# Putting a Utilathe back together



## Thomas (Nov 21, 2021)

As I mentioned in my introduction post I recently bought a partially disassembled 9" Utilathe and finally had time today to start working on it. The apron, saddle, and leadscrew were laying in the chip tray so I figured there was an issue there, turns out the feed worm screw had seized in it's bore. I took the apron apart and everything is in good condition aside from the bent stop pin for the feed selector, looks like it had just dry seized from sitting. I cleaned everything with varsol as well as scotchbrite where necessary to remove rust and old sealant. The clutches for the power feed look almost brand new, hopefully this is a common theme as I work my way through the lathe. I'm currently missing the saddle gib, knob for the half nut actuator, ball crank handle for the tailstock, taper attachment, steady rest, follower rest and chuck mounting plate. Tomorrow I will stop back into the shop I bought it from and see if the parts are still kicking around, if I come out empty handed a few members have already let me know they may have parts. Oh and if anyone ever comes across this penetrating oil I highly recommend it, has oil of wintergreen in it and I only know that because of the smell but it works wonders.


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## Dusty (Nov 21, 2021)

Thomas said:


> As I mentioned in my introduction post I recently bought a partially disassembled 9" Utilathe and finally had time today to start working on it. The apron, saddle, and leadscrew were laying in the chip tray so I figured there was an issue there, turns out the feed worm screw had seized in it's bore. I took the apron apart and everything is in good condition aside from the bent stop pin for the feed selector, looks like it had just dry seized from sitting. I cleaned everything with varsol as well as scotchbrite where necessary to remove rust and old sealant. The clutches for the power feed look almost brand new, hopefully this is a common theme as I work my way through the lathe. I'm currently missing the saddle gib, knob for the half nut actuator, ball crank handle for the tailstock, taper attachment, steady rest, follower rest and chuck mounting plate. Tomorrow I will stop back into the shop I bought it from and see if the parts are still kicking around, if I come out empty handed a few members have already let me know they may have parts. Oh and if anyone ever comes across this penetrating oil I highly recommend it, has oil of wintergreen in it and I only know that because of the smell but it works wonders.



So then Thomas where did you get that penetrating oil with oil of wintergreen? Never heard of it before your post.


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## Thomas (Nov 21, 2021)

Dusty said:


> So then Thomas where did you get that penetrating oil with oil of wintergreen? Never heard of it before your post.


I bought a case of it years ago at Marden's ( a surplus and salvage store in the USA) I'm down to my last few cans, beats Kroil hands down.


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## YYCHM (Nov 21, 2021)

"feed worm screw"  Are we talking item 17 on page 10 of the manual?  I have one of those, also the ball for the half nut lever.  What pin is bent?  Can you provide an item number and page number in the manual?

You'll also want to start looking for a threading dial as well.  Keep a look out for someone selling a machine for parts. That's how I got a lot of items I needed for my machine.  My $300 investment helped out a dozen other 9" Utilathe users as well.


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## Thomas (Nov 21, 2021)

That is item 17 on the parts list but I was able to break it free and give it a good cleaning, it's actually in good condition. The pin is a stop for the feed selector lever, I straightened it and drove it back in with some loctite. I'm interested in the half nut ball, will let you know tomorrow.


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## Brent H (Nov 21, 2021)

"You should have bought it, when you saw it,  at Marden's" hahahahaha

Oh the shopping trips the ladies attend while the men folk make fire and dance about !  hahaha

FYI you can get a bag of balls (sounds funny) on Amazon the correct size.  Bakelite and all - slightly (metric) thread pitch different but can be modded if required .


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## YYCHM (Nov 22, 2021)

In need of a gear
					

Some info on a DIY cutter http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/making-gear-cutters.html




					canadianhobbymetalworkers.com


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## Thomas (Nov 22, 2021)

I was able to find the saddle gib and the knob for the half nut lever so it wasn't a wasted trip. I reassembled the apron and started tearing the cross slide off the saddle, everything is in good shape it just has a layer of crud that needs a good soak in varsol to loosen up. I did find a steady rest at the shop that came of an atlas 12" we no longer have and I think I can modify it to work.


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## YYCHM (Nov 22, 2021)

Thank god you found the gib


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## PeterT (Nov 22, 2021)

I've been curious about that Hylomar. Do the 2 component part ways relatively easy (like a firm tug) or is there quite a bit of adhesion force involving say rubber mallet whacks? I tried some other sealant products  but my problem was they stuck TOO good. But there were smaller aluminum shell components I was having a bugger time to release & risking distortion. Is Hylomar kind of like silicone in terms of rubberyness (durometer is probably the better term).

Is the gearbox case itself oil bath filled or you are just keeping it sealed?


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## YYCHM (Nov 22, 2021)

PeterT said:


> Is the gearbox case itself oil bath filled or you are just keeping it sealed?



Oil filled, 1/2 a cup of non detergent SAE 30 weight.


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## Thomas (Nov 22, 2021)

Hylomar isn't like silicone or permatex, it doesn't harden and two components that are joined with it come apart easily. I do alot of work with babbit bearings and it's the only sealant I will use. I often find bearing caps stuck down with silicone, oil ports blocked with silicone, and many things leaking that were sealed with silicone.....I hate silicone. For your application I think Hylomar will work nicely.


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## Thomas (Nov 22, 2021)

YYCHM said:


> Thank god you found the gib


Indeed, wish I had found the chuck mounting plate though!


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## YYCHM (Nov 22, 2021)

Thomas said:


> Indeed, wish I had found the chuck mounting plate though!



Ya, hmmmm, how did they end up with a lathe with no chuck? 1-1/2" 8 TPI back plates are out there but not cheap.
@YotaBota found an Ont source for some very nice 1-1/2" 8 TPI chucks for his 9" Utilathe. I'll see if I can find that thread.

Your machine has a tail stock I hope?


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## Thomas (Nov 22, 2021)

YYCHM said:


> Ya, hmmmm, how did they end up with a lathe with no chuck? 1-1/2" 8 TPI back plates are out there but not cheap.
> @YotaBota found an Ont source for some very nice 1-1/2" 8 TPI chucks for his 9" Utilathe. I'll see if I can find that thread.
> 
> Your machine has a tail stock I hope?


Funny thing is it came with two brand new chucks, I guy who sold it to me said he ordered the chucks and then put the lathe in the back room and never did anything more with it. I'm assuming he couldn't figure out how to mount them and gave up. I would be interested in a Canadian source for the back plates though and yes I do have a tail stock.


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## 140mower (Nov 22, 2021)

I can take a look in a few, I think I have a drilled and threaded, un-machined blank in my hoard of things if there's an interest ..


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## Thomas (Nov 22, 2021)

140mower said:


> I can take a look in a few, I think I have a drilled and threaded, un-machined blank in my hoard of things if there's an interest ..


I would be interested, the outside diameter of my chuck is 160mm so its a little bigger that the standard 6"


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## 140mower (Nov 22, 2021)

This backing plate is 5  1/2", does your mounting surface cover the whole back? Some of mine do not....


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## YYCHM (Nov 22, 2021)

1 1/2 8tpi 3 and 4 Jaw Threaded Chucks
					

Just bought a 40+ year old NIB Buck three jaw chuck from HH Roberts Machine in Ontario. He has the 3 Jaw Buck chuck and the 4 Jaw Atlas both brand new old stock at $190 each. A new Buck goes for around a grand. I bought the 4 jaw Atlas last summer and has worked out well. It took a bit of honing...




					canadianhobbymetalworkers.com
				




Very nice chucks.  May be worth grabbing a 3J and 4J and selling the chucks you have.  If you have a 6" 4J with through bolts, I may be interested in it.






						3 and 4 jaw chucks for bench lathes
					

6" Atlas original 4 jaw lathe chucks and Bison 5" 3 jaw chucks with 1 1/2 x 8 integral mounts



					www.hhrobertsmachinery.com


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## 140mower (Nov 22, 2021)

I just pulled the back plate off of this one to bolt to the rotary table..... I just found another, so this one could be available....



Aside from needing a clean, and having been at the merci of highschool kids, it seems fine. It's a south bend made by skinner. 

.....sorry for the hijack.


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## YYCHM (Nov 22, 2021)

140mower said:


> I just pulled the back plate off of this one to bolt to the rotary table..... I just found another, so this one could be available....
> Aside from needing a clean, and having been at the merci of highschool kids, it seems fine. It's a south bend made by skinner.
> 
> .....sorry for the hijack.



Are you talking the back plate or the chuck?


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## 140mower (Nov 22, 2021)

The chuck, but I can throw the plate in too if you want. My reason for choosing the other chuck is it has the concentric rings in its face, which I was considering cutting into that one. Now I don't have to....took one thing off my to-do list.


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## YYCHM (Nov 22, 2021)

140mower said:


> The chuck, but I can throw the plate in too if you want. My reason for choosing the other chuck is it has the concentric rings in its face, which I was considering cutting into that one. Now I don't have to....took one thing off my to-do list.



PM sent.


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## Tom O (Nov 22, 2021)

Thomas said:


> I do alot of work with babbit bearings


I was wondering what you used to dam up the Babbit when pouring and where to get some.


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## Thomas (Nov 23, 2021)

140mower said:


> This backing plate is 5  1/2", does your mounting surface cover the whole back? Some of mine do not....


Thank you for checking but my bolt circle is 5.708", I did find them for a reasonable price at Shars.





						6.3" Fully Machined Threaded Back Plate with 1-1/2" - 8 TPI for 6“ 4 Jaw Independent Lathe Chuck
					

<!--<ul><li>Mounting Thread Size: 1-1/2"-8 TPI</li><li>Bolt Circle Diameter: 5.709"</li><li>Hub Length: 0.551''</li><li>Hub Diameter: 3.583''</li><li>Flange Thickness: 0.63''</li><li>Shoulder boss: 0.157'' </li><li>No. of Bolt Holes: 4</li><li>Bolt Thru h




					www.shars.com


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## Thomas (Nov 23, 2021)

Tom O said:


> I was wondering what you used to dam up the Babbit when pouring and where to get some.


We don't pour babbit bearings, we have them spin cast ( JD Babbit, Howe TX. ) but there is a local shop who still puddles them. The product your looking for is Babbitrite, or Deacon Mold-Pac or as a trade name bear sh*t, I will see if I can source you some.


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## 140mower (Nov 23, 2021)

Thomas said:


> Thank you for checking but my bolt circle is 5.708", I did find them for a reasonable price at Shars.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh well, we tried. Lol


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## PeterT (Nov 23, 2021)

Never used the stuff (Babbitrite) but it came up in another conversation coincidentally. If I understand correctly there is an old & new recipe. So maybe delve into it further, or at least don't spread it on your toast if you find a can in Grandpa's attic.


			https://m.usw.org/districts/district-4/documents/Hazard-Alert-Babbitrite.pdf
		









						Deacon Mold-Pac (Babbitrite Replacement) by Deacon Industries, Inc.DirectIndustry
					

Damming, Molding, and Positioning Putty. Extreme Temperature Resistance, Easily and Quickly Removed, Remains Flexible, Holds Tight, Easily Packed in Place, Asbestos-Free.    For Use On:  Damming Compound (for Pouring Babbitt Bearings, Epoxies, Dielectric Fluids, Various Molten Alloys, Etc.)...




					trends.directindustry.com


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## Tom O (Nov 23, 2021)

Ok thanks I won’t need it for a while but I am hoping to put Babbit bearings in a steam engine later down the road, we have the Babbit already I just have to get off my tucas and work on it again.


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## Thomas (Nov 27, 2021)

I finally was able to get back at the lathe and finished stripping it, lots of caked on crude for the parts washer. Started to take the quick change gearbox apart, might swap out the bearings they feel pretty rough. Ordered the two backing plates for my chucks from Shars for $166CAD they have a Black Friday sale and everything is 20% off.


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## Thomas (Dec 4, 2021)

Work and life have prevented me from getting back at the lathe but I managed to score some parts only a half hour drive from home, nothing I really need but a spare headstock with good gears and bearings is definitely worth the $50.


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## Brent H (Dec 4, 2021)

Nice score!


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## Thomas (Dec 4, 2021)

Wasn't sure what I was going to do with the second bed but now I'm thinking detachable extension.


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## YotaBota (Dec 4, 2021)

That is a good score, if you're sitting down lookup the price of the main bearing and race.
Bed extension is an interesting option, you could use a long enough piece of H beam as a base to keep it in plane with the main bed.


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## Thomas (Dec 4, 2021)

YotaBota said:


> That is a good score, if you're sitting down lookup the price of the main bearing and race.
> Bed extension is an interesting option, you could use a long enough piece of H beam as a base to keep it in plane with the main bed.


They are a pricey bearing, the company I work for is a Timken dealer might get my buyer to check the list price and see how bad they are marked up.

I did a quick image search to get some ideas on how to add the extension and I think this guy has it figured out.


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## YYCHM (Dec 4, 2021)

Thomas said:


> I did a quick image search to get some ideas on how to add the extension and I think this guy has it figured out.



I have my doubt's about that arrangement


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## YYCHM (Dec 11, 2021)

Got that lathe up and running yet?


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## Thomas (Dec 12, 2021)

Not yet, between work and family I haven't had a chance to get back at it. I did receive my backing plates, bearings and some tool holders so when I go on vacation next week I should be able to get it together.


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## Susquatch (Dec 12, 2021)

Shesh..... All these excuses from guys who are still working at an 8hr job and raising babies..... Wait till they retire and become grandparents - then find out what busy really means.......   LOL!


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## Thomas (Dec 12, 2021)

8 Hour days? Mine have been running 12+ the last few weeks.


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## Susquatch (Dec 12, 2021)

Thomas said:


> 8 Hour days? Mine have been running 12+ the last few weeks.



I was just having fun. The hours mean nothing. The fun part is that being retired and old just means you are busier than you were before that time comes.


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## 6.5 Fan (Dec 13, 2021)

Being old means you can have a nice after lunch nap and not be accused of being lazy.


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## Thomas (Dec 16, 2021)

First day of vacation and I was finally able to put humpty back together. I need to turn 0.020" off the tool post I have for it to fit in the compound rest but I will wait until Saturday to go into the shop to avoid being pulled in on a job. Once I have the ability to machine I'll get the chucks mounted until then the electrical needs some attention.


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## Thomas (Dec 23, 2021)

I was out in the garage today and managed to get the electrical updated, I need to get a DC power supply for the Tach but the lathe is now fully functional. I machined the backing plate for the three jaw chuck, ended up with 0.0005" runout on the chuck and 0.0015" on a held piece of precision ground shaft.


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## YYCHM (Dec 23, 2021)

That's pretty good runout for this class of machine.  I was pretty happy with 0.0025 after bumping the chuck around for 1/2 an hour.....  well done.

Love your ESD label BTB


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## Thomas (Dec 23, 2021)

The new blanks I ordered came oversized, I turned the spigot size for size and it took a little force with the cap screws to pull it in. I was pretty impressed with the runout myself, the chucks are not the greatest quality.


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## YYCHM (Dec 23, 2021)

Explain your control panel please.  What does it display?  What are the plans for it in the future?


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## Thomas (Dec 24, 2021)

The control panel has an amazon grade power meter that displays line voltage, amps, watts, volt amperes and power factor. I also included a tachometer but didn't realize it needed DC power so I need to find the ambition to dig through my junk and find a power supply. In the future I may swap in a three phase motor and put a VFD on it but for now it's functional.


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## Susquatch (Dec 24, 2021)

Thomas said:


> The control panel has an amazon grade power meter that displays line voltage, amps, watts, volt amperes and power factor. I also included a tachometer but didn't realize it needed DC power so I need to find the ambition to dig through my junk and find a power supply. In the future I may swap in a three phase motor and put a VFD on it but for now it's functional.



Amazon Grade eh! LOL! 

I use an Emporia Power Monitor installed in the breaker box in the house and another in the breaker box in the barn. It tracks individual circuits as needed and produces reports and summaries for voltage, current, power, and power factor. It does not monitor noise on the line but for now I'm not fussed about that.


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## YYCHM (Dec 24, 2021)

Thomas said:


> The control panel has an amazon grade power meter that displays line voltage, amps, watts, volt amperes and power factor. I also included a tachometer but didn't realize it needed DC power so I need to find the ambition to dig through my junk and find a power supply. In the future I may swap in a three phase motor and put a VFD on it but for now it's functional.



What inspired that functionality?  What size is the motor on your Utilathe?  Is it reversible?


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## YotaBota (Dec 24, 2021)

YYCHM said:


> Love your ESD label BTBT


Agree,,,, I can picture the crash,,,,,,,then the head drooping as the button is pushed, lol But I hope it never comes to that.
What is your plan for powering the tach? I had forgotten about dual voltage wall warts until someone else on the forum mentioned them. I fed power from the 220 on the contactor then used blade connectors and heat shrink at the wall wart, this is all with the thought that you need DC power for the tach.
Nice tidy wiring, enjoy.


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## Thomas (Dec 24, 2021)

The lathe has a 1/2hp motor on it, and as far as the functionality I had the parts laying around so why not. For a dc power supply I have 12v power supply I scavenged out of an LED trouble light that should work.


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