool to assist with projects
Others buy a lathe as the project