After looking forever, I found and just picked up a Maximat Super 11 on Friday. Aside from the paint being in really tough shape, the spindle had about 0.0002" TIR and the ways looked pretty good. Compound, cross and tailstock handwheels were sluggish but after a clean and lube they are like silk again.
But now the horror story begins:
The longitudinal feed pinion gear meshes poorly with the rack. At first it looked like the rack was worn but after taking the carriage off and inspecting and cleaning it, horror has struck. I'm thinking that maybe the ways have SO MUCH wear that the front of the carriage has dropped by upwards of 0.030" ... yikes !
If I indicate the front, flat tailstock way, I get about 0.008" change over the roughly 1" span when moving the cross slide from FRONT to REAR. It takes a feeler gauge of over 0.030" under the front V way to make the flat way read almost flat ! I'm assuming that the flat ways are always parallel to the bench surface ... is this a safe assumption ?
Putting a ground straight edge on the front way over a 24" span from under the chuck to 24" out, NO gap appears. Flipped the straight edge to be sure.
How can the ways be totally without bow yet 0.030" or more is worn off the front way unless ... somebody took a grinder to it.
FYI, one other thing ... the cross slide itself looks good front to back. 0.00015" deviation across a 2" region of the spindle (camlock) face).
What do you lathe rebuilding gurus think about this ? HELP
For Super 11 owners, are your front and back flat ways at exactly the same height ?
Sorry for so many questions but I'm in tough shape ... mother nature also blew about 3 feet of snow over my only access path to get this thing back into my car to (maybe) return within the next few weeks.
Den
But now the horror story begins:
The longitudinal feed pinion gear meshes poorly with the rack. At first it looked like the rack was worn but after taking the carriage off and inspecting and cleaning it, horror has struck. I'm thinking that maybe the ways have SO MUCH wear that the front of the carriage has dropped by upwards of 0.030" ... yikes !
If I indicate the front, flat tailstock way, I get about 0.008" change over the roughly 1" span when moving the cross slide from FRONT to REAR. It takes a feeler gauge of over 0.030" under the front V way to make the flat way read almost flat ! I'm assuming that the flat ways are always parallel to the bench surface ... is this a safe assumption ?
Putting a ground straight edge on the front way over a 24" span from under the chuck to 24" out, NO gap appears. Flipped the straight edge to be sure.
How can the ways be totally without bow yet 0.030" or more is worn off the front way unless ... somebody took a grinder to it.
FYI, one other thing ... the cross slide itself looks good front to back. 0.00015" deviation across a 2" region of the spindle (camlock) face).
What do you lathe rebuilding gurus think about this ? HELP

For Super 11 owners, are your front and back flat ways at exactly the same height ?
Sorry for so many questions but I'm in tough shape ... mother nature also blew about 3 feet of snow over my only access path to get this thing back into my car to (maybe) return within the next few weeks.
Den
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