Mainely,Bob Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Plug it in and see what it`s capable of. Don`t let the naysayers scare you off. If we listened to them none of us would get anything done. Our entire machine shop was set up on a wooden pier over salt water and we never had any problem getting work done to standard. Not even when the heavy fork lift came down the pier and shook the building and everyone in it. You only have to start worrying when things refuse to turn. You`re an incredibly handy guy and should have no problem convincing them to return to proper rotational mode. :^) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Soda is grit, and unless you are taking it all the way down I question how much grit will get in places you don't want it. The frame would need to be torqued quite a lot to have a permanent set to it, more than properly moving it and leaving it on less than even ground... Get it on a flat pad, adjust it to level and adjust the head/tail stocks and I bet it will be cutting true. Worst case is you will need to re-level and adjust it again later, but I would be very surprised by this. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Listen to Bob. A number of things may be in process. Rust, dirt and gunk come to mind. Before I would blast anything, I might get a can (which now is in plastic at Wal Mart) of Marvel Mystery oil, a can of Kroil and some sharp scotchbrite. You do indeed have a project. My experience has been that I need to be patient. The Kroil will indeed creep into places that most other stuff won't. Your mileage will vary of course. Don't choke on this but I have indeed taken machines to the car wash (but not lathes). Compressed air will be your friend in that when you soak and wipe and soak and wipe you may use an air nozzle to dry or blow off junk being careful to not blow the junk into places that are bearing surfaces. This machine will not level itself overnight. I have a Starrett level that is incredibly accurate but even with it, this machine will take time to settle considering you have a good foundation. Lathes and other machines were (and are) used aboard ship. I would for sure get the recommended lubrication spec. into the places it should be (internal) and let that set a while before I fired it. Congratulations on the find. I can get flat baler belts made locally if you have trouble finding the likes of them. I have built idlers (somewhat crude but quite functional) to repair missing or broken ones on power hammers. I used to visit a place that had a punchpress that was used as a press for manufacturing razor hones. This machine, in the wintertime was not operable until the sunshine came through a window (obviously not every day). As the room heated from the gas heat and the sunshine came in it would finally crank up. True story (that I know may sound crazy). The woman that made the mix of aggregates used in the different styles of hones was a nice gal but she kept her recipes secret, even to the owners. They tried over the years to get that information but she just continued to make the hones and they pretty much left her alone. She died a few years ago on Christmas eve. All that information went whop in the can with her. I KNOW the owners tried to manufacture the hones after her death but to no avail. This place is within 30 miles of where I sit now. These hones were (and are) to me the best I have ever used and I cherish the ones I have. Information kept is just that. Folks want to come on the net and find stuff other folks do and have done NOW on some posting board for free of course. I can understand the wanting to keep information (like cards) close to my body. This site has an incredible number of talented folks on board. We recently lost one. I talked with him on the phone the day before we lost him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I'm on the fence re the soda....I used it on a nice old Colt revolver that had gotten wet and rusty and it only removed the rust, not the bluing and it only slightly dulled that.........I hate elbow grease on a scale this vast...... :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 This machine, in the wintertime was not operable until the sunshine came through a window (obviously not every day). As the room heated from the gas heat and the sunshine came in it would finally crank up. True story (that I know may sound crazy). We had one machine in the workshop that I had to stuck a heater underneath to get it to work in the winter. In summer we didn't have any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 believe it or not, a palm sander and some wet and dry paper and some oil will remove a lot. I have cleaned table saw tops in this fashion and then waxed with the same sander and an old sock. Just be careful not to blast the soda into the bearing surfaces. you might dam them places up with some modeling clay. my 5¢ worth. Whatever time you spend on it will be worth it. One more addition. When one of my mentors passed away, (Gilmour Barbour, Kellerton, Iowa ) I bought his power hammer at the sale. 30 lb Kerrihard. The hammer had the same motor Gilmour put on it years ago. 3/4 horse Century of age somewhere around 1904. Monster. 148 lbs ( I weighed it on the local LP sales scale ). The commutator and brushes are on the left end, output/pully on the right. The output shaft had a flat pully from (most likely an old Farmall ) that had been bushed to fit the shaft. Flat belt to the hammer. 1725 motor (meaning the hammer ran too fast really but it DID forge). Some of you have seen these old motors. Had a knife switch (exposed). This worked fine in warm weather. The motor wouldn't fire the hammer in cold. This instance, I built a jackshaft and bought a 1 1/2 TEFC Dayton motor new for the hammer. The 1725 motor shaft has a 2" pully to the jackshaft which in turn has a 5" pully reduction. The other end of the jackshaft has exposed pully (4") that is double " B " belt (actually just 2 single belts) up to the 10" flat pully on the hammer. Runs great below zero but I don't do too much these days that cold. Certainly is good in the teens/20's temps whereas before it wouldn't run much under 30º (f). Surprisingly, heat tape will keep some things freed up in cold weather. I have a coal tray beside the forge that I (sometimes ) keep wet coal in (sometimes dry). This of course will freeze. I welded a couple of rods on the outsides of the bottom and strung heat tape under the tray, touching the bottom. This plugged in during winter will keep the tray free from ice (or de-frost it after a while). Inserted ( I hope) is a pic of part of the tray ( pre-add of the heat tape). Also attached is a pic of the forge adjacent to the tray and the pic of the airgate. The power hammer picture gives a vague view of the new motor and the jackshaft pully from the motor. The hammer followed me home on a low boy behind the truck (keeping with the thread). Thank you Glenn, Andrew and all for the updated edit button and the space and time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holzkohle Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 A nice Craigslist find picked up today: very nice Peter Wright-207#, Chanpion rivet forge and blower, Chanpion post drill (with feed pawl) and a 4" post vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_m Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Picked this up along with the platen table on Saturday. It appears to have all the standard dies, plus extra ones for 1" and 1.25" round pipe, and it came with the original manual. It's made by Promaco and they're still in business which is nice. The manual show an optional die for clamping stock perpendicular to the machine and cold twisting it, might see how much they want for one of those or just make my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 So I stopped by the local scrapyard when taking the trash to the transfer station, (OK I went to the scrapyard and took 1 sack of trash to the transfer station but if you don't tell my wife I won't!) Thought I was going to get off easy as all I had found were a couple of garden rakes to turn into tool holders and a piece of 3/8" wrought iron rod. So I added a couple of RR plates to my pile as they would be cheap and more legal than taking them from a track. Then I saw it peaking out from under the pile---an *old* mooring cleat---about 150 pounds and 30" long. Looked perfect for doing some armouring on and the oddity of it showing up about 14 hour drive from the nearest navigable water way meant it had to come home with me. (The scrapyard is learning that if it's weird and old I probably want it; but won't pay a ridiculous price). I also found a box of unused election sign frames and the male end fixture off a wooden sucker rod---nice for pole arms. So all in all I exceeded my allowance for the week and went home very happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron J. Cergol Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I got a call from a friend the other day. He says his brother just moved into a new house, and the shed/garage he thinks used to be a blacksmith shop. long story short, he says there was an old hand crank blower in there. I go to pick it up, and it's a *mint* condition champion 400 blower. quite possibly the smoothest and quietest blower I've ever used. Oh and did I mention free? It was a very surprising, but welcomed gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 After driving 80mi rt to Denver with a trailer that boldly proclaims 2010 in blazing yellow on the plate, keeping my eyes peeled in the rv mirror for the law dogs, I'm dead in my tracks due to Weld county gumbo 50' from the shop.... ....I might have to wait till spring or a spell of warm weather to get it inside.....Probly just as well cause I have a paying gig and shouldn't mess with this right now anyway, meantime I'll soak it in pb blaster and cover it up.........The pic on the far right shows why some welders deserve to have their arms broken...... Sure am glad I washed the truck today.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Mac, That looks surprisingly clean for being outside for years Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Mac, That looks surprisingly clean for being outside for years Phil Rust in CO is hard and thin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Allyn Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 .... long story short, he says there was an old hand crank blower in there. I go to pick it up, and it's a *mint* condition champion 400 blower. quite possibly the smoothest and quietest blower I've ever used. Oh and did I mention free? Nice score, Aaron! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Or wait till a good freeze lets you drive over the muck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Or wait till a good freeze lets you drive over the muck! You got it.....and that's just what I did this mourning. It's been warm here during the day and everything freezes at night....Doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I clean that kind of stuff first by folding up paper towels soaked in vinegar and lay them over the rusted ways, then put plastic wrap over that so it don't dry out, let it set a few hours and alot of that rust will wipe off. It won't take off anything good just the crud. Use some grease to dam up where you don't want it to go. Parts that can be removed can be soaked in a tub. Be sure to rinse it off well and oil to prevent re rust. Were you at the RMS conference in August? The 25# that I had there was cleaned up that way after setting out in a hog lot for 30 years. Gald you got this piece. With your talent it will be very useful. I'm thinking Zipmax tooling etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Here's a pic of my cleat: marks on the scale are at 6" intervals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 That's a cool find in New Mexico Thomas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I clean that kind of stuff first by folding up paper towels soaked in vinegar and lay them over the rusted ways, then put plastic wrap over that so it don't dry out, let it set a few hours and alot of that rust will wipe off. It won't take off anything good just the crud. Use some grease to dam up where you don't want it to go. Parts that can be removed can be soaked in a tub. Be sure to rinse it off well and oil to prevent re rust. Were you at the RMS conference in August? The 25# that I had there was cleaned up that way after setting out in a hog lot for 30 years. Gald you got this piece. With your talent it will be very useful. I'm thinking Zipmax tooling etc. I was at the RMSC last Aug, My vacation for the year and a good one at that! Thanks for insights, I tried some soda blast on a couple of hand cranks and it didn't cut it so it's on to elbow grease in small stages. I'm kinda glad it's not a PH (in a small way) cause once my rockets get fired I'd spend WAY too much time on it.....I'm real glad I snaged it though cause the more I look at it, the more I appreciate the rock solid machine that it is. My Logan 12x36'' with hand crank speed changer is a very good tool for my needs so I may flip the SB but I'll have fun bringing it back to life. Nice to be among others who who don't think this is a strange way to get your kicks....... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Thomas, Now you have something to tie you boat to when the wind blows there in NM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Allyn Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Bucket o'wrenches Picked up for $30 off of Craigslist. The pair of 15" monkey wrenches show little signs of use other than rust. The 12"-ers need a little TLC. Also included a couple handfuls assorted cold chisels and star drills and more heavy drop forged wrenches than I care to count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Allyn Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 And as an added bonus it included a minty fresh Cochran 'Speednut' self-adjusting wrench. 99% of the original black paint is still on it including on the jaws. Jon Zimmer has one in poorer condition listed for $35.http://www.jonzimmer...ls/wrenlist.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 That looks like a Craftsman ratchet that was left out to weather for a while. If it is, throw it in a bucket of oil or kerosene, it will likely come back to life. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden H Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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