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New to me colchester lathe

Looks like you are on top of the challenges. The wiring on my Triumph was completely stripped out and replaced with a 5hp single phase, I am thinking of going VFD as I don’t get the low or high speed like the two speed original, plus being able to overdrive in a bit for higher carbide speeds.
Keep up the good work!
 
Jswain said:
Definitely don't use salt, it will promote rust.

Vinegar sure, citric acid would be better & faster. With either neutralize with baking soda immediately after, then dry, then oil
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Chloride contamination is a real accelerator or corrosion in iron. Big issue for museum/archaeological artifacts. If the relative humidity is over ~25%, the chloride ions get to work.
 
Stuart Samuel said:
Chloride contamination is a real accelerator or corrosion in iron. Big issue for museum/archaeological artifacts. If the relative humidity is over ~25%, the chloride ions get to work.
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I don't pretend to know how the chemistry works but the difference between a straight citric acid solution and one that also has a few tablespoons of plain old salt is night and day.

The citric acid/table salt solution removes rust much faster, then I rinse the item off, wash with a strong industrial detergent, blow dry and prime or oil.
 
skippyelwell said:
I don't pretend to know how the chemistry works but the difference between a straight citric acid solution and one that also has a few tablespoons of plain old salt is night and day.

The citric acid/table salt solution removes rust much faster, then I rinse the item off, wash with a strong industrial detergent, blow dry and prime or oil.
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Try heating the water instead of the salt.

Chloride brine is what they now spray on the roads which is what is now making the vehicles rust.(In AB)
 
Jswain said:
Try heating the water instead of the salt.

Chloride brine is what they now spray on the roads which is what is now making the vehicles rust.(In AB)
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In southern Ontario, they spread rocksalt.

Your point about temperature is a good one. If you live in a salted road area, don't park in a garage. The elevated temps accelerate the corrosion rate. Better to park outside in the cold.
 
Susquatch said:
In southern Ontario, they spread rocksalt.

Your point about temperature is a good one. If you live in a salted road area, don't park in a garage. The elevated temps accelerate the corrosion rate. Better to park outside in the cold.
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we've now switched to brine in the GTA
 
@skippyelwell to get the fastest rust reduction, normalize the citric acid with baking soda. The goal is to get the pH near 7. The chlorine ions in the salt do you no favours. (you should find the reaction is faster with the baking soda) - If you want faster yet, heat the solution to about 120F. Any more is diminishing returns.
 
Dabbler said:
@skippyelwell to get the fastest rust reduction, normalize the citric acid with baking soda. The goal is to get the pH near 7. The chlorine ions in the salt do you no favours. (you should find the reaction is faster with the baking soda) - If you want faster yet, heat the solution to about 120F. Any more is diminishing returns.
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Ya I assumed a bicarbonate bath and good cleaning after regardless, acid causes rust too, no? I still want to try alka seltzer warm, but ultimately for everything here im using mostly wire wheel. I was thinking fancy for maybe the rusty reamers, but i just soaked that stuff in rust chek. Anyone run electrolysis in a bucket with a battery charger?
 
The flushings will continue until crew moral improves.
All I see are particles
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Five gallons of diesel flushed through several times. I touched the gear burrs various ways, theyre hard af. Magnet sweeping each time, fishing, flushing, running through 190 micron paint filter and magnets. Over and over. Ok Im not popping the spindle to debur the feed direction gear underneath, Ive done what I could.
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Alright i get it to where i cant see or grab much sediment on the bottom, good enough.
 
quitereal said:
Anyone run electrolysis in a bucket with a battery charger?
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For many years I used electrolysis for de rusting, it is effective but it is only line of sight between the cathode and anode.
Rust facing away isn't affected so you have to keep turning the work piece every couple of hours.
You want to find a battery charger from the early 80s and older, the newer battery charger are smart and are useless for electrolysis.
 
A few years ago at work, the electrician got the Colchester wired and plug in and it wouldn't work. He looked at every connection and all was good. We then realized there was a safety switch on the side cover. We screwed in the holding screw a bit more and she came to life.
You did an awesome job on the clean up. the lathe already doubled in value.
 
quitereal said:
Oh ya and the qcgb dumps its oil within an hour or so
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.......on the plus side, you know that it's always fresh and clean. :rolleyes: .....just try and pretend it's a South Bend where you put in at the top and it runs out the bottom, almost like a Harley.
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I figured that would clean up nicely, thanks for proving me right. :D
Congratulations, for reasonable money and some elbow grease you have a great addition to the shop. :cool:
 
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