As many of you know I do this retro-fit thing professionally, but in this case I looking for some input on a “project” I’m working on.

I picked up a 10” Boxford lathe on eBay gift priced at $225. It’s a model MK10 made about 1970-ish, and is basically a British South Bend clone with a few refinements.

Now, I’m not asking what to do to it, as I already have some ideas for that, but I was wondering about using Turcite on the ways.

Turcite is a special plastic that is designed for stuff like this and has some really amazing properties, but alas is far from cheap at about $5 per square inch. Yes, the Turcite will cost about as much as the lathe, I do realize that.

My question is:

Have any of you used it, and what do you think?

I have used it. I guess its good, if you can believe the sales hype. Its supposed to help reduce the effects of stiction.

I do believe that the ways that it runs on need to be kept very clean, because the stuff is soft enough that dirt and chips could embed in it, and then be scouring the ways for the rest of the machine's life.

I saw a "not so professional" retrofitter apply a couple of little rectangular pads of the stuff at each end of a lathe carriage bearing. Needless to say, it will wear down because it is soft. So, I'd recommend full bearing surface coverage, and epoxy cement the turcite in place. Clamp the carriage firmly to the lathe bed, with C -clamps on the corners while the epoxy sets up. This should result in a perfect fit for the turcite.

I know a professional CNC repairman (not sure what else it would be called) who has done some repairs using turcite and then machining it flat after it sets up.

At least I beleive this is what he did, it was a little while ago.

But anyway if it works on the tables he's used it on (probably about 24" x 48" or so) then I bet it would work on your lathe.

Yea, I was looking at full coverage on all way surfaces with oil groves cut into them. To keep them sealed I wanted to use leather wipes, because leather will expand with oil saturation to act as a true wipe/seal, felt just acts as a wipe.

More advantages to the turcite is the ability to have a negative clearance fit, in which the turcite is actually compressed a pinch to remove all way play, without significantly increasing slide resistance.

The goal of this machine is to be a ballscrew turning center and maybe some other light production work, not to mention a “fun retro”. I know it would probably be better (loose term) to pop for a production CNC lathe, but seeing as I do this and I would like to show that you can produce some really startling results with just some imagination.

Long and sort of it is, when it is done it will be the best CNC retro it can be, and in the total cost of the project turcite, although expensive, should add some reasonable value to the project.

where might someone find this turcite b or rulon

Machine Tool and Service Training is one source:

http://www.mtsandtg.com/products.htm

A lot of plastics suppliers have it, but may not have everything you'd need to apply it for ways.

I wish Aaron had finished this thread and told us more about the project and how it turned out. Would also be nice to understand his thoughts on applying a similar approach to his mills, which seem to need some friction reduction in the ways to work well.

Best,

BW