Rotary tables and tool cleaning
 

Two questions- I have a Bridgeport style verticle mill w/ 9x42 table. I'd like
to get a rotary table and see they seem to be offered in 2" increments. What
size is appropriate for this mill? 8", !0" 12"?
Second- What best to safely clean the usual shop gunge off machine tools.
What do the auctioneers use to make things look so good before a sale? Thanks
for your help.

On 18 Dec 2004 06:16:30 GMT, (Dueknot) wrote:

===Two questions- I have a Bridgeport style verticle mill w/ 9x42 table. I'd like
===to get a rotary table and see they seem to be offered in 2" increments. What
===size is appropriate for this mill? 8", !0" 12"?
=== Second- What best to safely clean the usual shop gunge off machine tools.
===What do the auctioneers use to make things look so good before a sale? Thanks
===for your help.


RT's go up quite substantially in weight once you get past the 12 inch
size. Most common are 12 inch on the BPs witha 42" table. Go as large
as possible as you always runo ut of room on a RT to secure the item
your working on.

Hmmmmmm cleaned up machine tools, never yet been to an auction where
anyone ever went to any trouble to clean up the machines, usually they
were just like they were when pulled from use.......


Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Opinions expressed are those of my wife,
I had no input whatsoever.
Remove "nospam" from email addy.

Well there aren't too many machine tools that need to be clean
in order to work properly. :-o

As long as the sliding surfaces and such don't have any grunge
just keep them oiled properly.


If you do insist...

You can use something like Varsol.

Or if you want to be more agressive, try Ed's Red.
It's a homebrew of acetone, transmission fluid and
I forget what else.

Used to clean guns, just do a lookup on the net for the formula.


DOC

"Roy" wrote in message
...
On 18 Dec 2004 06:16:30 GMT, (Dueknot) wrote:

===Two questions- I have a Bridgeport style verticle mill w/ 9x42
table. I'd like
===to get a rotary table and see they seem to be offered in 2"
increments. What
===size is appropriate for this mill? 8", !0" 12"?
=== Second- What best to safely clean the usual shop gunge off machine
tools.
===What do the auctioneers use to make things look so good before a
sale? Thanks
===for your help.


RT's go up quite substantially in weight once you get past the 12 inch
size. Most common are 12 inch on the BPs witha 42" table. Go as large
as possible as you always runo ut of room on a RT to secure the item
your working on.

Hmmmmmm cleaned up machine tools, never yet been to an auction where
anyone ever went to any trouble to clean up the machines, usually they
were just like they were when pulled from use.......


Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Opinions expressed are those of my wife,
I had no input whatsoever.
Remove "nospam" from email addy.

"Roy" wrote:

What best to safely clean the usual shop gunge off machine tools?

It depends what's on there. Oil over time dries to a varnish. Removing
this varnish can be difficult. On bare metal kerosene and a stiff brush
followed by a shot of compressed air used JUDICIOUSLY can work. I also
like Hoppe's No. 9 nitro solvent for removing old-oil varnish from
bare metal.

In general, you have to use a combination of solvent and mechanical
scrubbing. I've tried lots of stuff, even tried steam once back when I
temporarily owned a steam cleaner. Usually you just take what you have
and start. Here are some of the cleaning supplies I keep:

rags
simple green
kerosene
Super Agitene (in my parts washer)
Kroil/WD40/other spray light oils ..
Comet
TSP
Cascade dishwashing detergent (actually I keep this in my kitchen :-)
lye
muriatic acid
paint thinner aka varsol aka mineral spirits aka turpentine
carburetor cleaner
acetone
lacquer thinner
M.E.K.
Brasso
Knorrostol (use this a lot)
a whole variety of tube brushes from about 1/8" dia up through about 2" dia.
several scrub brushes
old toothbrushes
toothbrushlike brushes with stainless/brass/plastic bristles
Tom's machinist brushes (big plug, these work great)
cup-style wire brushes in knotted and plain
disk-style wire brushes in knotted and plain
3M deburring wheel
lots of kinds of sandpaper
an old file ground like a scraper (use this a lot)
3M pads, the brown ones
"shop rolls", those rolls of abrasive paper about 1" wide, several grits
3M roloc-mounted sandpaper and 3M pads with arbors for die grinder
disk grinder flap wheels, several types and grits
random orbital sander with coarse 3M pad (puts pleasing finish on AL)
variety of auto body fillers (e.g. Bondo, fine putty)

I've probably forgotten a few. Some of these will make your skin feel um
crummy so I also stock several kinds of rubber/plastic gloves.

I use *all* of the above for different things.

Things like precision layout tooling I don't use often I coat with a
product called "Lano-Lube" from Flexbar. It's the stuff that gage block
manufacturers recommend.

That reminds me -- I've got a filthy Baldor carbide grinder to clean up
and paint!

There was a guy in Seattle that was instrumental in introducing me to
machine rebuilding. He always says "once you paint it, it's yours in a
special more permanent way".

Grant Erwin

On 18 Dec 2004 06:16:30 GMT, (Dueknot) wrote:

|| Second- What best to safely clean the usual shop gunge off machine tools.
||What do the auctioneers use to make things look so good before a sale? Thanks
||for your help.

WD40. Get the one with higher-volume spray that came out recently. Apply
liberally all over, let sit overnight, then reapply as you scrub with a copper
or plastic Brillo pad, stiff brush. Wipe down, apply real oil to preserve and
protect..
Texas Parts Guy