I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago. Tailstock
is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not going
to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be
doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I figure it
would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has outside
turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I
retired(sort of). Any ideas?

What's worn, about the tailstock, the bearings, the spur(s), the clamp mechanism(s) to the bed? If it's bulk metal that is worn, maybe building up the worn area with welding beads, then grinding/filing to spec, can be done easy enough.

You may have to find another one and cannibalize the parts you need. A Google search should turn up a few auctions or sales with some listed, like this one in Raliegh, NC - http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/a...41QSCI12104007

Every now and then, there's a Boyce Crane lathe listed here - http://irsauctions.com/?flash=9

And here - http://www.govliquidation.com/ - which may have some of the same listings as the GSAauction site above

Just have to wait for one of these auctions/sales to be near you.

Any new tailstock should work fine with any headstock. They are, essentially, separate units. A new tailstock would need to have a footprint to match your present bed's track. Have you tried to find a quality tailstock, without its bed tracking part, yet it can be attached/fitted onto a range of tailstock tracks? I kinna doubt there would be a general/generic unit as that, though.

Your local turning club should have lots of magazines that may have guides for searching for those older parts. Find a chapter near you - http://www..woodturner.org/ and ask on this site's forum.

Sonny

On Thursday, March 21, 2013 5:21:25 PM UTC-6, Sonny wrote:
A Google search should turn up a few auctions or sales with some listed, like this one in Raliegh, NC - http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/a...41QSCI12104007

Sorry. That auction/sale has ended, but that site has similar listings, now and then.

Sonny

Pretty much been checking around for a year now. I am in the Boston area and
I am guessing I am down to a machinist or whatever tradesman that could do
this. Also checking around this is a problem of this lathe. I got many years
out of it. But not the person to do this kind of repair. If there is such a
thing as rebuilding this it should get me by the rest of my days. I think it
was about 45 years ago I bought it. I would imagine something similar would
be in the $3000 to $4000 range easy. Thanks for all the info and ideas.

check out vintagemachinery.org and owwm.org. Especially check the BYOD
forum on owwm.

On 3/21/2013 6:32 PM, wrote:
I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago. Tailstock
is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not going
to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be
doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I figure it
would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has outside
turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I
retired(sort of). Any ideas?

On Thursday, March 21, 2013 6:32:32 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago. Tailstock

is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not going

to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be

doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I figure it

would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has outside

turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I

retired(sort of). Any ideas?

Can you be more specific? I am/was a Machine Tool Rebuilder in another life and I know people that can help you if I can't. There's more to it if you have serious wear on the bottom of the tailstock.

RP

It no longer lines up with the other side and the shaft is very loose. Not
sure how else to explain it. I know everything used to be tight and was
right on center.

Thanks, I am familar with them. Have lots of old Walker Turner and I turn to
them for info. Really nice for that. I didn't see anything for my problem.
But maybe should go back and recheck.

Just reread. Not sure about bottom wear but will look tomorrow. I did a lot
of faceplate turning. But then it's been in use for many years.

On Friday, March 22, 2013 5:56:33 PM UTC-6, wrote:
It no longer lines up with the other side and the shaft is very loose.

Bearing or bushings would be my first guess, if the shaft is loose.

May be a silly idea.... has the bed, the tailstock is on, misaligned or loosened, somehow, to make it out of alignment with the headstock? I suppose you've checked and rechecked everywhere, that way.

Sonny

That would be too easy. My 90 year old father is always down the shop
messing with things. Everything has to be perfect with him. Which is fine
with me as it saves me a lot of time. SOme of my machines he had before me,
they run like the day they got here. He wanted me to get a new tailstock but
I had to tell him this particular one is very rare as this is a problem with
this particular lathe. I don't want to end up with another bad one if I
could find one. If I could get it rebuilt and get another 30 years out if
it, assuming I will stlil be here even though I am retired I would be very
happy.

On Thursday, March 21, 2013 6:32:32 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago. Tailstock

is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not going

to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be

doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I figure it

would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has outside

turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I

retired(sort of). Any ideas?

I don't see how any bearing could be in there. If there are bushings I
really can't see that either. It just looks like the tailstock we bored and
the shaft is inserted, it does have a notch on one side. I had been looking
for a machinist but from the other posting I should be looking for a
toolmaker. Back to google.

On Saturday, March 23, 2013 1:05:35 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I don't see how any bearing could be in there. If there are bushings I

really can't see that either. It just looks like the tailstock we bored and

the shaft is inserted, it does have a notch on one side. I had been looking

for a machinist but from the other posting I should be looking for a

toolmaker. Back to google.

If that's the case you just need to have the barrel bored and have a new quill made. Not inexpensive, but cheaper than a whole new tailstock which might not be available. I don't know what happened to my post yesterday. I think Google &^%$ed it up.

RP

I expected it was going to cost.. Big problem is find someone to do the job.
I call a few places every week and they don't do this kind of work here in
the Boston area. Or I haven't called the right place yet.

--
Fake email in case you were wondering. So much spam. Real woodart-email-com
change - to .

wrote:
I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago. Tailstock
is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not going
to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be
doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I figure it
would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has outside
turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I
retired(sort of). Any ideas?

My lathe tailstock quill will also wiggle a tiny bit until the quill
lock is engaged, then it is rock steady. If yours still moves when
locked, maybe the lock needs work. Or in desperation you could drill
and tap a hole in the side of the quill holder so that a bolt would
impinge on the mid-portion of the quill. Make sure the end of the
bolt is smooth and do not over-tighten. This should hold the quill
against the other side of the cavity and prevent quill play. If this
works, weld a handle to the bolt and use it as the quill lock.

Alignment. Mine has two metal blocks on the bottom of the tailstock
which slide in the slot of the ways. The blocks are held by two
capscrews each. To adjust alignment the cap screws are slightly
loosened and the tailstock is tapped with a mallet to correct the
mis-alignment. Yours may not have this feature but it is worth
checking. When setting alignment you should check with the quill
fully retracted and locked, half extended and locked and then fully
extended and locked. The tailstock mis alignment may be due to
sideways shift or rotational shift. Checking in three quill positions
should tell you which it is.

Hope this helps a little.

--
 GW Ross 

 The best we can hope for concerning 
 the people at large is that they be 
 properly armed. 

On Sunday, March 24, 2013 11:37:29 AM UTC-4, G. Ross wrote:
wrote:

I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago. Tailstock

is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not going

to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be

doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I figure it

would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has outside

turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I

retired(sort of). Any ideas?



My lathe tailstock quill will also wiggle a tiny bit until the quill

lock is engaged, then it is rock steady. If yours still moves when

locked, maybe the lock needs work. Or in desperation you could drill

and tap a hole in the side of the quill holder so that a bolt would

impinge on the mid-portion of the quill. Make sure the end of the

bolt is smooth and do not over-tighten. This should hold the quill

against the other side of the cavity and prevent quill play. If this

works, weld a handle to the bolt and use it as the quill lock.



Alignment. Mine has two metal blocks on the bottom of the tailstock

which slide in the slot of the ways. The blocks are held by two

capscrews each. To adjust alignment the cap screws are slightly

loosened and the tailstock is tapped with a mallet to correct the

mis-alignment. Yours may not have this feature but it is worth

checking. When setting alignment you should check with the quill

fully retracted and locked, half extended and locked and then fully

extended and locked. The tailstock mis alignment may be due to

sideways shift or rotational shift. Checking in three quill positions

should tell you which it is.



Hope this helps a little.



--

 GW Ross 



 The best we can hope for concerning 

 the people at large is that they be 

 properly armed. 

You can also use the capscrews to align you tailstock by simply loosening the side you need to go to and tighten the other side.This is good for moving in .001's of and inch and smaller if you have the proper indicator.

RP

G. Ross wrote:
wrote:
I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago. Tailstock
is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not going
to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be
doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I figure it
would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has outside
turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I
retired(sort of). Any ideas?

My lathe tailstock quill will also wiggle a tiny bit until the quill
lock is engaged, then it is rock steady. If yours still moves when
locked, maybe the lock needs work. Or in desperation you could drill
and tap a hole in the side of the quill holder so that a bolt would
impinge on the mid-portion of the quill. Make sure the end of the
bolt is smooth and do not over-tighten. This should hold the quill
against the other side of the cavity and prevent quill play. If this
works, weld a handle to the bolt and use it as the quill lock.

Alignment. Mine has two metal blocks on the bottom of the tailstock
which slide in the slot of the ways. The blocks are held by two
capscrews each. To adjust alignment the cap screws are slightly
loosened and the tailstock is tapped with a mallet to correct the
mis-alignment. Yours may not have this feature but it is worth
checking. When setting alignment you should check with the quill
fully retracted and locked, half extended and locked and then fully
extended and locked. The tailstock mis alignment may be due to
sideways shift or rotational shift. Checking in three quill positions
should tell you which it is.

Hope this helps a little.

A correction: The hole drilled should be about 1 1/2 inches from the
headstock end of the quill holder. Otherwise you could not extend and
hold the quill more than half extended. But I still think the
existing quill lock should be checked first.

--
 GW Ross 

 Life is what happens while you're 
 making other plans. --John Lennon 

On 3/24/2013 11:37 AM, G. Ross wrote:
wrote:
I have a Boice and Crane lathe 553700 bought new many years ago.
Tailstock
is worn out and no luck of finding one and from what I hear I am not
going
to. Now I am wondering if these can be rebuilt? Seems like it should be
doable. It has served me well and the rest of it is just fine. I
figure it
would be cheaper than getting a new one. It's variable speed and has
outside
turning. And I do use it even though it is more for hobby since I
retired(sort of). Any ideas?

My lathe tailstock quill will also wiggle a tiny bit until the quill
lock is engaged, then it is rock steady. If yours still moves when
locked, maybe the lock needs work. Or in desperation you could drill
and tap a hole in the side of the quill holder so that a bolt would
impinge on the mid-portion of the quill. Make sure the end of the bolt
is smooth and do not over-tighten. This should hold the quill against
the other side of the cavity and prevent quill play. If this works,
weld a handle to the bolt and use it as the quill lock.

That's very good advice. My drill press has the same to tighten up the
quill for the same reason. My old drill press had the same.



Alignment. Mine has two metal blocks on the bottom of the tailstock
which slide in the slot of the ways. The blocks are held by two
capscrews each. To adjust alignment the cap screws are slightly
loosened and the tailstock is tapped with a mallet to correct the
mis-alignment. Yours may not have this feature but it is worth
checking. When setting alignment you should check with the quill fully
retracted and locked, half extended and locked and then fully extended
and locked. The tailstock mis alignment may be due to sideways shift or
rotational shift. Checking in three quill positions should tell you
which it is.

Hope this helps a little.



--
Jeff

Thanks, those seem like really cool ideas. My brain was not thinking that
way.

--
Fake email in case you were wondering. So much spam. Real woodart-email-com
change - to .

wrote in message ...

I expected it was going to cost.. Big problem is find someone to do the job.
I call a few places every week and they don't do this kind of work here in
the Boston area. Or I haven't called the right place yet.
================================================== ========================
Good luck. Most of the real machinists are retired or dead. I'd do it but I
am retired. What passes for a machinist these days wouldn't have a clue how
to fix something.

On Sunday, March 24, 2013 5:30:39 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Thanks, those seem like really cool ideas. My brain was not thinking that

way.



--

Fake email in case you were wondering. So much spam. Real woodart-email-com

change - to .

I went over to the rebuilders and they said they could take you on. They are busy as hell but they can do it. We are in central New York. Call Harry Hartman 607-eight four nine 6028. Here is the website.

www.galleryofmachines.com

RP

Why do I understand that? I grew up around furniture, woodcarvers and the
likes.

--
Fake email in case you were wondering. So much spam. Real woodart AT
email-com I am sure you can convert that.

wrote:
Why do I understand that? I grew up around furniture, woodcarvers and the
likes.


What newsreader are you using? It is customary to include at least
part of the message you are replying to above your reply so that the
context of the reply is understood.

--
 GW Ross 

 Whenever they put on the straight 
 jacket, my nose itches. 

Newsrover. I am just getting back into this. I think the other messages got
everything, I checked back on some. I have your message at the bottom of my
screen. Will send and check.

--
Fake email in case you were wondering. So much spam. Real woodart AT
email-com I am sure you can convert that.

On 25-Mar-2013, "G. Ross" wrote:

What newsreader are you using? It is customary to include at least
part of the message you are replying to above your reply so that the
context of the reply is understood.


I see, I thought it did it automatically when I used Outlook, I have to copy
and paste with this one. Thanks, I didn't realize that. Sorry about that.

--
Fake email in case you were wondering. So much spam. Real woodart AT
email-com I am sure you can convert that.

On 25-Mar-2013, RP wrote:

I went over to the rebuilders and they said they could take you on. They
are busy as hell but they can do it. We are in central New York. Call
Harry Hartman 607-eight four nine 6028. Here is the website.

www.galleryofmachines.com

RP

Okay, made contact with them, they can do the job, no problem. However I got
a dose of reality. I had in my mind maybe four or five hundred dollars.
Closer to $1500. Tough decision to make at that price. Knew it would be
expensive but didn't realize this. But I do thank you for the advice and
trying to be of help. Did sound like the right people for the job. My
thoughts are to try the drill and tap and keep my eyes open. Possibly get a
new lathe such as the Woodtek variable speed. Thanks much.

--
Fake email in case you were wondering. So much spam. Real woodart AT
email-com I am sure you can convert that.