Rexvalter VF-118 lathe (was: old Myford Ml7)

[DennisCA]

I was awoken at 7AM today, the truck driver was here with my lathe! I've been up all night with a sick 4 year old so I was a bit bleary eyed. But it's here finally! Even got it moved into the right space, just need to lift it somehow to get the pallet away.

One thing I have found out about this that I did not know, is that while it is south bend inspired, it does not use the keyway for the longitudinal power feed, only for the cross feed. It uses the half-nuts for the longitudinal power feed instead. That's less than optimal... What a strange design decision given they made the cross feed properly... I don't know is wear is going to be a realistic issue for me or not as a hobby user, but I kinda feel like I want to have spares just in case. Or somehow make new half nuts. I understand they should be a softer material than the lead screw so that doesn't wear as well, bronze perhaps, or cast iron?

 

[Wendelspanswick]

How about Acetal:
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/th...-leadscrew-nuts-the-easy-way?highlight=acetal

Edit: It seems the above suffers with the dead photo links scourge. There is lots of other information on the subject. Basically you cut a block of acetal in half, bore through a hole on the split line, then heat the leadscrew up and clamp both halves of the block onto the screw.

 

[Hood]

It is certainly not the best method for the feed but if in good condition now they should last fine for non-industrial use. Just make sure the lead screw is clean, or as clean as possible when using.

 

[DennisCA]

That Acetal stuff sounds like an interesting way to go. I think the biggest work in this case is to make new scissor "arms" to mount the nuts to. The original design is all one cast and machined piece. No easy swapping of nuts. So Maybe best to build something new that can take removable inserts. Hopefully not required but it seems like a fun project too.

 

[Seadog]

I came across an interesting repair for the Boxford.

 

[DennisCA]

Kids are a bit calmer so I snuck out to the garage for a quick picture

 

[MattF]

All of these tidy workshops recently are just not on, you know.

 

[DennisCA]

I actually think I need to get better organized and more tidied up, I don't work well in a mess and small spaces get messy quick...

 

[Gwil]

This here is a Troglia lathe, for sale at 1500 euros (very cheap for Portugal). Almost nothing on the web and Lathes.Uk haven't heard of it. All I know is Italian! Like you Dennis living a bit outside the geographical loop can make things a challenge.

 

[brightspark]

All of these tidy workshops recently are just not on, you know.

possibly because not a lot gets done in them

 

[DennisCA]

Started taking it apart, got the saddle, apron, topslide and threaded rod removed, trying to take apart the saddle further but unsure how to proceed, in the picture I have reassembled the cross silde back on. On other models the handle is usually retained with screws, but I don't see how it's done here. That big brass knob might have something todo with it?

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Just my ramblings. Punch the silver pin out of the handle and remove. Unscrew the knurled locking ring. Looks like a grub screw holding the assembly inbetween the vways on the underside? Difficult to tell from a photo.

 

[Pete.]

Looks like a taper pin. Make sure you punch it out the right way.

The cross-slide looks very Denford-ish.

 

[DennisCA]

Just my ramblings. Punch the silver pin out of the handle and remove. Unscrew the knurled locking ring. Looks like a grub screw holding the assembly inbetween the vways on the underside? Difficult to tell from a photo.

Righty-o, that gave me access to two nuts to adjust the slop, much better now! I tried beating on it first but didn't want to force anything, they're one way pins (tapered). I can't get the acme screw out without removing another pin like that (retains the gear seen in my last picture) but i got nowhere with that.

I don't need to remove it I guess. If I want it all disassembled later I found out the brass knob is removable with pliers and it's sole purpose is to prevent you getting a wrench around the "stem", which can be unscrewed from the saddle (but you need the gear I mentioned earlier gone beforehand).

Took the tailstock apart and cleaned it out, found brass shims inside it, from factory?

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Good stuff. Had a bit of practice puzzling out my own recently. Walked away when i was stumped and took some time to think. Beats breaking parts.
I left all my brass bushings in place. Didn't see the need to remove them just for the sake of it. Only needed cleaning. Look forward to seeing more of its internals as you progress.

 

[DennisCA]

These shims just fell out, the tailstock consists of several parts, the bottom part with the mating surfaces for the bed is separate, between that and the upper section of the tailstock those two shims were found. I dunno if I should've taken it apart, I will now need to zero the tailstock horizontally again, there is a scale for that but I guess for real precision I need to turn something and see if I turn a taper. Though no point in doing that before the lathe is off the pallet and properly leveled.

 

[addjunkie]

Dont take it to bits till youve tested it........if its not broke.....dont fix it. To lift it off the pallet, an engine hoist works a treat.

 

[DennisCA]

Sorry but it was already determined from the start I was going to take apart the major parts o check for wear and clean up and to learn how it works. So far it's been in need of a solid cleaning, lots of gunk and metal shavings inside. Also need to ascertain the wear of the half nuts as those might become a consumable. If I get a lathe and I can't even maintain it I might as well not have a workshop to keep it in either.

 

[Hood]

Sorry but it was already determined from the start I was going to take apart the major parts o check for wear and clean up and to learn how it works. So far it's been in need of a solid cleaning, lots of gunk and metal shavings inside. Also need to ascertain the wear of the half nuts as those might become a consumable. If I get a lathe and I can't even maintain it I might as well not have a workshop to keep it in either.

I agree with @addjunkie on this, use it first to see what it is like before dismantling, at least that way you will know how it worked previously and its accuracy. You then have something to compare to when you do strip/clean/rebuild.

 

[DennisCA]

Well the tailstock, saddle and apron has been taken apart already, and mostly put back together as well. haven't touched the headstock or norton box. So I guess we'll never know about that now.