stopped by to chat while I was out in the back yard doing some welding.
We got to talking and after looking at the Stacks O Stuff..he asked if I
might have a motor for a small table saw? I found him a rough but
usuable 3/4hp motor..simply gave it to him, and he was happy as can be.
On his way out..he mentioned he had a small lathe someone had given
him, never tried making it work..and would I like to have it? It was
"pretty rough".
Thinking it was going to be one of the old AA lathes..pretty common
around here..I shruged and said if he wanted to bring it by, Id take it,
but I couldnt give him any money for it. He shook his head and said he
would, be nice to have someone fix er up and maybe use it.
I completly put it out of my mind at that point..didnt figure Id ever
see the guy again.
Saturday after my afternoon siesta..I went back out to the welding
area..and sitting on my welding table was a lathe. Dirty,
dusty..disreputable..with the name LORCH on the side of it...
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Looks like Ive got a nice and fairly easy restoration on my hands..
This is what she is supposed to look like.
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It appears to be missing the half nut assembly and lever, and the cover
to the headstock.
Someone at one time covered the working bits with grease or heavy
oil..which collected a shitload of desert dust and dirt, then baked
itself on. Cleaning off some sample areas with penetrating fluid and
ATF..the metal is a bit stained..but in very good condition. It lead a
fairly sheltered life before it was put..well..where ever it was put.
He said an old machinist gave it to him years ago.
Carriage handwheel is bent..spinner and maybe the shaft. Headstock
bearings after a bit of ATF dripped in, measure less than a grand of
movement in longitudnal, zip shit in radial. Looks like the bearings are
A-OK. Very smooth and no crumble or grind. Same with the gear train and
feed screw. Something is loose inside the apron, and it appears a flat
gib may be missing on the back of the carriage..no biggy to make up a
new one.
Shit this is a heavy lathe for its size..at least 60 lbs. Lots of cast
iron in this old girl. Gonna be rigid as hell. Cross feed and compound
screws dont seem to have enough backlash to speak off..though I need to
get the crud off to be sure its just not hanging on the spooge.
Ive got some brush type 90vt DC 300 inch pound servos with bad encoders.
Dont need an encoder to simply spin it up with a bridge rectifier and a
variac.. C face servos..but easy enough to make up a motor mount
for...
Anyone know of any sources for Lorch LAS parts and acessories...let me
know. Cheap..cheap parts and accessories..... A three jaw chuck might
be handy...I think Ive given away all my small ones when I sold the
Lorch LLK a few years ago...damnit!
Gunner
Cast your bread upon the waters..and occasionally it comes back a
hundred fold..and not too soggy either...."
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