Old tools and equipment are awesome, but sometimes they need a freshen up to look or perform their best. In the case of old milling machines and lathes, they often work perfect but are cosmetically challenged after decades of use. So how hard is it to restore one so it looks awesome in your shop? I’ve never done it, but I do like watching videos on it so I’ll know what I’m up against when I find the right deal for my own machine.
In this video, a really cool old lathe gets some love and comes out looking pretty nice. This is one I’d be proud to have sitting in my shop. How about you?
Video Description:
This is my first lathe, it is fully operational, no play, the bed is in very good condition. The lathe is almost 70 years old, so it already looked very bad, the previous owner took care of the machine so I did not have to replace the bearings, or correct the geometry of the machine components.
Looks good, but I would have just cleaned the heck out of the ol’ girl and run it. Something about the way an old “experienced” machine looks in a shop.
Makes it look like you’ve been around a while and know what you’re doing. 😉
I bought a used bridgeport it’s a 1953 model cleaned it up gave a coat of paint looks new works fine and best of all I paid 500.00. …… with digital readout bargain of the year! And it was delivered!