Is is worth keeping??

I bought this 30+ year old Rockwell 46-111 and a bunch of accessories a few months back and was wondering if I should put any money into it or just re-sell it and get something different.:( I don't know the first thing about turning but would like to learn. I just started cleaning it up today and it does run. The shaft the belt pulley attaches to is solid (no play like in bad bearings or bushings) and no unusual noises when running. There is a fracture in the tool rest holder that has been repaired in the past but appears to hold the tool rest solid enough. The lock mechanism that locks the shaft the live center is attached to has a captured nut inside the tail stock housing that turns when you try to lock the spindle shaft. I can probably fix this by having a tab welded to the nut so that it won't turn in the pocket.

As you look at the photos give my you honest thoughts as to whether or not to keep it. I paid $250 for everything in the photos. :dunno:The tools were rusty and cleaned them up with the wire wheel.

I hope I got some of the terminology close enough to know what I try was trying to describe;)

I hope it isn't too many photos to send.:eek:

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The lock handle on top is the one that has the nut that won't tighten.
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I don't know a lot about the lathe, but it looks like it might be a bit of a project to get it fully up and ready for turning. It might be worth cleaning up enough to play with until you decide to sell it and move up to something a bit nicer. The Henry Taylor tools are pretty good, and the Kryo ones are even better. The others look like no-name imports that are likely not real edge-holders. The Woodcut sharpening jig is much the same as the Wolverine jig a lot of turners use.

All in all, I think you did pretty good for the price, but I think much of the deal might have come from the accessories that came with the lathe.
 
Seems like a no brainier to me, since you have it why not use it? Learn what you like, what you dislike and then you can make your next purchase with some knowledge and experience.
 
By itself, the price you paid might be a bit high. But with the tools you did fine. The bed and, especially, inside of the spindle do need good cleaning. That spindle interior might be a chore. But, since you have it, use it and enjoy. We will need progress reports later. ;)
 
Use this one to learn and fun with it until you decide you want to move up...Keep the tools they are decent tools and will worth hanging onto....you can get plenty of help here on fixing this one up on your own as it looks like you have everything there.....
 
Thanks to all the replies:) After I posted that I did a search on the machine and tools. I was surprised as to the cost of the sharpening jig alone:eek: with the wheel dresser it is $150 bucks:thumb: Where is a good place to buy the 80 grit white oxide wheel they mention for use with the jig? The one thing I was concerned about was the tool rest support.... it looks like it has been that way for along time but being a beginner will I or can I cause too much stress and have an accident?:dunno:

On another note, should I invest in some kind of chuck? If so what should I look for in the way of a beginners level such as size and brand?:huh:

I hope you guys are ready for the questions about turning once I get a couple of projects finished and this machine ready. :D:thumb:

Again thanks to a great group and hats off to you all.
 
Thanks to all the replies:) After I posted that I did a search on the machine and tools. I was surprised as to the cost of the sharpening jig alone:eek: with the wheel dresser it is $150 bucks:thumb: Where is a good place to buy the 80 grit white oxide wheel they mention for use with the jig? The one thing I was concerned about was the tool rest support.... it looks like it has been that way for along time but being a beginner will I or can I cause too much stress and have an accident?:dunno:

On another note, should I invest in some kind of chuck? If so what should I look for in the way of a beginners level such as size and brand?:huh:

I hope you guys are ready for the questions about turning once I get a couple of projects finished and this machine ready. :D:thumb:

Again thanks to a great group and hats off to you all.
A lot of places have a variety of 80 grit wheels. Here are a few:

Woodcraft

Packard's

Craft Supplies

I'd be a bit concerned about the tool rest support (a.k.a. the banjo), but it is probably usable for a while as-is. As a newbie, I don't know that you have more change of breaking it than you do a new one. I'd definitely keep an eye on it while using it, and use caution.

Chucks are very useful, but I'd stick with faceplates for a little while until you see if it'd worth the investment for you to buy a chuck. There are a number of good chucks out there, so when the time comes, you probably won't have a shortage of suggestions from the rest of the gang.
 
The ones I use came from Rockler. Notice the price!

(Sorry, no 80-grit currently listed. :()

I'm sure the blue Norton wheels will far outlast these, but for this occasional turner they have worked just fine for a couple years now. And that's with the 6" wheels. :wave:
 
An important (IMHO) question not yet addressed in this thread is how to clean up the inside of the spindle. The opening, apparently an MT2, is quite rusty. This needs to be nearly pristine to give accurate turning. I've been thinking how I would do it and, have to confess, am stumped. Rolled up sandpaper would remove some of the loose rust but wouldn't clean the metal. After that a Morse Taper finishing reamer would probably be the best way to go. But, those are expensive and would add to his investment cost for the unit. I dunno...:dunno:
What would y'all do?
 
I bought a Morse Taper cleaning tool from Woodcraft, but can't find a picture. Another type is shown here:



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Available here.
 
What I was going to do to clean the taper is take a piece of 3/8" dowel and make a thin 1" long kerf in the end. I can then put the end of a 1"X6" piece of emery paper in the slot and wind the emery onto the dowel after it is chucked up in my drill. With this I can polish the inside lightly with a little WD40. I used this method in my old wrench turning days to clean up small wholes in transmission valve bodies. When I think of it I guess I could just turn the lathe on and hold the dowel. It isn't very dirty on the inside as it appears in the photo:thumb:
 
Here's what I use, from the plumbing department of the local hardware store:
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The 1/2" ID version seems to work well with the #2 Morse 2 taper on my Delta LA200. Costs a couple bucks. :thumb:
 
I wish I could claim the idea, but I can't.

I also wish I could credit the appropriate source, but I'm now in my upper 40s and ... uh ... what was I just saying? :huh:
 
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