On Mon, 11 Aug 2014 19:09:37 -0400, Ed Huntress
wrote:

On Mon, 11 Aug 2014 15:38:46 -0700, wrote:

I have this old metal lathe. It's B.F Barnes and is at least 100
years old. It has that patina that a lot of old iron gets. Some folks
think this patina should not be disturbed. Other folks think the tool
should be made to look as close as possible to the original factory
finish. For this lathe I am of the mind that the patina should be
removed. I want customers to see what was possible 100 years ago. I
want the machine to appear new, or nearly new, the way it would have
looked in a factory where the machine was wiped down and cleaned every
night. So, opinions?
Thanks,
Eric

A new lathe, 100 years ago, would have had a scraped surface on the
bedways. That's probably gone. The look is very distinctive:

http://tinyurl.com/mmyyq2x

Re-scraping it would cost more than it's worth. But you may be able to
somewhat restore the *appearance* of the original scraping, depending
on the lathe's condition and what you intend to do with it.

Let us know if this it just for looks, or if you want to restore its
function as much as possible.
The lathe is now and will be fully functional. I will be making parts
on it. These parts will be just for my own enjoyment, not for paying
customers. The bed ways look as if they were made on a planer or a
shaper. Even under the headstock there are no scraping marks. I am not
sure how straight or worn the ways are but I can still see
longitudinal marks that run the length of both the carriage and
tailstock ways.
Eric