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Ned Simmons wrote:
In article ,
says...
Hi all,

Today I spent an idle moment pondering the design of machine tools. It
occurred to me that the thing that often kills the accuracy of old
lathes is wear to the ways at the headstock end. So I thought, why not
build a lathe with replaceable ways? Either precision ground bars which
screw onto the casting, or a simple set of ways which bolt onto the
headstock at one end, and perhaps a pair of mounting feet underneath?
And the best solution would be if all the manufacturers used the same
dimensions of replaceable ways for each size of lathe...

Anyone ever seen a lathe with intentionally replaceable ways?

I've owned three. A Jones & Lamson 7C turret lathe with rectangular
ways, a Rathbone chucker with round ways, and a Taiwanese copy of a
Hardinge HLVH which has a single full width dovetail fastened to the
base casting.

Recirculating ball linear ways are common on CNC machines.

Ned Simmons

some colchesters have replaceable ways

but with hardened ways miost last longer than the other parts , if well
cared for

i have a 1946 monarch that was one of their first with hardened ways ,
and they look new , and machine like it