I know i read this somewhere before but I cant seem to find any info on the best way to clean up the carriage casting on my 9x20 grizzly lathe. specifically the carriage ways. Im converting it to a cnc and when I took it apart I noticed that the ways where terrible. I mean there not even flat. It looks like somebody went at them with an angle grinder. so i wanted to try and clean them up but dont know the best way to approach this. any one out there got some tips or can point me to an article covering this.
Thanks
Chris

if they are that bad the only option is lapping them. get some lapping compound and have at it. i don't know if there are any instructions for this particular machine on how to do it. mine aren't that bad. if you just bought the machine i would suggest sending it back.

I know i read this somewhere before but I cant seem to find any info on the best way to clean up the carriage casting on my 9x20 grizzly lathe. specifically the carriage ways. Im converting it to a cnc and when I took it apart I noticed that the ways where terrible. I mean there not even flat. It looks like somebody went at them with an angle grinder. so i wanted to try and clean them up but dont know the best way to approach this. any one out there got some tips or can point me to an article covering this.
Thanks
Chris

Chris,

Show us a photo of what you are talking about. Are you talking about the top side of the ways or the underside edges?

Alan

Im talking about under the carriage where it rests on the ways. It clearly only contacts the ways in two very small areas on each edge of the carriage. I thought I read somewhere that I could maybe very carfully mill it down to make it mate to the ways better as of right now Id say the contact surface area is less than a square inch.
I will try and take a photo later for you guys.
Chris

put some dyken on the saddle and slide it back and forth along the ways. that will give us a good indication of the contact patch.

Im talking about under the carriage where it rests on the ways. It clearly only contacts the ways in two very small areas on each edge of the carriage. I thought I read somewhere that I could maybe very carfully mill it down to make it mate to the ways better as of right now Id say the contact surface area is less than a square inch.
I will try and take a photo later for you guys.
Chris

Chris,

The problem you face is that there is an angular way also that helps control alignment of the carriage. When you start messing with one surface on the carriage, you effect the fit to the other ways as well.

Alan

I know i read this somewhere before but I cant seem to find any info on the best way to clean up the carriage casting on my 9x20 grizzly lathe. specifically the carriage ways. Im converting it to a cnc and when I took it apart I noticed that the ways where terrible. I mean there not even flat. It looks like somebody went at them with an angle grinder. so i wanted to try and clean them up but dont know the best way to approach this. any one out there got some tips or can point me to an article covering this.
Thanks
Chris

hahah I know what you mean! when I first took my 8x12 apart, I was like, "how can this be accurate at all!!" And the little "L" brackets that hold the saddle down aren't much better either, might make some new ones. I don't know what to do about the saddle though...but I can still hold some damn good tolerances on it

Bondo to build up the low spots? :rolleyes:
Hardface welding and milling would work, but would be tough to set up, and woud probably not be inexpensive.
Good luck on the project.