Restoring, finishing and upgrading a Dore Westbury Mk1 milling machine

[Canobi]

Hi folks

First time poster long time lurker, mainly as I don't actully make model engines, my interst lies with tool making, with focus being on the smaller sized fixtures and tooling. My reason for posting is that I'm taking my first steps into machine restoration (which is another interest I seem to have developed somewhere along the line). The machine in question is my Dore Westbury Mk1 which is in desperate need of some TLC.IIts my first machine and it was discovered to be a non runner and quite a few details were left unfinished. So I've cut my teeth in the machining/engineering field learning what I need to fix it. Having spent nearly a year behind a lathe, and spending countless hours of research, I believe I'm now capable enough to tackle it head on and even make a few daring deviations from the original plans.

I will also be making a few tools along the way in order to perform some of the repair work and for making any new parts to replace those that are too worn or damaged, so this could be quite the adventure.

This is an ongoing project and I will update this post as things progress. Until then, stay safe, have fun and keep those chips flyin'

Pt1


Pt2


Update


Update #2


Pt3

 

[Canobi]

 

[bazmak]

Following great interest.Well documented and presented.No doubt you will get plenty of help and advice

 

[Canobi]

Thank you Bazmak

 

[Canobi]

Hi folks

Part 4 is up and I finally found out what was causing the lower section of the epicuclic pulley to run off kilter.

 

[Canobi]

Update #4

 

[clockworkcheval]

You make a nice job of very clearly showing the process of restoring your machine. A little point that may be of interest to you: I find it does great things for my spine of I up the height of the base table so that I look 15 degrees down from the horizontal to the job in hand. On average this means that my machines stand now 400 mm higher than their original design. I look forward to your next issues!

 

[Canobi]

Thanks clockworkcheva

My mill bench was cobbled together from discarding from my workplace and just happened to come to 33.5" in hight when it was finished. I find it maybe an inch or two low maybe but it's about right for me.

 

[Canobi]

Part5 is now up.

In this episode in try an experimental technique to put a fine layer of brass on areas of my mill's main column support casting as a decorative precursor to being painted.

I've only seen one other person do this and he was applying brass to solid steel so I've not idea how it will take to cast iron..

 

[Canobi]

Update #5

Column support casting progress.

 

[rlukens]

Very interesting posts. Thank you.
I have to ask is the "hot brassing" any different than a coat of metalic paint?
Russ

 

[Canobi]

Hi rlukens, thanks for taking a look

I believe the brass plating will be a bit tougher than paint, and it can be buffed to a high sheen as well.

 

[Wizard69]

Part5 is now up.

In this episode in try an experimental technique to put a fine layer of brass on areas of my mill's main column support casting as a decorative precursor to being painted.

I've only seen one other person do this and he was applying brass to solid steel so I've not idea how it will take to

This is a new technique to me. In any event all i could see is that pant leg getting wrapped up in the wire brush. Be careful!

 

[Canobi]

Part #6 is up

In this episode I heat black the column support casting bolts.

 

[Canobi]

[Q"Wizard69, post: 309801, member: 14419"]This is a new technique to me. In any event all i could see is that pant leg getting wrapped up in the wire brush. Be careful!

Yeh, it was a bit sketchy and I too was a little concerned with how close it came a couple times.

I just didn't have enough materials on hand to rig up something to hold it.

 

[Davo J]

Looks like your enjoying the journey, just be careful heating cast iron machine parts as it can warp them.

I have blackened bolts for many years but always use a few litres of old engine oil to dunk the bolt in.

 

[Canobi]

Looks like your enjoying the journey, just be careful heating cast iron machine parts as it can warp them.

I have blackened bolts for many years but always use a few litres of old engine oil to dunk the bolt in.

Hi Davo J

Interesting you should mention warping as that possibility had crossed my mind a few times, as well as cracking. The casting I heated has a long split down the back for clamping purposes, so I took an educated guess that it would act as a stress relief while it was flexing during heat up and cool down.

I'll give the bolt dipped in engine oil a try, the layered technique was the way I was shown many many moons ago when I ventured to turn my hand to a bit of smithing in my teens.

 

[Canobi]

Hey guys

Being as I haven't been doing anything new or overly intersting of late, I've not posted as I didn't want to bore you all with me repeating tasks of heat blacking the rest of the bolts, followed by short bouts of simple turning to make brass washers. I've have nearly finished all the levers, which again is more of the same as well, though I hit a snag with my alternating colour scheme as the belt tensioner and course feed levers have ended up needing brass knobs, not black ones and I've not been able to find a good match for the existing knobs. I did however find a shop made ball turner on eBay that looks well crafted, so I'm going to have a crack at making them in the near future.

So now that most of the cosmetic work is done, I've started to re-essemble her again and was surprised at how little there is left to do:

I still need to make yet another pair of brass washers for the small motor mount casting bolts, I put them in place simply to stop me losing them:

I got bored of making straightforward washers and made a fancy recessed one for fine feed essembly retention bolt, though I had to modify it a a little by turning a .5mm deep boss on the mating face to stop it binding with the casting:

 

[Davo J]

Those pictures are coming up with a credit though them for me at least

 

[Canobi]

Not sure what's going on as I can't get them to show up for me either. I can see them in the editor but not once its posted.