Restored To Production

The like-new, fully restored turret lathe in the machining lab resulted from the efforts of MET student Curtiss Myers.

"Curtiss's dedication to getting this machine operational was really exceptional. He overcame every barrier and the result is a fully functioning lathe that in many operations parallels our newer CNC machines," states Doug Rife, Lab Director.

The Warner & Swasey M-1420 #4 Turret Lathe with Bar Feeder is once again a production rated machine tool turning out parts for the MET and Construction Science lab courses, generating threaded tensile specimens for the mechanical and materials labs, and blocks for CNC-turning exercises in the CAM lab.
While not glamorous, these operations save the college a great deal of time and money compared to purchasing parts from commercial suppliers.

Initially asked to clean-up the grease covered and blackened machine, Curtiss found himself in a restoration project that required not just cleaning but repainting all exposed parts, removing all the wheels and knobs, repositioning the oil filter (The old one was behind the electrical box.), flushing all the coolant and oil lines, and restoring the turret to a workable state.

Restoring the turret was one of the more challenging tasks. Tools that had been loaded to the turret were literally "frozen" into the holders and Curtiss created a spreader to extract the tools so that both tools and turret could be cleaned and put into use.

Other challenges overcome included getting the oil and coolant pumps operational as both had "seized up" necessitating creation of new gaskets and the implementation of curtains between the grinding machines and the lathe to reduce the levels of metal particles that cause excessive wear.

"The project called for a lot of planning," stated Curtiss. "Operational planning was a necessity. Timing between cleaning and painting of parts is critical as the cleaned parts (now free of their protective oil) start to rust almost immediately. Moreover, all the parts in each assembly have to be cleaned and painted individually before reassembly. Keeping everything straight is a challenge."

Fortunately, "keeping things straight" comes naturally for this transfer student who likes to "fix things." Curtiss is paying his own way through college and is on track to graduate in fall quarter of 2009. Clearly the turret lathe with bar feeder is fixed... Congratulations, Curtiss, on a job well done.