Summer heat / humidy & the new lathe?

[broomhandle]

Hi Guys,

I bought a small lathe, it's a Lathemaster! Getting use to it, it's very accurate.

My problem is, it's in the garage. It has a good coat of oil on the ways & gear system.

Is there anything else I should do, to prevent rusting or other problems with it in hot & humid GA. :-?

Do you recomend installing a plastic cover- BBQ grill cover / shower curtain over it or is better then leaving it open to the air?

Thanks for your input!

broomhandle

[skimmerhead]

Hi Guys,

I bought a small lathe, it's a Lathemaster! Getting use to it, it's very accurate.

My problem is, it's in the garage. It has a good coat of oil on the ways & gear system.

Is there anything else I should do, to prevent rusting or other problems with it in hot & humid GA. :-?

Do you recomend installing a plastic cover- BBQ grill cover / shower curtain over it or is better then leaving it open to the air?

Thanks for your input!

broomhandle

have the same problem here, iv'e found that covering my lathe also helps keep dust from getting allover it. i use a cheap blue tarp and try to tuck it in around the bottom, help keep dust and humidity off of it. the dust was worse for me than anything, having a garage door on each end makes for good air flow, but create's a lot of dust and humidity.

skimmerhead

[broomhandle]

Hi S H,

I had a thought! Don't know if it is good or bad?

What do you think of the tarp or BBQ cover with a few cans of humidity / moisture absorbing gel balls under the snug fitting cover.
It has to help...right?
I don't think the electric moter will have a problem. I have a drill press & grinder in the same area with no problem for years.

Best,
broom

[John Taylor]

I found that it's the change in temperature as much as the humidity. Lathe gets cool at night, air warms up with lots of moisture and the cooler metal attracts the moisture. We don't have the heat where I live but lots of rain. I found if I keep the shop at a constant temp I don't have a rust problem.

[mold maker]

Heavy canvas would be better. More of a temp change barrier and will allow some air to remove trapped moisture.

[MBTcustom]

I'm a machinist. Don't worry about it! the truth is that eventually every unpainted surface on the machine will settle into a slight patina. That's good, just like your mamas old carbon steel kitchen knives, it will be impervious too all moisture in time. The main thing to remember is that when a machine is new, it has not built this protective layer yet and it will take some time.
A few pointers.
1. oil that puppy. Notice I said oil I mean real machine or motor oil. If you think you are doing good spraying it down with WD-40, sell it to somebody that will care for it properly. WD-40 is an amazing cleaner-degreaser-water rinser offer but if you let it set for long periods of time it will turn to goo and it will tarnish the metal parts of your lathe and prevent the real oil from doing its job.
2. If you do get a spreckling of rust due to humidity, resist the urge to take scotch-bright or sand-paper to it!!!! use only 000 steel wool (bronze wool is better if you can find it.) put your machine oil on the spot and scrub the rust off with the wool. Wipe 'er off with a clean shop rag.
3. The old way to clear chips from the ways and the apron is a cheap paint brush instead of compressed air, and its still the best way. dont get me wrong, I am a profuse user of compressed air to clean parts but when it comes to the machine the brush is better. It lifts the chips but leaves a thick layer of oil.
4. Remember that it's a machine tool unless you love your machine a lot more than I do, you will never be eating dinner off of the apron. Do not go cleaning the fool out of it just cause you cant keep your pesky fingers off of it!!! Treat the machine with respect! Gurkha warriors used to never pull out their curved knives unless they intended to draw blood, even sharpening required a small cut be made on the finger. Your hands contain acids that provide the humidity in the air a place to start working. I cant tell you how many times I have seen rusty fingerprints on the handles and ways of machines.
The main thing is, in my experience 99% of the damage, breakdown, rust and general entropy that happens to machine tools is not because of the elements but because of the yay-who spinning the handles who rams a tool into the jaws, or drops a sharp piece of metal, or just leaves his people grease all over the machine and doesn't bother to clean it up.
Now, I dont mean to insult you but hears the safety rules for running a lathe:
1. No loose clothing or aprons, and no jewelry. I have seen pictures of a guy who didn't follow this advice. one side of the lathe looked like a guy looking for something under the chuck, the other side looked like 2 lb of hamburger with an eyeball stuck in it. (loose shirt. Ill bet he will be more careful next time! oh yeah.:()
2. Do not under any circumstances leave the chuck key in the chuck!!!! This is another way your loved ones can find you in a sticky red puddle. Have a place that you keep your wrench and just tell yourself that if you pick it up it never leaves your hand until you put it back. This is tougher than it sounds, you have to make a conscious decision to notice this detail. It is human nature to leave the key in the chuck, but the first time something falls off the apron and throws the machine in reverse @ 700 RPM you will be glad it missed your head or you will be glad you went to church while you could.
3. Always, always, always where safety glasses! I do this stuff for a living and I wont even go near the lathe without safety glasses.

Thank you for humoring me! I only say these things out of concern for my fellow man. Congratulations on the new addition!!! I have had a lathe sitting in my shop for 3 years myself, and I just got power to it this year.

[broomhandle]

Hi Goodsteel,

Thanks for your reply!
I am a retired Tool & Die maker so I know the rules. I always worked in shops with A C, so I just want to make sure, I do the "right thing" with it!

I saw a guy break his collar bone & three ribs with a chuck key from a big Clausing lathe.
Two hours before vacation shutdown!

Best,
broom

[broomhandle]

Hi John T. & Mold maker,

Thanks for your replys! They make sence!

Be Safe,
broomhandle

[Longwood]

Rules get sort of lax when we are working around home.
Before you do drilling or lathe turning.
Make sure you wear a shirt if you have chest hair.:shock:

[MBTcustom]

I apologize longhandle, Thought you might be a rookie, You know how scary they can be. I am sorry if I offended with my over specific instructions.:oops:
Oh well, there's probably folks that will read it that need to hear it.

[John Taylor]

goodsteel, I thought you had a very good post. I have been running a lathe off and on for over 40 years and still in a lax moment of stupidity got my arm hung up. I can honestly say it had to be a miracle that I lived through it. there is no other explanation why a 14" gear head lathe, running at 585 RPM, should stop in .3 seconds without hitting the break. It did bend the lathe dog but did not break my arm.

[broomhandle]

Hi goodsteel,

No problem on this end! Safety should be very importent to anyone using any kind of power tool! ALWAYS!
I know a guy that took the tip of his finger off at 5 AM during a snow storm, when he went to clear a branch from the snow blower! He said it happened so fast he never felt it! Just saw the blood spray on the snow!

Best to all & be SAFE,
broom

[broomhandle]

Hi John,

I hope you bought a few lottery tickets that day!

Be well & safe,
broom

[Longwood]

I like my lathe lot.
Here is a look at a few of the items I have made with mine.
On the left is a cardboard wad cutter I made from some fittings I had on hand.
A lube cutter with a palm rest for 458's and one with a spring plunger, for 454's.
The mold on the right casts the round nosed 450 pp slug.

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

[Dutchman]

When I had the 1905 Von Wyck 3,000 pound lathe I had to deal with this issue of humidity and condensation. On more than a few occasions I went into the shop to find the lathe DRIPPING wet... with orange rust underneath the water.

Took me a couple times to figure it out (dohhhh!).

The lathe is 3,000 pounds of cast iron. During the night when the temp drops the cast iron temp also drops. In the morning when the shop building warms up with sunlight the air in the shop also warms up. But the lathe is still "cold" being that cast iron conducts cold as well as it conducts heat. So the lathe condenses water vapor in the air into liquid water on the surface of the cast iron "thermoconductor".

A dehumidifier is one possible solution. In my former basement in Indiana I ran a cheap $20 bathroom exhaust fan with the fan on the damp floor and the duct going to a dryer vent in the casement window (plywood). It worked real good and I ran it 24/7 from spring to fall.

Dutch

[andremajic]

I have my lathe in the garage during NC humidity and haven't had it rust yet.

All I do is keep a generous amount of oil on the parts.

Last deployment, (1 year period) all I did was cover it with a cloth motorcycle cover and it was the same when I came back as when I left it.

(My garage is not air conditioned, but it is insulated.)

Andy.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I don't have critical tolerance machinery like a lathe in my shop (yet), but I do have humidity issues when the seasons change from Winter/Spring and Fall/Winter. In hot, humid summer time it doesn't seem to be a problem- very light coats of oil seem to be sufficient to prevent any moisture from rusting things then.

When those seasonal changes approach, I put 55 gallon garbage bags over all of my vertical equipment and use plastic sheeting over horizontal equipment with spring loaded clothes pins to secure the openings as best as possible.

Just keeping the barrier between the machine and the moisture laden atmosphere when the temps begin to flucuate keeps the metal from drawing the mositure out of the air. It doesn't seem to matter if the plastic barrier has a few small holes either. I think they may help balance out the temp changes- moisture doesn't seem to get in.

[Scrapper]

I've worked with machines that were very old and used hard in World War II. All these machines had a patina on them. Machines included Brown and Sharpe Screw machines, Wickman multi spindle Screw machines, Warner and Swasey manual turret lathes, Manual knee mills, 15hp Cincinnatti Centerless grinder and Etc,Etc...... All were rode hard and put up wet. They worked great and produced high quality parts of all kinds with a well experienced machinist operating them and they're still cranking out good parts to this day.

Keep them clean & oiled in the proper areas and you should be fine. Cover it if you don't have climate control and if your not gonna use it all the time at least check to make sure your machine is not rusting away. I know some people used to grease the ways if they knew they were gonna leave it sit for while, then just wipe the grease off the ways and any other important area and fire it up.


I agree with "goodsteel"

1. oil that puppy. Notice I said oil I mean real machine or motor oil. If you think you are doing good spraying it down with WD-40, sell it to somebody that will care for it properly. WD-40 is an amazing cleaner-degreaser-water rinser offer but if you let it set for long periods of time it will turn to goo and it will tarnish the metal parts of your lathe and prevent the real oil from doing its job.
2. If you do get a spreckling of rust due to humidity, resist the urge to take scotch-bright or sand-paper to it!!!! use only 000 steel wool (bronze wool is better if you can find it.) put your machine oil on the spot and scrub the rust off with the wool. Wipe 'er off with a clean shop rag.
3. The old way to clear chips from the ways and the apron is a cheap paint brush instead of compressed air, and its still the best way. dont get me wrong, I am a profuse user of compressed air to clean parts but when it comes to the machine the brush is better. It lifts the chips but leaves a thick layer of oil.
4. Remember that it's a machine tool unless you love your machine a lot more than I do, you will never be eating dinner off of the apron. Do not go cleaning the fool out of it just cause you cant keep your pesky fingers off of it!!! Treat the machine with respect! Gurkha warriors used to never pull out their curved knives unless they intended to draw blood, even sharpening required a small cut be made on the finger. Your hands contain acids that provide the humidity in the air a place to start working. I cant tell you how many times I have seen rusty fingerprints on the handles and ways of machines.
The main thing is, in my experience 99% of the damage, breakdown, rust and general entropy that happens to machine tools is not because of the elements but because of the yay-who spinning the handles who rams a tool into the jaws, or drops a sharp piece of metal, or just leaves his people grease all over the machine and doesn't bother to clean it up.
Now, I dont mean to insult you but hears the safety rules for running a lathe:
1. No loose clothing or aprons, and no jewelry. I have seen pictures of a guy who didn't follow this advice. one side of the lathe looked like a guy looking for something under the chuck, the other side looked like 2 lb of hamburger with an eyeball stuck in it. (loose shirt. Ill bet he will be more careful next time! oh yeah.)
2. Do not under any circumstances leave the chuck key in the chuck!!!! This is another way your loved ones can find you in a sticky red puddle. Have a place that you keep your wrench and just tell yourself that if you pick it up it never leaves your hand until you put it back. This is tougher than it sounds, you have to make a conscious decision to notice this detail. It is human nature to leave the key in the chuck, but the first time something falls off the apron and throws the machine in reverse @ 700 RPM you will be glad it missed your head or you will be glad you went to church while you could.
3. Always, always, always where safety glasses! I do this stuff for a living and I wont even go near the lathe without safety glasses.

[Geraldo]

Now, I dont mean to insult you but hears the safety rules for running a lathe:
1. No loose clothing or aprons, and no jewelry. I have seen pictures of a guy who didn't follow this advice. one side of the lathe looked like a guy looking for something under the chuck, the other side looked like 2 lb of hamburger with an eyeball stuck in it. (loose shirt. Ill bet he will be more careful next time! oh yeah.:()
2. Do not under any circumstances leave the chuck key in the chuck!!!! This is another way your loved ones can find you in a sticky red puddle. Have a place that you keep your wrench and just tell yourself that if you pick it up it never leaves your hand until you put it back. This is tougher than it sounds, you have to make a conscious decision to notice this detail. It is human nature to leave the key in the chuck, but the first time something falls off the apron and throws the machine in reverse @ 700 RPM you will be glad it missed your head or you will be glad you went to church while you could.
3. Always, always, always where safety glasses! I do this stuff for a living and I wont even go near the lathe without safety glasses.

Thank you for humoring me! I only say these things out of concern for my fellow man. Congratulations on the new addition!!! I have had a lathe sitting in my shop for 3 years myself, and I just got power to it this year.

If I may add to number 1, NO GLOVES. Sounds stupid (because it is), but I've seen people wearing mechanics gloves while operating machine tools on reality shows. Flesh will heal if you cut yourself, but catch that glove and your hand and arm will look like a window shade right quick.

#2-fortunately when I forgot this I just took a bruise on the chest as it flew out and hit me.

#3-I couldn't agree more. Even if you don't lose vision, you do not want people poking around in your eye.

[MBTcustom]

Here's the beauty that ended up in my shop. 17" LeBlond Regal 60" long. A true American classic.
http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=496&pictureid=3657

[Trey45]

The bases have already been covered for machine safety, no need for me to go into that as well. I'm a retired machinist.

Have you considered either a dehumidifyer or even a window unit air conditioner for your garage? My reloading shop is a detached garage, I live in a swamp, you want to talk humidity? We have humidity to spare here. I put a portable air conditioner in there, and my rust problems stopped. Of course still use oil, but a window unit A/C, or a portable A/C, or a portable dehumidifyer is your best bet. What you're trying to do is protect your machine from moisture with oil, canvas, tarps etc, when what you really need to do is remove the moisture.

[justashooter]

absolutely no gloves or long sleeve shirts.

[JIMinPHX]

Here's the beauty that ended up in my shop. 17" LeBlond Regal 60" long. A true American classic.
http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=496&pictureid=3657

Sweet.

I'm jealous.

[mroliver77]

Good advice Trey.
My shop is not quite finished as far as the wall sheathing and insulation. It is a work in progress. I buy material as money permits .I am almost there. My shop is in my barn. I am talking a gambrel roof farm barn with haymows and all. There is lots of room and I have quite a stash of "stuff" I will never be able to heat/cool it all so

I need some other protection. Some things rust under the oil! Seems like oil/grease with a good coating of dust-dirt-grime works better. I need to just bite the boolit and get a couple gallons of alox. I have a sprayer that should shoot it well enough for protecting machinery etc.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/2074dde49a527053.jpg