Bradford Metalmaster Lathe Resurrection (2 Viewers)

[FJsapper]

So a few months back I started thinking...man I need more fun stuff. And then I was like...damn I don’t have nearly enough money hahaha. So I started looking at videos of people making fun stuff. Which led to lots of YouTube on lathes and milling machines. Which led to looking at all the machinery I can’t afford. And then I was like...damn I don’t have nearly enough money hahaha. So I started looking at Chinese lathe shaped objects. Then I quickly found that they are pretty limited capability wise. So my only real option was to get an old as hell used machine. And not just a little used or a little old...but clapped out and WW2 era hahaha. The engine lathes of that time were all pretty massive and meant for fueling the fires of industry for the frontlines. Sadly they have been getting scrapped like crazy over the last few decades. The skill to operate and maintain them is gone. And any industry that used them has gone to CNC for production stuff. Also the evolution in materials and tooling left the old wartime machines in the dust. Most were too slow speed wise. So for that reason you can get them on the cheap. But only the big 2000+ pound bastards. The little machines are hot commodities. Hobbyists love them and they can be moved around. Enter my latest acquisition.

A 1942 Bradford Metalmaster @3200lbs.

Got the top end pulled apart today. With a straight edge across the bed ways I was unable to get a .0015” feeler inserted. That’s a great sign! Bed wear is one of the few things that is a big problem to deal with. Most other issues can be solved. Although with this machine I’m hoping for nothing major because anything broken will have to be fabricated. Bradford machine tool co has been out of business since 1956!

More to follow...

 

[ufg8r]

Cool project, guessing you need 3-phase power in the garage now...

 

[FJsapper]

Cool project, guessing you need 3-phase power in the garage now...

Have not decided how to tackle that yet. Either VFD or rotary phase converter. I know less about that subject than I do about lathes. I’ll need to hit some of you guys up when it comes time.

 

[Zjohnsonua]

There are some strong pros and cons to both power sources. VFDs have come way down in price thanks to the tech boom which should help close the gap. AutomationDirect is a good place to start for your needs.

 

[FJsapper]

Today i got the saddle broken down and cleaned up. There are some definite wear areas. From what i understand the saddle is a softer metal than the bed ways so im not surprised that there is more wear here. The real bummer is that there was a distinct lack of lubrication. My guess is that the last 50 years of life for this machine it was handled by some unskilled labor. The oil points require lubrication on every use because this is an open system. So i very seriously it was lubricated since maybe Reagan?

When looking at the horizontal surface of the rear saddle face you can see the where the wear ridge left and right are. Some lube could have saved this!

And on the front of the saddle you can see the scouring from left to right. God knows how many years of abuse!

I also put a unistrut trolley up above my workspace to help move parts to the bench. Everything on this thing weighs 100lbs +. Some people have said im a pretty stout fella but lifting this saddle of the bed without dinging up the ways almost killed me!

 

[Nottajeep]

Saving your back is a good plan.

 

[FJsapper]

Overhead trolley in the works. Waiting for some other odds and ends to optimize.

Was able to get the apron off with much less effort.

Once the apron was on the bench I was able to get the handles off. I also learned a bunch about how taper pins prefer being driven out in one particular direction. I tried to explain how its 2020 but what can you expect from boomer era iron...

So now that i have most of the major disassembly underway I need to get serious about power supply. My motor is a 3hp 440v @ 3 phase. Im not quite sure what the amp rating is off this data plate... So without a transformer i cant get 220v single phase to 440v 3 phase so i need to settle for 220v 3 phase as output right? If i understand things correctly I can wire 220v 3ph into 440v 3ph and just settle for 1/2 the hp rating right? Will some minor re-wiring be required?

 

[d110pickup]

Are you aware of OWWM, Old Woodworking Machines?
If not head over to Old Woodworking Machines - Index page and take a look at the metal working section.
And Vintage Machinery VintageMachinery.org | Welcome may have manuals for that lathe.
Mike

 

[FJsapper]

Are you aware of OWWM, Old Woodworking Machines?
If not head over to Old Woodworking Machines - Index page and take a look at the metal working section.
And Vintage Machinery VintageMachinery.org | Welcome may have manuals for that lathe.
Mike

Will do!

 

[Zjohnsonua]

B&D Electric Motor Co in B'ham would be good people to call. They've been there forever and can probably answer your 240 vs 480 questions.

 

[wrigh003]

That is... super bad ass. They do not make things like that any more and you are to be commended for seeing this one, snapping it up, and (evidently) spending the time/effort to get it up and running true again. I'm super stoked on seeing it.

Inquiring minds want to know - how'd you get it settled in in the garage to start with? I see the little dolly wheels on the bottom, but that thing's gotta be pretty heavy. Come along and a prayer, tip off the trailer in its spot and get lucky, crowd of burly dudes? If it rolled into place you've got a keeper. Historically for me on that kind of stuff is where I find out I have a 2* slope toward the door, etc.

Another place you might be able to go get some tips - garagejournal.com or potentially the guys at jalopyjournal.com- both might have some pointers. The traditional hot rod set might tease you a bit for wanting to make parts for something post-1964, but there are a bunch of old heads over there that know stuff.

 

[d110pickup]

I saw your post over on OWWM, hopefully those guys can help ya out.
Mike

 

[SuperDuperCruizer]

Took me a while to figure out what sort of lubricants to use for the different parts of my lathe. I have a bench top lathe and use this for ways:

VACTRA OIL NO.2, 1 Pint(16OZ) Expedited DELIVERY NOT Available https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009WAP68K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_fRz0FbXH0R8X8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Then there chuck grease:

CHUCK-EEZ Chuck Lubricant 16 oz.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FD2GYP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Keep an eye out for a decent quick change tool post, they are light years ahead of the lantern style typical of older lathes. I went with an Aloris. If you’re patient, you can find a used one for a fair price pretty easily for a lathe that size.

 

[FJsapper]

That is... super bad ass. They do not make things like that any more and you are to be commended for seeing this one, snapping it up, and (evidently) spending the time/effort to get it up and running true again. I'm super stoked on seeing it.

Inquiring minds want to know - how'd you get it settled in in the garage to start with? I see the little dolly wheels on the bottom, but that thing's gotta be pretty heavy. Come along and a prayer, tip off the trailer in its spot and get lucky, crowd of burly dudes? If it rolled into place you've got a keeper. Historically for me on that kind of stuff is where I find out I have a 2* slope toward the door, etc.

Another place you might be able to go get some tips - garagejournal.com or potentially the guys at jalopyjournal.com- both might have some pointers. The traditional hot rod set might tease you a bit for wanting to make parts for something post-1964, but there are a bunch of old heads over there that know stuff.

I used a tilt deck trailer, a toe jack, and the machine skates you see on the bottom of the lathe. A guy on eBay sells them for heavy equipment. It’s heavy C channel steel with 1/2” bolts with 1.5” bearings on each end. I backed the cruiser up to the garage and rolled it in. Chains/binders were used to keep it from running away but it was actually pretty easy. I had two burly friends with me and at one point the bearings got cockeyed. We tried using brawn and were 0% successful! The only way to move this beast is with proper technique and equipment. So no sweat involved as a plus.

 

[FJsapper]

I saw your post over on OWWM, hopefully those guys can help ya out.
Mike

Yeah thanks for the tip on that!

 

[FJsapper]

Been a busy week. I’ve been putting in prob 5-6hrs a day on this thing when the kids are napping and after they go to bed.

Every component is coated in a thick coat of old oil and wood dust. I finished up my equipment trolley and hoisted the motor over to my bench/box. I may need some more supports along the way, this stuff is heavy!

I wanted to see if this motor was multi voltage capable. The data plate led me to believe it was but I think it was re-wired at some point. I suspect the original voltage was 220v and it was changed to 440v. You can see on the data plate where the original voltage was marked out and 440v stamped on.

There are also only 3x leads coming out of the motor. When I opened the case i found that these three disappear into the windings. Since there are no other junction boxes this bad boy appears to be 440v only as it sits now. The guys over at Practical Machinist confirmed this as well.

From an interesting historical perspective I found a service tag on the motor which read “Howard Furniture Co.” I did a little research and found that they were incorporated in MS in 1958 and had a factory in lovely Starkeville! They were at some point merged with Arnold Industries who I presume was bought by Flexsteel the company that closed the factory down. So I can pretty much confirm that this lathe sat in the same furniture factory from 1958 to 2019!

Right now I’m continuing to clean and paint all the parts. I didn’t plan on painting but every time I get all the gunk cleaned off the paint is gone too.

Im about to pull the trigger on a VFD and replacement 220v 3ph motor. Going to call the Birmingham shop Zach recommended today.

With the VFD I hope to bypass a bunch of the old electrical system which I really don’t have the guys to mess with. Everything is super brittle and I don’t want to burn my house down when I turn this thing on finally!

 

[ufg8r]

Nice progress!

 

[FJsapper]

Got the headstock controls stripped

quick change gearbox off and broken down

Gears and bushings look pretty healthy. Going to swap in new bushings “while I’m in there.”

Got a VFD on hand. Ended up going to a local motor shop. While I’m waiting on that I’m trying to finish going through everything else. More to follow...

 

[FJsapper]

Got into the clutch to see how things looked. Turns out a bearing needed replacement and an adjuster retainer clip was floating around without a tooth. THE HORROR! Now I’m going to have to look closer at the head to make sure the other bearings are okay...

You can see if the opposite retainer engages and the tooth that’s missing.

 

[FJsapper]

Made a hand scraper today. Takes 3/4” carbide blanks. Shaft is 1/8”x3/4”x20” 1018 steel. The handle is a piece of walnut I had laying around and a bronze bushing that I took out of the quick change box.

I didn’t realize they used hand scrapers for final fitting back in the day on precision surfaces. And apparently still do today to a lesser extent in some settings.