Lathe bed grinding service

I have an Atlas lathe which needs re-building and is going to be th

next 'project' after I have sorted out my Centec mill. The mill tabl ways are worn in the middle. I can't get rid of the slack by adjustin the gib strip because if I do the table tightens up at each end of it travel. So the ways appear to need grinding. I also would like to hav the lathe bed ground when I re-build it. The lathe bed is 36" long an the mill table is 25" long.

Several years ago I had another lathe bed ground by a guy on the Holto Heath industrial estate near Poole. Since then his business appears t have disappeared.

Does anybody know of and can reccomend a company which does this typ of work

-- jlh4

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jlh45 hi, if it were me i would first check your gib strip on the mil

table for slight distortion, they do tend to go slightly out of true, after they have been trued up on a surface grinder you may find thi was the cause of the problem, another way is to purchase some groun flat stock as near to the size as the old gib strip and try that, if a exact size cannot be sought then buy a size a bit thinner and take up o the gib adjusment screws, dont forget the gib strips are meant to wea out this saves the table ways, the gib strips are always made of softer material than the table ways.

bil

-- billL5

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Bill, Not withstanding the comments about gibs, I assume that Atlas is a flat bed job.

This means that it can be Blancharded on the top if the head can be removed. I have had two or three Myfords done this way. In no way does it equate to putting it into a slideways grinder but the cost may only be about =A335-40. Once the top has been done, it is a lot easier to scrape a reference and do the rest of the job.

Does this help?

Norm

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ravensworth2674

.Can I re-direct this. Sorry Bill!

This Old Fart needs specs!

Norm

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ravensworth2674

Hi I guess by "mill slide" you are referring to a boring table fitted in place of the standard compound rest assembly.

The most likely cause of the problem is that the dovetail ways on the saddle are worn in the middle of the travel. This can be corrected by anyone with a decent size milling machine and a dovetail cutter.

The bed is a different matter.

Russell

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russell eberhardt

Hello Bill

Thanks for your advice - it sorted the problem with the Centec.

When I checked the gib I found it was slightly marked where the lowe edge of the dovetail was bearing on it and the thickness varied b about a thou over its length.

Not having a surface grinder I spent half an hour rubbing it down b hand on wet and dry paper and parafin on plate glass. On re-assembly i adjusted so the table moves smoothly through its full travel.

Now I can start on the Atlas where I still would like to get the be ground.

Joh

-- jlh4

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