Boxford Model B lathe rebuild

[jonnydeen]

ive owned this lathe for about a year now and ive finally got the time to do a full strip down and rebuild.
i know its not a cnc lathe but that may well change once its been rebuilt.
mechanically everything works and all bearings seem to be in good nick but you never know what you'll find until you get knee deep
now... lets get down and dirty


the white paint job is definitely not the original hue and alot of it has or is in the process of flaking off
plenty of heavy duty dirt and grease too, i think im going to need a fair bit of degreaser (aka red diesel)
6061


here is a better picture showing the stout steel cabinet freshly liberated from the shed
ive already partially stripped the lathe at this stage as i only have brute force and ignorance to get it outside the cramped shed
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here is a close up of the cabinet top, just after being de-swarfed, de-greased and ready for sanding
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these photos are also available on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/79384660@N07/7273819848/

[rnr107]

Hi Jonny,
I did a "C" a few years ago. To strip the paint off, use Nitromos + cheap angle grinder with a metal brush fitted. Works a treat !
Just make sure you wear eyes protection, Nitromos is not forgiving!

Here is a pic before and after:
60646065

And some pics of the lathe fully de-assembled! And I do mean FULLY!
60666067

If you need help to put it back together, give me let me know... I can re-assemble these in the both eye shut... ;-)

RNR

RNR

[jonnydeen]

RNR thats exactly what im planning to do regarding paint removal although i do detest nitromors, its a terribly messy way of doing things but it'll save some time.
i like the way you added the little touches of yellow, you have one very pretty lathe
i dont think il have too many problems rebuilding it as ive had most of it striped down before when i first got it (only way to get it into my shed) although time will tell
still not sure whether i should paint it as the original colour or something different, im thinking white but am open to any ideas.
im hoping to put up plenty more pictures as i progress on tomorrow

[jonnydeen]

rnr is that a CSB?

[rnr107]

Hi Jonny,
The lathe is a "C" part of the AUD, BUD, CUD , A, B and C family. I am not sure what the difference are with the CSB ...

For the grey pain I use Myford Grey (Nice color and easly found). Bought it from this guy:
http://www.lathespares.co.uk/myford-accessories-and-chucks-c-3/grey-colour-match-enamel-paint-myford-lathe-p-412

For the primer I used U-Pol (From Halford) Acid-8 for all aluminium parts and red-oxide for all cast iron / steel parts.

Great paint, can be sprayed (diluted with White-spirit) or brushed on directly...

Yellow pain was a spray can for the local DIY place.

Ha... almost forgot, you can get new labels (all the small aluminium plates / charts) directly from Boxford. a few quids each...

Post some pictures during your rebuild!


RNR

[jonnydeen]

the CSB was a what i believe to be just short bed version of the model c lathe
http://www.lathes.co.uk/boxford/page15.html

RNR, i think ive got one heck of a challenge to get it looking half as good as yours, anyone should be proud to have such a beautiful piece of kit like that!
im still thinking of going white and possibly dark blue accents (the same blue they use on the name plates etc) unless someone can persuade me otherwise! and il see what plates i can rescue before i splash out on new ones.

i will certainly post more photos, i should have a few more up later on today

[rnr107]

Hi Jonny,
Thank you for the compliment! :-)
It took a long time to get it there... about 3 months between the striping, degreacing, paint removal, repaint....wait....wait....(paint is drying slowly in this country)
then finally re-assemble , re-oil.... and try!

Colour is a question of choise... If White is what's float your boat, Go for it! ;-)
Don't forget the double coat of primer! (etching primer on all aluminium parts, red oxide on steel and iron)

Looking forward to see more pics!

RNR

[jonnydeen]

more de-greasing & de-gunking today, id love to be able to shot blast this cab but i don't see funds stretching that far.
the method im using for cleaning is rather simple and quite cheap although it is laborious, what i use is...

1) rather than using an expensive degreasing product i use lovely cheap & cheerful red diesel (ive also used kerosene but i find diesel is easier to clean up).
2) an assortment of brushes including wire brushes, scrubbing brushes, dustpan brush (its handy to have one thats dry) and even a tooth brush for the little nooks and crannys
3) budget brand toilet paper (or any other cheap disposable paper towel) rather than spread dirt and grease just bin it

diesel makes a great degreaser but it leaves a thin layer when used so a further rub down is required to get a clean surface for paint

this photo shows the rear of the cabinet, upside down resting on 2 pieces of wood
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some one has previously done some welding to the bottom of the cab and i don't commend their technique
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the door sporting the original boxford logo and the suppliers plate
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a close up of the suppliers plate
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this is the lock that is currently fitted to the door, i dont have a key for it and it doesn't fit properly so il have to find a suitable replacement
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the barrel of the lock doesn't even match up to the hole let alone fit in to it
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the lathe bed sitting upside down on the table, notice the solid lump of swarf reinforced grease ontop of the foot on the left
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this is the head stock end of the bed, the paint simply rubbed off with a piece of toilet paper
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as of yet i have not found any sign that there was primer used when it was last painted and i dont think it was even cleaned properly
who ever painted this lathe was/is a grade A idiot

[jonnydeen]

RNR, do you think i could use 1 coat red oxide primer and then a coat of white primer in prep for the white paint?

[rnr107]

Hi,
Yes, white primer on top of Red oxide is fine... Just mke sure they are of the same brand. I had a bubled paint problem painting different brands on top of each other.
If you want to paint white, you could use a High build primer on the top of the red oxide. (U-Pol High-5) these are beige almost white and are very thick, very good to hide the defects of the castings. And once fully dry, can be sand smooth (300 grit). I used it on the rough parts of the castings and got a pretty good finish after sending.

A couples of tip:
Get an angle grinder with a metal brush (You can get one fron 15 quids) a lot easier than a hand brush.
Lots of very light coats give a much better finish than 1 heavy one...

Are you going to spray or brush ?


RNR

[jonnydeen]

i dont have a wire wheel for the grinder but i use ones on the drill,but i think i may well invest in one i do have experience of spraying motorcycle components so im not too worried about technique and although i would not call my paint work professional standard i feel its good enough, i think my real problem is patience i am going to spray, i know i would get a better finish with sprayingthanks for the information, i appreciate it!

[JAZZCNC]

Hi Jonny,
The lathe is a "C" part of the AUD, BUD, CUD , A, B and C family. I am not sure what the difference are with the CSB ...

Nice rebuild but not keen on the yellow myself but like you say colour is a personal thing.!

I've got an AUD long bed and I love it stands me at next to nothing and runs sweet as nut.
Did think to turn it CNC but just couldn't bare to do it to such a nice machine, really would like a CNC lathe thou so it's come close a few times.!! Anyway those urges have all gone now has I've had a scabby Myford super 7 given free so thats getting CNC'd soon has I get chance.

[jonnydeen]

is it just me or do boxford owners see myfords as inferior? ive never even seen a myford lathe in person let alone had the chance to do a comparison. i have looked into converting the lathe to cnc but i would rather just save up and get a TCL to restore and then have the best of both.:friendly_wink:
im getting ahead of myself, i dont even have a mill... yet! oh my, wouldn't a VMC be a lovely addition to my future boxford collection :smug:

[rnr107]

Jazz,
The JCB yellow is my favorite bit ! I love this little touch of brightness! :-) How well, I guess I can not please everyone... :-)

Jonny,
Myfords are a lot smaller than the Boxford. Which VMC are you talking about? Boxford 260VMC or Warco VMC ?


BTW: If one of you is after a CNC lathe, I have Boxford TCL125 converted to Mach3 ready to run... I just need to finish the front panel for it and it will be for sell...

RNR

[JAZZCNC]

BTW: If one of you is after a CNC lathe, I have Boxford TCL125 converted to Mach3 ready to run... I just need to finish the front panel for it and it will be for sell...

Shudder at the thought.!!! . . I build em don't buy-em. . .Lol

[jonnydeen]

Jazz,

Jonny,
Myfords are a lot smaller than the Boxford. Which VMC are you talking about? Boxford 260VMC or Warco VMC ?

RNR

I thought you would have inferred from context.
of course i meant boxford but not necessarily the 260
as much as id love a 125 tcl what i really need right now is a mill although il consider it, fancy pm'ing me an idea on price and some specs?

[JAZZCNC]

Jonny whats that bike on your avtar.? Is it TZ 250.? Can't see it very clear.!

[jonnydeen]

Jonny whats that bike on your avtar.? Is it TZ 250.? Can't see it very clear.!

honda rs250 @ kells road race.
the competitive lads dont use tz's over here, its a shame, i have a soft spot for the tz's

[JAZZCNC]

honda rs250 @ kells road race.
the competitive lads dont use tz's over here, its a shame, i have a soft spot for the tz's

Ye I had a feeling it was honda from discs and bit of frame fairing/fender etc but that exhaust looked too low and TZ like so did tank/seat. Wondered if it was some TZ hybrid affair.!!

I used to work for HRC Honda UK many many moons ago.! Spencer, Haslam, Roger bernett, Roger marshal days. . Prized possession is one of freddies old helmets which he signed for me. . . Happy days.!!

[jonnydeen]

jealousy levels rapidly rising! do you by chance remember the vf500 championship?

[JAZZCNC]

jealousy levels rapidly rising! do you by chance remember the vf500 championship?

I remember blowing them upon test rig to find out why they where eating cams like they'd gone out of fashion. . Lol

Didn't follow the road champion ships much, to be honest most of my work was with the motox side engine tuning. Did the occasional work on some problem bikes like VF's and early VFR's when they where warping crank cases and eating main bearings.!!
Thats how I met freddie because his engine technicians where based in our workshop for a time using my test rig because it was more setup for 2 strokes, also the NSR500 and NSR250 used a lot of similiar motox technology we had on our bikes, electrics etc. Ended up at silverstone for 3days helping with setup it was great.!
I actually had the chance to join main race team and turned it down because I was all loved up.!!!! . . . . . What a silly bastard.:stupid: Thou Motox was my first choice(love) anyway and that got me about a bit.!!

[jonnydeen]

I remember blowing them upon test rig to find out why they where eating cams like they'd gone out of fashion. . Lol

Didn't follow the road champion ships much, to be honest most of my work was with the motox side engine tuning. Did the occasional work on some problem bikes like VF's and early VFR's when they where warping crank cases and eating main bearings.!!
Thats how I met freddie because his engine technicians where based in our workshop for a time using my test rig because it was more setup for 2 strokes, also the NSR500 and NSR250 used a lot of similiar motox technology we had on our bikes, electrics etc. Ended up at silverstone for 3days helping with setup it was great.!
I actually had the chance to join main race team and turned it down because I was all loved up.!!!! . . . . . What a silly bastard.:stupid: Thou Motox was my first choice(love) anyway and that got me about a bit.!!

wow you truly have had such an interesting career. the reason i asked about the vf500's is because i have one. 84 500f2e the earliest year if my memory serves me correct, 36k miles and no infamous chocolate cam syndrome (no service history) love the bike but its an absolute pox to work on
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[JAZZCNC]

wow you truly have had such an interesting career. the reason i asked about the vf500's is because i have one. 84 500f2e the earliest year if my memory serves me correct, 36k miles and no infamous chocolate cam syndrome (no service history) love the bike but its an absolute pox to work on

Yep they were right camels to work on.!! . . To be honest the first early bikes had big problems they where snapping cranks but this was quickly sorted and changed so only a few hundred (In UK) I believe had the trouble and those engines were changed for the updated engine. But they still had issue's with snapping rocker arms and wearing cam lobes away but this was largely caused by user error and not letting the engine warm up enough before wringing it's neck.!! . . . . Thou to be honest it's such a nice fun bike it made you want to wring it's neck. . Lol

Edit: Eh eh funny how things come back to you when you sit and think back.!!
The reason they were eating the cams was that the gearbox and topend shared the same oil thru pressurised oil ways but what was happening was the oil was draining back out the galleys and oil pools when stood back into bottom end. So when starting there wasn't enough initial pressure to push the oil up to the cams before damage was done.!
Also the cams where much more finiky about clean oil than the gearbox so after a few 1000 miles contamination was creating pickup on the journals.!! . . . . So change the oil often and spin engine over a couple of times before starting to pressurerise oil system.

[rnr107]

I thought you would have inferred from context.
of course i meant boxford but not necessarily the 260
as much as id love a 125 tcl what i really need right now is a mill although il consider it, fancy pm'ing me an idea on price and some specs?

I said VMC260 because this is what I have... :-) Looks like you are going for the exact machine I went for! Must be a Northern Irish thing... :-)
(I lived in Belfast for almost 10 years before moving to England)

PM sent...

RNR

[jonnydeen]

I said VMC260 because this is what I have... :-) Looks like you are going for the exact machine I went for! Must be a Northern Irish thing... :-)
(I lived in Belfast for almost 10 years before moving to England)

PM sent...

RNR

not so much a northern irish thing, it was completely by chance that i got that particular lathe, i know that boxford make good machines and i think it would be peachy to have a collection
im not particularly fussy on brand, i cant afford to be
i wouldn't even mind an emco f1/pc50 or a denford nova/star mill, i just need some machine to bring my ideas of grandeur to fruition, then i can have my collection :friendly_wink:

[jonnydeen]

by chance, would any one know how much these lathes weigh? i only need a good estimate as i have decided to mount it on castors
it would certainly make moving it back into the shed easier but i also plan on putting in a bigger shed in the future so it'd be a god send!
can anyone think of any downsides?

[JAZZCNC]

can anyone think of any downsides?

Yes loss of accurecy.?? The lathe needs to be sat level and true, if the floors uneven it will/could put the bed in twist lossing paralleismmmmm.

[jonnydeen]

very good point
do you think that would be such an issue? the heavy steel cabinet would be on castors and the lathe itself is on adjustable feet.
is there any precautionary counter-measures you can think of, that allow me to safely use castors?

[JAZZCNC]

very good point
do you think that would be such an issue? the heavy steel cabinet would be on castors and the lathe itself is on adjustable feet.
is there any precautionary counter-measures you can think of, that allow me to safely use castors?

Depends to what degree of accurecy you want.? I've got an AUD and know setting level flat made a difference to my accurecy. To do it right you need a parallel test bar and you'd be surprised the difference just an thin shim can make so I positive castors would have a negative affect on accurecy.!!

Personally I would try to find it a permanent home, even if you had lift up down castors it would be an hassle and not fun job setting true every time you move it.!

[jonnydeen]

i think im going to have to re-evaluate my working conditions as i can't imagine the shed floor being particularly level
jazz i believe you have saved me from a novice pit-fall

[jonnydeen]

Personally I would try to find it a permanent home, even if you had lift up down castors it would be an hassle and not fun job setting true every time you move it.!

would it be correct to say that prolonged use on an uneven surface would create irreparable damage?
i cant see myself upgrading workshop so il just have to weigh up my options before doing anything rash

[onecut]

hi, build log lm a new member onecut is the name lv read your thread about your restoration of your boxford and lm following in your footsteps havn,t got my lathe yet be about 3wks when guy is next in area so lm watching your blogs with intrest and hope l can pick your brains of what and not to do hurry up and do an extension on how you are progressing need to kmow as start what quantities of diesiel ,paint, primer,red lead etc that will keep me busy until l start the painting-take care be happy

[rnr107]

hi, build log lm a new member onecut is the name lv read your thread about your restoration of your boxford and lm following in your footsteps havn,t got my lathe yet be about 3wks when guy is next in area so lm watching your blogs with intrest and hope l can pick your brains of what and not to do hurry up and do an extension on how you are progressing need to kmow as start what quantities of diesiel ,paint, primer,red lead etc that will keep me busy until l start the painting-take care be happy

The fun bit is not the paint. It is the preparation... Nitromos ! Wire brush ! Masking tape !
Once you've finished repainting nicely your new lathe, these 3 words above will be the one you won't want to hear ever again! Beleive me! ;-)

Seriously, To get a good finish on the paint, the secret is to take your time on the preparation! Make sure you get the whole lathe down to bare metal and shiny. No rust, do trace of oil, greace or old point. And do de-assemble everything and mask. Lot of people repaint there Lathe fully assemble and without masking, the result is horible... and the new paint peels off after a few weeks.

RNR

[jonnydeen]

hi, build log lm a new member onecut is the name lv read your thread about your restoration of your boxford and lm following in your footsteps havn,t got my lathe yet be about 3wks when guy is next in area so lm watching your blogs with intrest and hope l can pick your brains of what and not to do hurry up and do an extension on how you are progressing need to kmow as start what quantities of diesiel ,paint, primer,red lead etc that will keep me busy until l start the painting-take care be happy

Welcome onecut

i am glad to see this thread is already being of use to someone
im going to get a move on shortly with the restoration and you can be sure i will post up more photos.

as for quantities, it really depends on what method you are going to use. spray cans, spray gun or brush?
as for diesel i just filled a 5 liter drum, im just using it to clean up the heavy dirt and grease so i dont think il use more than 2 liters
you don't have to use diesel, i just use it because its cheap and close at hand

what i really recommend you have is some wire wheels, either for a drill or an angle grinder but preferably both big and small in sizes
and as much as i hate the stuff, nitromors is the best way of stripping paint from areas the wire wheels wont fit.

good luck with the restoration

[onecut]

Hi,johnny-yes l do find your article of use and no doubt others between you and the other guy you were conversing with planted the seed of what my dirty unkept lathe can look like with a bit of hard graft lm logging in each day awaiting you updating the dairy l work in engineering where we make tin printers so i,ll be getting the paint from work theres a dark blue and a light grey think it will be grey lm going to strip the lathe right down hopefully clean everything reoil,regrease and fun begins reassemble l was thinking when l have gears out, l can get them blackodized what do you think will it benefit the gears when you think about these boxfords must have at least40yrs grime inside cant be improving things hyavnt had a lathe before so its a learning curve and a large bit of listening-take care-onecut

[onecut]

Hi RNR, l work in a factory where we make tin printing machines was telling the painter about my soon coming lathe and what l wanted to do to it showing him apic of yours before and after he said i,ll get you the paint l asked for battleship grey l know they use this colour on their machines so thats one thing off the list l said what about red lead he said you dont need it with this paint theres an agent mixed in paint that stops rust what do you use the acid for cleaning the ally parts? what is red oxides job is it for sealing to stop rust if it is l dont think l need it with this paint would like to spray can get gun off ebay£15 rated 5stars and goob backfeed from past purchases thin it with white spirit and give it 3 coats dont know ratio of white spirit and paint=so that leaves the primer what does this bring to the table

[rnr107]

Hi RNR, l work in a factory where we make tin printing machines was telling the painter about my soon coming lathe and what l wanted to do to it showing him apic of yours before and after he said i,ll get you the paint l asked for battleship grey l know they use this colour on their machines so thats one thing off the list l said what about red lead he said you dont need it with this paint theres an agent mixed in paint that stops rust what do you use the acid for cleaning the ally parts? what is red oxides job is it for sealing to stop rust if it is l dont think l need it with this paint would like to spray can get gun off ebay£15 rated 5stars and goob backfeed from past purchases thin it with white spirit and give it 3 coats dont know ratio of white spirit and paint=so that leaves the primer what does this bring to the table

Hi Onecut,
The red oxide is a primer to protect against rust. I know, many paint manufacturer says that it is not needed. But I prefer to be safe than sorry if you see what I mean... Painting a lathe properly is a loooooooong job, so you don't want to have to re-do it in 6 month time... So use Red oxide primer on steel / iron parts! Then etching primer on aluminum parts (acid8 is good). Acid8 is a special primer for aluminium it is not use to clean, check U-pol web site for details. http://www.u-pol.com/documents/datasheets/tds/ACID8AL-TDS-EN.pdf

That paint you use at work, is it heat and oil / petrol resistant ? Because if it isn't, the paint won't last very long...
This is what I used: (It is specially formulated for machinery)...
http://www.lathespares.co.uk/paint-myford-lathe-c-40/grey-colour-match-enamel-paint-myford-lathe-p-412

Laurent

[onecut]

Hi, laurent thanks for replying dont know if its heat,parafin,resistant i,ll find out before l use it if not i,ll buy the stuff your recomending l suspect the paint from work will have the qualities your asking about as we make industrail printers , presses so l suppose it would have to have those qualities or like you say would come off in no time and customers wouldnt be impressed but i,ll make sure and quiz the painter before l proceed-thanks

[jonnydeen]

back to the grind (pun intended)
been busy of late restoring a yamaha rd & trying to find a mill
now the search is over and ill have a centec 2 mill arriving in about two weeks time.

the centec is going to need a complete strip down and rebuild then it'l be converted to cnc :)

with the centec project looming, the pressure is on to get the boxford finished.

let me introduce you to my little friends...
62206221
i dedicate two cheap 115mm grinders to the unforgiving job of paint removal and with the addition of one 'weapon' of a wire wheel i have one formidable setup.
the reason for using 2 grinders is simple, they have a tendency to overheat so i swap them over every once in a while.
the drill is used for getting into tight spots but it doesn't have the umph to compete with the grinder

today i started to attack the cabinet
62226223
you can see the effect of the grinder on the top of the cabinet, like a knife through butter
in the next photo you can see the 'sump' (if thats what its called) too narrow for the grinder, the drill makes short work of this

i got as far as doing the top and front of the cab as well as the door then gave the stripped parts a lick of red oxide primer
62256224
tomorrow i am aiming to have the rest of the cab stripped primed and the interior parts painted leaving the exterior ready for its first coat (if im lucky i may get 1 or 2 coats done)

you may notice the castors on the left hand side of the cab, these are just for ease of moving the cabinet

kudos to RNR for the grinder / wire wheel idea, i never thought of putting one on the grinder

[rnr107]

Hi Jonny,
Good job on the stripping! Keep the good work! ;-)

One thing tho, Once a part has been prime, it can not stay without paint for more than a day or 2... The primer must not get in contact with humidity once it is dry.
You must paint over it (with final paint or under-coat) ASAP .

Ho.... and do a test first primer... then paint on a small section to see if the paint re-act to the primer. (not all paints are compatible with all primers...)
If it bubble, it's a no go! I had that with primer from Plasti-kote.

Laurent

[jonnydeen]

Hi Jonny,
Good job on the stripping! Keep the good work! ;-)

One thing tho, Once a part has been prime, it can not stay without paint for more than a day or 2... The primer must not get in contact with humidity once it is dry.
You must paint over it (with final paint or under-coat) ASAP .

Ho.... and do a test first primer... then paint on a small section to see if the paint re-act to the primer. (not all paints are compatible with all primers...)
If it bubble, it's a no go! I had that with primer from Plasti-kote.

Laurent

ive already done a test run with the paint, and its come out good
although im not going to show the test piece as that would just spoil the suspense! :)

i am at the mercy of the weather with this build so i have to prime the bare metal to protect it, even though once all the paint is removed il have to rub back the primer and do the whole thing in one go

stay tuned for more fun and frolics!

[Jonathan]

Looks good so far. Did you consider getting it powder coated? I recently got a CNC router frame (60x60 box section, about 100kg) I did powder coated by a local company and it was only £30, which was their minimum order. It came out very nicely so I thought that was quite good considering power coating should be more durable than paint.

[jonnydeen]

Looks good so far. Did you consider getting it powder coated? I recently got a CNC router frame (60x60 box section, about 100kg) I did powder coated by a local company and it was only £30, which was their minimum order. It came out very nicely so I thought that was quite good considering power coating should be more durable than paint.

ive contemplated powder coating but nowhere locally will entertain such a small job, just big industrial operations! i have toyed with the idea of establishing my own setup as i seem to be constantly spraying motorcycle frames & components but i just don't have the space... yet!

[Jonathan]

ive contemplated powder coating but nowhere locally will entertain such a small job, just big industrial operations! i have toyed with the idea of establishing my own setup as i seem to be constantly spraying motorcycle frames & components but i just don't have the space... yet!

I just called the 5 nearest companies to me and that one was much cheaper than the rest. Did some powder coating at school once as they had a tank for it ... seems easy enough if you've got the right kit.


30 quid,sounds like a bargain,where was it if you dont mind me asking?

http://www.darrenpalm.co.uk/contact.htm

[onecut]

hi,johnny lm a million miles away from converting to a cnc be honest when l read blogs concerning the terms they use are goobley gook to me but lm intrested is there a book on how to convert small m/cs to cnc for the total novice

[jonnydeen]

hi,johnny lm a million miles away from converting to a cnc be honest when l read blogs concerning the terms they use are goobley gook to me but lm intrested is there a book on how to convert small m/cs to cnc for the total novice

i understand where your coming from, i am also a cnc novice but ive learned alot from just googling. i still get stumped regularly at the sheer technicality of some folks on this forum (especially when it come to electronics). all the information i have has come from hours of reading through forums and using google to decipher the gobbledygook

remember... take everything with a pinch of salt, there are many ways to skin a cat and you just need to find the way that suits you!

[jonnydeen]

made a bit of progress today, finished striping the cabinet, sanded it back and then gave it a proper coat of red oxide primer. then i used the high build primer.
at that point i had a thought, is it really such a good idea to do it mainly white? it'd just end up grubby and quite horrible in no time!

6233

the original idea was to do the top blue and the bottom in white but since the blue came out so well (pictures don't do it justice) i decided to go for the blue and use the white for the interior of the cupboard and the door.
first coat done, one more then lacquer should do it

6234

[onecut]

Hi, johnny your works looking good nice finish lm going to hand paint mine havn,t sprayed before dont want to create any unwelcome problems,lm after some advice single phase motor 1/3hp for sale with stainless steel water pump attached £20 thinking buy it put coolant system in when lv done every thing else lv seen pictures of some boxfords, pump is hidden away in right side cupboard mine has open cabinet like yours this l think is the sump tank in middle where do you put water pump on these ones-cheers

[jonnydeen]

Hi, johnny your works looking good nice finish lm going to hand paint mine havn,t sprayed before dont want to create any unwelcome problems,lm after some advice single phase motor 1/3hp for sale with stainless steel water pump attached £20 thinking buy it put coolant system in when lv done every thing else lv seen pictures of some boxfords, pump is hidden away in right side cupboard mine has open cabinet like yours this l think is the sump tank in middle where do you put water pump on these ones-cheers

you are correct, the center piece of the cabinet is a coolant tank, i will be making a cover for it with some aluminium tread plate and then mounting a pump directly onto the cover

this is a picture of a csb (short bed version of the model c) and you can just about see the coolant pump setup on the integral tank
6252

i would have to say go for it, at that money its good going for you

me on the other hand, well if i find a decent pump for cheap ill get it but if i get to the point i need one i already have a water pump from a cbr900rr fireblade that might just do the trick

[onecut]

Hi, johnny was on phone to that lad selling two motors his ad in paper was cut short mid sentence said something like 2 motors single phase one has stainless steel pump attached other has gearbox-finished there so who knows l thought stainless steel pump for industrail use £20 could take chance at that price clean it up and it might do for my forthcoming boxford so l phoned him asked have you tested motor he said no hasnt got any wires on its brand new still in its box wrapped up so should be ok so he dropped it off for me showed me it l dont know anything about pumps but its spanking new says on side Lwa 75db l know thats the pressure only surprising thing appart from price is in /out holes for pipes about1-3/8 dia seems big to me but what do l know about pumps-nothing-brian

[onecut]

Hi guys, its me at last my little boxford has arrived from bonny scotland lad took it to bits years ago with view to painting and cleaning bits but never got further than disasembly so she,s here in a load bits havn.t got a scooby how to put back together but worry about that later be starting stripping and painting at weekend first things first visually its in decent nick needs rewired and motor is stiff to turn by hand so lm happy with a dash of apretension no doubt i,ll be bombarding you,s with pleas for help -take care-onecut

[onecut]

help,my boxfords arrived in bits lm trying to identifyA,B,C got a feeling lv paid over the odds asked time and time again what it was no response had already paid for it then,silly lad anyway lv looked for stamp right hand side cant find one when l find what it is can decide where the motor goes.dont laugh hav,nt seen one before cant see how it goes in cupboard surely not behind head how does it mount anyway has anyone any tips so l can find out what the little beaut is dont know if it helps but its got a screw dial indicator think that means its not a C is that right?

[rnr107]

Hi OneCut,
If there is a lead screw it means it is not a "T", it could be an A, B or C.
Is there a gear box attached to the lead screw ? If so it's an "A" if not it could be a B or a C

Post a few pictures of all the bits you have, I'll tell you what it is from that.

RNR

[onecut]

johnny,just looking at your CSB lathe mine arrived mond its same as yours when you say getting new lock doesn,t even fit hole- looking at yours/mine the locks are identical mine doesnt fit hole either same too long bolts if you read up on these lathes say especially model C say they often used off shelve parts off other lathes that they had too many of as it was the cheaper lathe of the family so l guess its the original lock just put on as they had loads of them and wanted rid-one cut

[jonnydeen]

onecut... mine is not a csb, its a B

the csb (standing for model C school boxford) was a slightly shorter version of the C

its easy to tell the differences between boxford lathes

a. has thread cutting gearbox and power cross feed/carrage feed
b. has power cross feed/carrage feed
c. has neither of the above facilities
t. hasn't got a leadscrew / no thread cutting


then there is the aud, bud, cud, tud with UD standing for under drive (motor underneath lathe mounted in the cabinet)

check out the diagrams on the boxford spares website, it may help you reassemble
http://www.boxford-software.com/spares/3656menu.html

also search for the book, know your lathe: screw-cutting lathe manual (by boxford) there is a pdf available (free) so just google it. if you cant find it i might be able to email it to you

[JAZZCNC]

You should be able to identify the machine from numbers stamped on the end of the bed some where about the arrow points in pic.
They could be very faint but from these it should tell you the year of manufacture and model. 6399

[jonnydeen]

You should be able to identify the machine from numbers stamped on the end of the bed some where about the arrow points in pic.
They could be very faint but from these it should tell you the year of manufacture and model. 6399

Jazz is correct, this link should help you identify the year http://www.lathes.co.uk/boxford/page8.html
thats how i dated mine, it was made in 1958

[onecut]

Stripped my cabinet down using angle grinder got paint and primer from work they paint all our factory machines with it without problem so l thought the primer paint must be compatible so no worries there the primer is rust proof oil proof etc,put primer on its black went on ok 2 coats,after work put first coat battleship grey on cabinet didnt get far and it started to congeal tried again same thing paint fighting me all the way so in short a disaster will have to come off at weekend ,more money down the pipe no ten dolloars in my jeans,not a happy bunny-one cut

[rnr107]

put primer on its black went on ok 2 coats,after work put first coat battleship grey on cabinet didnt get far and it started to congeal tried again same thing paint fighting me all the way so in short a disaster will have to come off at weekend

I hate to say that, but I did say do a trial first with Primer / final coat...

RNR

[onecut]

RNR, Well l wont be doing that again it will be a test piece in future ,know you advised this l only got as far as tray top and stopped when the paint wouldn,t go on as l said got paint from work with compatible primer so thought they use it every day should be okone thing painter said at time didn,t put any significance against his comment theres your paint and primer primer takes a day to go off paint dries in an hour i,ll get you some thiners he didn,t come back must of forgot but l wasn,t bothered bought some on way home just paint that was suitable tried and tested that l wanted he asked me how l got on with primer said ok some blisters rub down and give it a second coat he asked day later how did finish painting go l said a disaster told him concealed as soon as l put on said sounds like you need some more thinners l said its ok l have my own he said cant do that paint,primer, thinners come as a package one wont work without the other thats why you having problems give me some thinners got home mixed it paint went on without problem wish l knew earlier but its looking decent with final coat to go on do on sat in natural light-he said same always do a test make sure right texture before you start-a happier bunny-one cut

[JAZZCNC]

Onecut please don't take what I'm about to say wrong way and I'm really one to speak because I'm FIK has brick and can't spell for toffee or know where to put full stops etc.!! . . . But your replys are so hard to read because you write in one continous string of words.

Break it down into sentences or on separate lines and it will be so much easier to read.

[onecut]

l know what you mean,l know lm doing it.No full stops,comma,s its a habit l,v had since my school days the teacher used to say brian to read out your work would be impossible as its all one long sentence and no one has the lung capacity to be able to do it ,then l would shut her up by finishing top at english,so no offence taken your correct in your observations and it has been well over 40yrs since l was a school boy,and as they say if you dont use it you lose it-one cut.

[JAZZCNC]

l know what you mean,l know lm doing it.No full stops,comma,s its a habit l,v had since my school days the teacher used to say brian to read out your work would be impossible as its all one long sentence and no one has the lung capacity to be able to do it ,then l would shut her up by finishing top at english,so no offence taken your correct in your observations and it has been well over 40yrs since l was a school boy,and as they say if you dont use it you lose it-one cut.

No worries but don't be surprised if when you post you don't get much response.?. . Basicly lots of folks won't take the time to decipher hard to read post's so skip on by.!!
Which is ok most of the time if your just chatting but if your after help the it could delay a reply or answer from the one person who knows.?

Like I say not saying this to be offensive only point out what happens.! ( I do try to decipher most.!)

[rnr107]

An easy way to get around that and keep everyone happy.... Pictures !!!! :cheerful:

Post some pics mate ! We all like them here!

RNR

[jonnydeen]

ok, its been a while since ive posted and since then not much has happened with the lathe

since the last time i posted...
got some new toys, a centec 2 mill and a rexxon pillar drill (massive distraction)
had a couple of transport malfunctions (singing the 1980s honda blues)
started a new job! (after 2 years it was about bloody time)
and to top it all off the weather seems to have an annoying sense of humor

it seems like some higher power is at work trying to keep me from finishing the project!

[jonnydeen]

after receiving questions about the motor mount from onecut i decided to take a few pictures and try to explain the counter-shaft assembly


this is the assembly (minus the counter-shaft primary pulley) with motor loosely in position
the motor is a modern-ish 1ph 1/2hp 1480 rpm
the motor's footprint was slightly off for this fitment, but that was soon cured by drilling and filing the rear 2 mounting holes.
if the motor's footprint is significantly different then an adaptor plate would need to be fabricated
the main thing to make sure of when fitting a motor is to make sure pulleys are as parallel as possible
6631

both belts are tensioned by a single lever that mounts between the assembly and the back of the headstock

6634



here we can see the counter-shaft primary pulley, this lathe originally had a set of 2 speed pulleys delivering power from the motor to the counter-shaft (giving 16 spindle speeds) this modern equivalent certainly does the job but limits me to 8 speeds. i plan on running a 3ph motor with a vfd in the near future so i wont bother sourcing/ machining a 2 speed set of pulleys

6635


one thing to note, the csb model has a different "simplified" counter-shaft design

[jonnydeen]

found these pictures today.

these are the first 3 i took of the lathe just before i bought it, back when i didn't have a clue :p

669866996700

and for comparison...

this is the latest photo (note the bubble wrap method of paint protection)

6701

sorry again about the disgraceful photo quality but its my only camera/phone

[rnr107]

Yes! That's what I am talking about! :-) Now you understand what it takes and apreciate a well paint machine! :cool:

RNR

[jonnydeen]

ok, slow progress but progress all the same


here is a slightly better pic than what i had posted last
6842


the carriage is looking well with the cross slide and compound loosely fitted for the photo
notice in the background the tailstock base casting sporting the same colour
6843


outside the shed we can see the change gear quadrant and tailstock casting receiving a good lick of paint
as you can see, the quadrant has received its first coat of red oxide primer and will get another one or two before being sprayed blue
on the other hand the tailstock casting has already had 2 coats of oxide and 2 of grey before being sprayed white, once dry it'l be assembled :joyous:
68446845


here we have the tailstock ram, screw and handle already cleaned and handle painted ready for assembly
6847

all the paintwork done in this thread has been with cans, from primer to lacquer the technique i find works best is to be very patient and take things slowly. i found out a long time ago that if i try to apply a full coat in one go that i am guarantee'd serious runs so light coats with a few minutes in between works well
its also good to make sure the nozzle is 100% clear and the can has been well shaken!

[onecut]

good job jonny one thing l noticed the crosslide that holds toolpost angler divisions on it ,you have yours tilted in picture,how come mine doesn,t move is it because yours is a b and mines a poor relation c-take care :-one cut

[jonnydeen]

onecut

yours should

[jonnydeen]

the cross slide has two grub screws to retain the compound, slack these off and it should swivel

[Nollider]

Does anybody know the preload tension for the main shaft taper beings on a 1950's rear drive model C ?

Thanks

bryan

[davidstj]

Hi.

What happened to the finished product? Got to the last page all exited and not a pic in sight...

Cheers,
Trevor.