I bought about half if a steady rest for my South Bend 13″ lathe. It’s missing quite a few parts. Instead of sourcing replacements online, I decided to make all of the pieces I could.
I bought about half of a steady rest for my South Bend 13″ lathe.
Tell me you had a great day in the shop without telling me you had a great day i
Tell me you had a great day in the shop without telling me you had a great day in the shop.
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I used confusion 360 and my 3D printer to make some holders for my holders.
I used confusion 360 and my 3D printer to make some holders for my holders. 🙂 I needed a way to securely store the tool holders for the quick change tool post I have on my lathe. These worked out nicely.
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My previous attempt at improving the noise coming from the primary gear train was disappointing.
My previous attempt at improving the noise coming from the primary gear train was disappointing. I received a replacement for the sliding gear as well as some other parts, so I am on to the next try. Hoping this is not as discouraging as the first attempt.
The primary gear train on my 1941 South Bend lathe makes a lot of noise.
The primary gear train on my 1941 South Bend lathe makes a lot of noise. I believe the biggest culprit is the sliding gear, but the spindle gear is also very worn. I can’t find an exact replacement, but found something that is the correct tooth count, diametral pitch, pressure angle and diameter. But, it’s not as thick (1/2″ vs 11/16″) and has a smaller bore at .750″ and I need 1.437″. So I decide to modify the new gear to see if it helps with the noise. Check the link in my bio for a video of how I modified the bottom gear to replace the one shown on the top.
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AFTER
AFTER: The bushing and dial after being faced off in the lathe.
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When I assembled the compound of my lathe, I noticed a lot of slack in the screw.
When I assembled the compound of my lathe, I noticed a lot of slack in the screw, .025″ or more. I make an attempt and fixing that, but first facing off the dial and the bushing to remove the wear marks, and then by making an aluminum washer to take up the slack. I got most of it out, but not as much as I would have liked. Link my bio.
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BEFORE
The light at the end of the tunnel!.
The light at the end of the tunnel! I have the primary gear train reinstalled and working. The power feeds are running as expected. I still have some fine tuning to do before I decide to run any real projects through the lathe, but I’m at the point where I can make some chips! Check my bio for a link to a video.
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Now that the lathe is together, I am going to try and set an initial leveling.
Now that the lathe is together, I am going to try and set an initial leveling. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but I would like to take as much of the twist out of the bed as possible. This level is sensitive to .0002″ per 10″, per division line. The tiniest of adjusting on the feet can have a big effect.
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