Subject: Re: refinishing old lathe

From: "PyroWare" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 09:03:51 -0600

Hi Dale...

Many larger, reputable grinding shops can grind the ways of a South bend. 
It all depends too on how much $$ you want to spend!

Kurt

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From: [email-masked] (Dale Koehn)
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 19:32:27 GMT

I have a South Bend lathe (16"X10') and the first 5 feet of the ways
 are badly worn. Can the ways be refinished? What would it cost and is
there someone local  (Fresno Ca) that could do this? Or I have been
thinking about moving the headstock down to the middle and cutting the
upper half off. Is this possible? Has anyone tried this? I do not need
the length.
--
Dale

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From: [email-masked] (Fitch R. Williams)
Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 14:17:00 GMT

>upper half off. Is this possible? Has anyone tried this? I do not need

After you grind the ways, there are a number of things that
will no longer fit and have to be modified.  I've not tried
it, but earlier I asked the question and received a number
of positive replies for flame spraying the ways to build
them back up and then regrinding them back to the stock
height.  The chief concern was uneven ware which suggests
grinding the bed first, then building it up and regrinding.
They would be really hard, should last you a long long time.
This avoids all the complications (relocating the rack that
drives the carriage, accomodating the new location of the
threading lead screw relative to the ways, etc. etc. etc.)
that accompany grinding the ways.

Fitch