Hi guys,
I picked up a Hobbymat MD65 mini-lathe the other week, old and paint- chipped but otherwise in reasonably good nick. Zero play on the headstock spindle, and it works pretty nicely but for a few things...
- The handwheel on the compound slide is incredibly stiff. They move, but not particularly easily. Basically, it's a total pig to move towards/ away from the workpiece, or horizontally side-to-side. Can these be loosened a little?
- Same goes for the leadscrew handwheel -- engaging the motor drive for the leadscrew works fine, but trying to make that thing turn by hand is a nice easy way to make one's wrists and palms quite sore!
- The graduated dials tend to stick, making it difficult to move e.g. the compound a specific distance.
- While I've got the basic parts (chuck keys, thread cutting gears) I'm missing a few of the other accessories: - Chuck jaws (I've got the ones which are highest at the centre of the chuck -- externals? -- but not the others) - Chuck guard - Machine vice (but I have the angle plate to mount it)
I'm thinking most of this is down to dried oil and grease in the workings and possibly loose nuts on the handwheels, but I suspect some of the stiffness is down to badly adjusted tensioning components. I get the impression that while the lathe has been fairly well taken care of, it's been left sitting for a while and I get the impression it could do with a good clean/lubricate/adjustment session.
Also, a lot of the set-screws seem to have gotten quite black and mucky, as has most of the bed and the compound (there's a section of bright metal where the rotating section of the compound sits). Is this a cause for concern? It doesn't look like rust, more like staining.
Has anyone done any maintenance on an MD65 (which is apparently similar to a Prazimat)? Is there anything I should be especially careful with, or shouldn't even attempt to repair?
Do I need to use specific types of oil or grease to lubricate the various moving parts, or will normal 3-in-1 oil and grease suffice? (I have some Comma lubricating grease in the shed, amber coloured and a consistency slightly thicker than green Swarfega -- the 3in1 is the usual "comes in a white plastic bottle" stuff that looks like.. well.. oil)
I did note with some amusement that the manual suggests petrol as a cleaning solvent and warns against its use on "painted or bright metal parts". Is this still the best stuff to use, or should I use a different solvent instead?
Thanks, Phil.