Lathe bed and tool rest maintenance ... advice please

[Keithie]

Turned my first two items with acceptable success (a mini-christmas tree in ash and a centre finder ...cylindrical rod passing through a disk with a hole in it, using gaffer tape for friction, and a nail through the end to score the endgrain wax/pva) and then did my end of day maintenance.

I did what I used to do, without thinking to research/ask ...so I thought maybe folks might have helpful opinions / advice or simply better methods ..

what I do ..

1. lathe bed ..smear a dab of (microcrystalline) wax across any used areas (ie move tailstock & banjo, wax, & move back) and rub off any patches of anything & wax

2. tool rest .. wax off, 400 grit cloth back along, wax on (unless I've hacked it with a square edge tool, then file down carefully, grit & wax) (I dont round the edges of my square section partingtools...but maybe I should!)

(If I have albo grease I use it instead of posh microcrystalline wax, just dont have any at the moment)

Does anyone do it differently ?

 

[SVB]

Don't do it at all, (does that make me a bad person!)

 

[Robbo3]

I use GT85 as Aldi had it at £1.99 a can. Removes that horrifying screech that often happens as you move the banjo across the bed - oh & it smells nice.

- http://gt85.co.uk/gt85-original/

'Professional Spray' sold for cycle maintainance

Product Uses
Lubricating and cleaning
Driving out moisture from electrical systems
Starting wet engines

Product Benefits
Loosens rusted parts
Prevents squeaking
PTFE formula helps lubricate
Drives out moisture from electrical systems
Fast acting cleaner

 

[duncanh]

Unless I'm turning wet wood I generally don't bother doing anything to the bed - the smoother and shinier it is the I effort I need to put into tightening the banjo so stop it from moving, particularly when turning with it extended to it's maximum out from the bed. Admittedly, this as much of an issue with my Wivamac, but the DVR was terrible - not enough clamping force on the banjo lock.

Tool rest - as and when I need it, which isn't often at all. I can't remember then last time I had to run a file or abrasive across it. Some of my square tools have the edge ground slightly round but that's mainly the scrapers so I can shear scrape without the angle on the rest.

 

[NazNomad]

Unless I'm turning wet wood I generally don't bother doing anything to the bed...

Same.

 

[woodpig]

I use MC (Renwax) wax on the bed, banjo and tailstock every now and then. I also give the tool rest a sand/file as required. I've also given the head stock and general paintwork on the lathe a coating of MC wax just in case I spill anything nasty on it that would otherwise stick.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I sand the toolrest if dinged with a block and 80 grit then wax with literally the nearest tin I have to hand. After removing chips off the bed bars I give it a light spray of wd40 as I also do on the clampy bits of the banjo. This makes repositioning the banjo extremely easy. If I remember this gets done at the start of each session. I do round the sharp edges on skews because when you're rolling beads or cleaning up end grain, long point down, they can ding the toolrest something rotten.

 

[Sheptonphil]

+1 for gt85. I bought 5 tins when on offer in ALDI.

I clean up once a week, air blow sawdust away evening before as I lock up Worksop, next day spray gt85, wipe of with all the carp, respray and gentle wipe to leave a film on. I do this to all my cast iron surfaces on band saw, lathe, morticer and sander table. Workshop is unheated unless used and although watertight I use a gas heater which produces water vapour, so thus routin keeps all the iron shiny.

Smells good too.

Phil

 

[Jacob]

Turned my first two items with acceptable success (a mini-christmas tree in ash and a centre finder ...cylindrical rod passing through a disk with a hole in it, using gaffer tape for friction, and a nail through the end to score the endgrain wax/pva) and then did my end of day maintenance.

I did what I used to do, without thinking to research/ask ...so I thought maybe folks might have helpful opinions / advice or simply better methods ..

what I do ..

1. lathe bed ..smear a dab of (microcrystalline) wax across any used areas (ie move tailstock & banjo, wax, & move back) and rub off any patches of anything & wax

2. tool rest .. wax off, 400 grit cloth back along, wax on (unless I've hacked it with a square edge tool, then file down carefully, grit & wax) (I dont round the edges of my square section partingtools...but maybe I should!)

(If I have albo grease I use it instead of posh microcrystalline wax, just dont have any at the moment)

Does anyone do it differently ?

You don't need to do anything except dust and occasional wipe over with oily rag.
What's this big obsession with "microcrystalline" wax - what does it mean, if anything? I keep seeing the name all over the place. Just cos it's got a long technical sounding name doesn't mean it's any better than candle wax. Is "albo" grease anything to do with elbow grease?

If you run out of albo grease and/or other stuff with exciting techie names then almost anything else will do - olive oil, chip fat, beef dripping, etc.

 

[Robbo3]

What's this big obsession with "microcrystalline" wax - what does it mean, if anything? I keep seeing the name all over the place. Just cos it's got a long technical sounding name doesn't mean it's any better than candle wax..

Microcrystalline wax used by woodturners for items that get a lot of handling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcrystalline_wax

A brand of microcrystalline wax, Renaissance Wax, is also used extensively in museum and conservation settings for protection and polishing of antique woods, ivory, gemstones, and metal objects. It was developed by The British Museum in the 1950s to replace the potentially unstable natural waxes that were previously used such as beeswax and carnauba.

 

[NazNomad]

If you run out of albo grease and/or other stuff with exciting techie names then almost anything else will do - olive oil, chip fat, beef dripping, etc.

In the absence of tallow, is it ok to rub one of my Shetland ewes on the bedways of my lathe?

 

[Keithie]

^^ exactly that ... I use renwax (renaissance wax) ...if it's good enough for the British Museum and lathe-makers, its good enough for me!

the albo grease is a bobbing grease ..I used to do a fair bit of metal polishing.. precious metals, aluminium, shibu-ichi and all sorts really ...albo grease is a good thing for that..so I typically have some around...I used to use it to try to stop 'blueing' when tool sharpening as well. Cheap as chips (or chipfat anyway!)

I've not tried sheep yet ...though we have a couple of herds in the village ..I'm just guessing but maybe they'll need some training before they settle to the task?

 

[woodpig]

In the absence of tallow, is it ok to rub one of my Shetland ewes on the bedways of my lathe?

Rubbing sheep over your lathe will likely leave a small coating of Lanolin on it. Good for rust protection but probably not quite as slippery as tallow. :lol:

 

[woodfarmer]

I dust it off clean, providing everything dry will leave it for a few days. If leaving for long periods I just use engine oil. note make sure you clean the inside edges of the lathe bed runners. Drip the oil on and rub in with fingers to form a thin film.

 

[mayo.mick]

I just give mine the odd spray of WD40. Thinking about it now, the toolrest could do with some attention, :shock:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

What's this big obsession with "microcrystalline" wax - what does it mean, if anything? I keep seeing the name all over the place. Just cos it's got a long technical sounding name doesn't mean it's any better than candle wax..

Microcrystalline wax used by woodturners for items that get a lot of handling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcrystalline_wax

A brand of microcrystalline wax, Renaissance Wax, is also used extensively in museum and conservation settings for protection and polishing of antique woods, ivory, gemstones, and metal objects. It was developed by The British Museum in the 1950s to replace the potentially unstable natural waxes that were previously used such as beeswax and carnauba.

They have apparently stopped using it as it was so difficult to remove if removal was necessary. I found Briwax v.g. for cast iron - about the only thing it's good for .
However, if you like mc wax, make your own - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Microcrystall ... 2096548422? - melt it with turps (nice smell) white spirit and if wanted other waxes. Vastly cheaper than Renwax - that amount will make jars of the stuff.

 

[Jacob]

...
A brand of microcrystalline wax, Renaissance Wax, is also used extensively in museum and conservation settings for protection and polishing of antique woods, ivory, gemstones, and metal objects. It was developed by The British Museum in the 1950s to replace the potentially unstable natural waxes that were previously used such as beeswax and carnauba.

Right. But we are talking about lathes not museum displays (though no doubt many of them might as well be - stay unused for 100s of years!).
Lathes just need the rust rubbing off occasionally.

 

[woodpig]

Quite a number of turners at my club use microcrystalline wax as a finish. I do as well, normally on top of cellulose sanding sealer but I have used it on its own. I also use it on my bandsaw table to stop rust and reduce friction. It also gets used on my chucks and metalworking tools to prevent rust. I can't recall why I bought it originally but it certainly gets used a lot, I'd not be without it now.

 

[woodpig]

Phil, do you think you could use this as well to make a paste wax?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500g-Kerax-Te ... xyzqdTcimq

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It is a better wax than beeswax for things that get handled as it doesn't take fingerprints. I mix it with carnauba for a good hard polish. People who are tight at the club use ordinary waxes as they are provided - the rest use MC.
Woodpig - I see no reason why not. The purpose of them afaik is that no matter what their ultimate intended uses the reason for using them is the high melting point. Many are used in cosmetics for this reason. It's cheap enough, anyway - use it on your machines if it doesn't meet expectations as a wood polish, besides which if making your own you can tweak it with other waxes or more solvent if you make it too thin/thick or don't like it as it is.