Shopsmith Forums

I wanted to create this thread to link out info in this forum regarding reconditioining your bench and way tubes. The info was deep within threads with subjects not related to the specific process.

This link deals with reconditioning extremely rust tubes using electroylis:

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=31988&postcount=13


update 4-26-09 - This link deals with reconditioning tubes using evaporust (courtesy of member jpg40504)
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=3466


This deals with a homemade lathe setup using a drill to rotate the tubes for sanding and polishing:

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=32230&postcount=14

update 4-06-09 Another homemade lathe setup by heathicus you gotta see http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=35315&postcount=21

update 4-09-09 Yet another setupby billmayo using a ShopSmith to polish the tubes http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=11567&postcount=20

update 5-06-09 And a second setup by jpg40504 using a ShopSmith http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=37943&postcount=16pdate

update 11-26-10 The sky is the limit for drill setups to turn the tubes. This photois from Doug aka qqqaz222 at the ER10 yahoo group.


Whereas neither of the links get into ALL the details you might need to perform the operations, they do at least make you aware to what can be done.

mickyd wrote:I wanted to create this thread to link out info in this forum regarding reconditioining your bench and way tubes. The info was deep within threads with subjects not related to the specific process.

This link deals with reconditioning extremely rust tubes using electroylis:

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=31988&postcount=13

This deals with a homemade lathe setup using a drill to rotate the tubes for sanding and polishing:

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=32230&postcount=14

Whereas neither of the links get into ALL the details you might need to perform the operations, they do at least make you aware to what can be done.

Great job. Thank you for this extra effort. It will really help, especially days and weeks from now when we don't all recall exactly when this was posted.

Thought this would be helpful in explaining WHAT you did with the tubes/broth etc.
http://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp

Everything you have done with your 'Greenie' has been FIRST CLASS!!!:)

What if there's is just some surface rust? Is good ol' steel wool, crocus cloth and hi grit metal polishing sandpaper the best option? Also, is it a bad idea to use any type of polish to finish it off??

tmillie wrote:What if there's is just some surface rust? Is good ol' steel wool, crocus cloth and hi grit metal polishing sandpaper the best option? Also, is it a bad idea to use any type of polish to finish it off??

If it IS light YES. After cleaning it off with mineral spirits and wiping CLEAN, finish it with Paste Floor Wax (Johnson's [ORIGINAL] Paste Wax / UPC 46500 00202). The idea is to NOT remove any more metal than is absolutely necessary.

I followed the homemade lathe last weekend, worked great on polishing up those tubes. I started with 150 grit, then 220, then 400 wet-sand. Based on comments here, stopped there as opposed to further polishing to allow the headstock wedges some "gripping."

Picked up the expansion plugs at the local Home Depot in the plumbing section. All they had were 1 1/2" plugs, so bought a couple and crossed my fingers they'd work. Turns out they were the absolute perfect size, after a little grinding to remove flashing on the inside of the way tubes. Different size than what Mike mentions in his post, who is also doing an old unit.

I bought longer (2" I think) 5/16" cap screws to give me enough room inside the drill chuck and swapped the wing nut for a regular nut. Another tip I found after the first one - use some bearing grease on bolt for the plug that is spinning in the hunk of wood. Without it, that little sucker gets REALLY hot!

Regardless, if you're looking for a good way to kill about an hour on a cold Saturday morning, get some plugs, hook up the drill and start having fun!

thainglo wrote:I followed the homemade lathe last weekend, worked great on polishing up those tubes. I started with 150 grit, then 220, then 400 wet-sand. Based on comments here, stopped there as opposed to further polishing to allow the headstock wedges some "gripping."

Really glad that setup worked out for you. It makes refinishing the tubes a breeze! Since most of us don't have access to a lathe to chuck the tubes up, the drill setup was sufficient. Probably would not be considered an OSHA approved process but with common sense, caution, respect for the power equipment, you can work safely.

Thanks to Troy and 8iowa for their comments in the crocus cloth post advising of their experience. That is what planted the seed for my drill setup. Also glad that they shared info on stopping sanding at around 400 grit vs. making them mirror smooth.

thainglo wrote:I bought longer (2" I think) 5/16" cap screws to give me enough room inside the drill chuck and swapped the wing nut for a regular nut. Another tip I found after the first one - use some bearing grease on bolt for the plug that is spinning in the hunk of wood. Without it, that little sucker gets REALLY hot!

Couple other tips I didn't document previously were:
1. Make sure you are chucked up TIGHT. Should the expansion plug come out while the drill it on, the tube will take off. It would be like having a car up on a jack, tires spinning, and dropping it off the jack!
2. If I were doing it again, I would use an old bearing on the tail stock end to hold the second expansion plug shaft so that it would act as a live center. I would somehow use jam nuts and washers to hold the expansion plug bolt onto the inner bearing race. You are so right about the end getting HOT if it's just spinning on anything, even a towel. Use a bearing setup,
3. You have to make sure that your tubes are spinning in the correct direction. It is safest if the top of the tube spins AWAY from you.

Here is another link that kicked out to some more drill setup detail.

Just thought of something as I was looking at the state of heathicus's tubes after the rust was removed shown in this postof his.

Since the severe pits are very visible after rust removal, their appearance could be minimized by spraying the pitted areas with silver or aluminum color spray paint. The overspray could then just be wiped off the tubes with acetone or even sanded off as part of the final drill setup sanding process.

I haven't tried this but can't see any reason why it wouldn't work. Unless someone beats me to it, I will try this method out on my recently purchased ER10 once I get to that point in the restoration....around the end of May.

Any comments / critiques / criticisms?

Just had to post this photo of yet another drill set up for turning the tubes. Came from Doug at the ER10 yahoo group. Aren't we a creative species?
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mickyd wrote:Just had to post this photo of yet another drill set up for turning the tubes. Came from Doug at the ER10 yahoo group. Aren't we a creative species?
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What did he use for a bearing on the far end?

Creative-yes Cautious-no Foolhardy-absolutely!