# Help with a lathe



## Mysteriouswoodsmen (Dec 22, 2007)

While recently rumaging through my dads work shop I came across a cast iron lathe. The thing is proably old as the hills but i've got an itch to turn something, problem is every thing is stuck. The head stock thing will not spin neither will the tail. I've soaked all the nooks and crannys with PB blaster but the thing still wont budge, even got the perswader out (rubber mallet) but didn't do any good. Do you think trying some heat would loosen things up or would it trash everything?


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## Mysteriouswoodsmen (Dec 22, 2007)

Here is some pictures of what I have. There is no name or numbers on the bed on the face plate there is a number S 7757. I did however get the faceplate to spin. I still can't get the tail stock to move.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Sometimes it just takes time for PB blaster to do the job. Be patient. apply some blaster every day and try to wiggle everything. I think it helps to tap on it with a mallet. My thoughts are that the vibrations help it penetrate. 
I worked on an antique pistol for a year. I didn't apply the blaster every day but about once a month I would remember it and pull it out and try to move everything. It eventually broke it free. I don't think you'll have to wait that long for the lathe because everything is beefier and you can apply more force. 
I think the heat will help but don't get it too hot or you can damage any bearings. I think heat and cool cycles will do the same as vibration cycles.


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## ajh359 (Jun 19, 2007)

Be careful with the heat because it is cast iron, do not heat it up to it turns red. The tail stock should have clamp under it hold it on, start taking it apart piece by piece. From what I see in the pic the head has bearing caps start removing them. Do not sand on the ways use a wire bush because if you remove metal then they will have to be re-machine to be flat. So do it slow and take apart, remember one when are hitting it cast iron will break it is not steal.


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## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

I'd just get apart what you can..... and keep hitting it with PB Blaster.... As mentioned above..........


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## joasis (Sep 15, 2006)

A very old lathe, for sure. I would pull the lathe spindle, as mentioned above, by removing the caps, and then try to remove the pulley, simply because unless you have variable speed motor, you will want to change to a step pulley. A local machine shop can probably press this apart.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

After looking at it more closely I believe it has bushings instead of bearings but I'm not sure. First I would try what I suggested above for a week or so. Each time you do this put a screwdriver in the slots that hole the bushings and try to twist it both ways. Don't be hard you don't want to strip the heads you just want to put enough force so the PB blaster will seep a little more into the threads. 
I'll second the recommendation to not sand the lathe ways, or the bottom side of the tailstock and headstock. Use plenty of Naval Jelly on these areas. 
The hardest part to remove will probably be the pulley. Be patient.


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## Mysteriouswoodsmen (Dec 22, 2007)

I got the caps off and pulled the face plate assembly out. There are no bearings or bushing in there. I took a rotary tool with a wire brush and cleaned the rust out it now spins freely. The things the blue arrows point to lift up and look like your suppose to put oil in them, I plan to change that and maybe put grease fittings there. Where the red arrow is pointing that is like a collar that is threaded on there I haven't been able to get it off yet. I'm hoping that if I get that collar off i'll find out that the piece of metal between the collar and pully is just a spacer and I can slide that pully off. Any one wouldn't happen to have any idea who made this thing would they?


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## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

Have you tried undoing the 2 screws per "block" that look like they're holding what looks like caps on (the ones just outside the blue arrows)


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## littlebuddha (Aug 25, 2007)

The blue things are most like grease nipples, not oil. there most like some form of bushing or liner, that should be packed with grease from a gun. LB


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## Mysteriouswoodsmen (Dec 22, 2007)

Mysteriouswoodsmen said:


> I got the caps off and pulled the face plate assembly out.


Yeah I already did that. Guess i'll have to keep on hittin it with the PB and a mallet till I get the tail stock loose in the mean time I can work on getting that pulley off the head stock.


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## TomD (Dec 3, 2007)

Just keep putting PB or Kroil on it. Use an electric heat gun to warm it once in awhile. Tap on it as often as you can, I like using a small ball peen on metal. You do want to set up vibrations in the metal. I had a frozen rod rigging fitting on my sailboat. It took 4 months of oiling and taping every 4 or five days. This is in your home, I believe, so tap daily.

Tom


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