Restoration Progress On My 1955 Greenie

[JPG40504]

I checked my way tubes and my initial response in post #60 (http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=34109&postcount=60) was incorrect. I udpated the post accordingly. Both bench and way tubes have the same wall thickness. The difference I had actually observed was in the OD. Way tubes are 1-3/4", bench tubes are 1-7/8". They have identical wall thickness of 1/8". Sorry if I cause confusion.:o

You did NOT cause CONFUSION, you PROVIDED information. As I understand it NOW Greenies have 1 7/8" bench tubes. That is why you needed two different size 'freeze plugs'. Now to determine if early goldies are the same.

[mickyd]

I checked my way tubes and my initial response in post #60 (http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=34109&postcount=60) was incorrect. I udpated the post accordingly. Both bench and way tubes have the same wall thickness. The difference I had actually observed was in the OD. Way tubes are 1-3/4", bench tubes are 1-7/8". They have identical wall thickness of 1/8". Sorry if I cause confusion.:o

I also corrected the error I made on specifying the expansion plug sizes needed for the bench and way tubes in post #29. (http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=33405&postcount=29)of this thread.

[SDSSmith]

Rob,
Do you know what the tube inside diameter measured? Were the bench and way tubes different?

Mike, I do not have any of those tubes around right now so I cannot measure for you. As noted, all Mark v's have 1-3/4" OD way tubes.

[robinson46176]

Now to determine if early goldies are the same.

And were all goldies shipped with the "glazed" bench tubes instead of polished?
*
Some bench tubes I have painted and some I have polished... I have mixed emotions. The polished ones look good but have to be waxed often especially in a shop that makes stuff sweat in mild weather. So far the painted tubes are holding up nicely and still look good. In a shop where they might get scratched a lot (I'm not sure why) the polished ones might look good longer. While the polished bench tubes do have to be waxed often the way tubes need to be waxed often anyway and it is easy to wax the bench tubes at the same time so it all comes out about the same.

[JPG40504]

And were all goldies shipped with the "glazed" bench tubes instead of polished?
*
Some bench tubes I have painted and some I have polished... I have mixed emotions. The polished ones look good but have to be waxed often especially in a shop that makes stuff sweat in mild weather. So far the painted tubes are holding up nicely and still look good. In a shop where they might get scratched a lot (I'm not sure why) the polished ones might look good longer. While the polished bench tubes do have to be waxed often the way tubes need to be waxed often anyway and it is easy to wax the bench tubes at the same time so it all comes out about the same.

I am guessing, but I think the early goldies differ from the greenies only in color. The later goldies(1 1/8HP,poly=v,extruded rip fence lip) have 1 3/4" Gray painted Bench tubes. Just because this makes sense, does NOT make it so! Hence the guessing part.

[mickyd]

Make sure to post pics bucksaw.

I am going to try a flap sanding wheel (80grit) on a dremel tool for the next piece. They sell for about $8. It seems like it will lend itself better to "feeling" and seeing what your doing. Read the thread on the other forum about "Polishing contoured surfaces (http://forum.caswellplating.com/metal-polishing-questions/9669-contour-surface-sanding-question.html)" and see how the guy describes the "feel' in post #5.

When I get the flap wheel mastered, I'll graduate to the next level, working my way up the amperage chain. Pretty soon, 15 amp, 2-1/4 HP ANGLE GRINDER shaving off a few 1/10,000th of an inch with the precision of a surgeon...boy it'll be a thing of beauty!!

I scratched the idea of using the flap sanding wheel for the dremel tool. The more I thought about paying $8 for the thing, and having only two grit choices, 80 and 120grit, I decided to use the sandpaper and equipment I already had. I decided to give my Ryobi random orbital a try. The 100% hand sanding method I used prior (http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=33988&postcount=42) HAD TO GO. Took too long and was too tedious.

Here is the setup I came up with to hold the Ryobi so that I could control with work piece with two hands.

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With the knob pieces so small, it’s tough to keep them flat up against the sanding disk but I was generally able to. Just had to use lots of caution (not to mention no blinking :eek: ). Talk about having to focus!

I sanded with 150 grit to start and then went to 220. I didn’t have anything finer than that for my sander so I did the 400 and 600 (wet) by hand. I used a piece of mirror under the sandpaper to keep it dead flat.


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I put the mirror and sandpaper up on a 2”x 3” so that I could rotate the part without the “wings” hitting. I rubbed the part against the sandpaper which stayed down of the 2” x 3”. That was the best way to keep it true.


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Using the sander to get through the surface pits saved a boatload of time. Instead of it taking 4 hours to complete 1 piece through the buffing process, I was able to do 2 pieces in 2 hours. Just a couple pieces more to go and I am done. Here’s the finished feed stop knob. You'll notice a little divot on the top of the right wing, near the OD. My sander slipped in the vise. Bummer but I’ll live with it. Driving by 60 miles per hour, you’ll never notice it!! Well, that's it for polishing pics. You seen one, you've seen 'em all.



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p.s. Use good quality sandpaper. It makes a difference. I had purchase some odd brand from Harbor Freight, real cheap, and it was exactly that…….REAL CHEAP. It just didn’t hold up. I would go through it twice as fast as the good stuff. Stick with name brand (i.e. Norton, 3M etc.)

[JPG40504]

WOW, huge difference in the handles . . . .I'll have to make up a wood version mounted on the same steel shaft. Gee, my first lathe project!! A wooden handle is what originally got me looking into "needing" a ShopSmith . . . .
Thought you could/might use after IT is up & running!:D
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[a1gutterman]

...p.s. Use good quality sandpaper. It makes a difference. I had purchase some odd brand from Harbor Freight, real cheap, and it was exactly that…….REAL CHEAP. It just didn’t hold up. I would go through it twice as fast as the good stuff. Stick with name brand (i.e. Norton, 3M etc.)You get what you pay for. I avoid Harbor Freight like the plague. I wood rather support my country, it's citizens and workers then those in China...plus, overall, IMHO, the quality is better with US product.