"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
First minor critique -- it is a "lathe" not a "lahter". The
work done on it is called "turning" not "lathing".

Actually it was "lather". Alcohol and typing do not mix...

Wiring status is fairly common on machines removed from
commercial shop service, as they were typically wired directly to the
power line (through the breaker box, of course), and thus did not have a
power cord with a plug.

Whether it would have been disconnected at the wall or at the
box on the back of the lathe is a tossup and does not signify much.

Either way - could not be run.

O.K. 50 years old is not a problem, if it is in good condition.
My Clausing (12x24") is now 52 years old and quite useful.

The point was that I doubted that the people he had bought it from were the
original owners (turning copper armatures only).

3) I was given a "manual" supposedly for this machine. it was clearly
labelled "Jet lathe".

Clueless -- or they expected you to be clueless. :-)

Take a pick...

4) The machine was covered in chips and swarf, not copper either, a fact
somewhat at odds with (2).

So -- they lied. Were the chips aluminum or steel/iron?

Did not think to identify. In retrospect I would say steel but cannot be
sure.

5) After cleaning the ways, there was rust, chips and dents. The carriage
could be lifted off the ways near the headstock but not in the middle.
Tightening the carriage clamp to the ways near the headstock so I could
still move it and moving the carriage to the middle the passage became
progressively more difficult. I interpreted all this as evidence of
significant wear of the ways.

This is the significant thing of what you have said. That much
wear is probably too much.

So the article told me...

6) The three way chuck

Three *jaw* chuck?

Let us declare war on demon alcohol for he murders our best men!

was lightly rusted.

Not a serious problem if the rust is not in the ways for the
jaws, or in the scroll. Light surface rust is not really a problem
there.

big snip


Of course, if the jaws slide in very easily, they and the chuck
may well be worn enough to indicate that you would want a new chuck
anyway.

I thought that the fact that the owner could not be bothered to put the
chuck back together in the proper order spoke (amongst other things) to the
likely care the whole machine had received.

7) The gear box was exposed. There was grease on the gears with a liberal
helping of chips. I did not see any superficial damage to the gears.

You mean the one at the end of the headstock away from the ways,
or the quick-change gearbox (if any) on the front of the headstock?

End of headstock. I could not see inside the quick-change gear box (which
was indeed present). By this time I did not bother.

Grease on the gears is *good*. Chips on the gears are not. But
if they are aluminum chips, are probably not a serious problem. Tough
steel chips which have been captured and squished by the chips between
teeth are bad news.

There are those that say that grease in the gearbox is evil because it
attracts chips.

At this point I felt sufficiently uncomfortable about the whole thing and
passed. I suspect there are many here who would have seen this lathe as a
deal of the century at $650. Equally likely, many would have discovered
issues that I missed. Interestingly, when we parted amicably with the
owner
he expressed his intention to change the pricing on the craigs list to
$800.

At $650 -- *if* it did not have the worn bed, and if it *did*
have the quick-change gearbox (instead of having to change the gears on
the assembly at the left hand end for every change) it would be a good
price. Howeer, as it is, I think that you did well to skip it. If you
could have talked him down to $400 or so, it still might be worth it to
learn on, if not for precision work.

I don't think that they are going to get their $800.00 --
especially if they don't take the time to clean it up significantly and
lube the ways with Vactra No. 2.

I am sure at this stage a knowledgeable person would know what could be
repaired and what could not. I know enough to see that the ways would make
it prohibitive.

The other issue with the machine was it size. When I checked the
dimensions
in relations to the available space I would have been pushed to be able
to
use some of my other tools, mainly due to its depth of almost 3 feet.

It is what I consider the minimum size of a useful lathe.
Figure out how to *make* room for a machine of this size.

I am thinking building a bigger house. Well, a bigger garage.

Still, it was a useful experience. I am sure there will be next time...

Certainly. At which point, you will either continue to find
reasons to not buy, or you will dive in and start learning with an
inexpensive machine.

This is a third one I had a look at. I stumbled on the first one about a
year ago. If I knew then what I know now I would have probably bought it.
The second one was in an auction house and falling apart. I went to the
auction just to see what will happen to it. Nobody would touch it

--
Michael Koblic,
Campbell River, BC