Cleaning a new lathe before using…

[Jed MartensParticipant @jedmartens56976]

Hi all, hopefully it's ok making a new thread for this – it is likely generally applicable to any new machine of Far Eastern origin…

My new Chinese-made lathe has arrived smothered in a tasty mixture of grease and grit. I think I've seen this referred to as "chicken fat" on here? If so, this particular blend has a lot more grit in it than any chicken fat I've seen…

Obviously this needs to be cleaned off. My question is, how far do you need to go? Anything that I can see or can be easily removed (eg: tail-stock) is a given – but if one assumes that this grit could be anywhere in the machine, then this suggests taking all the gears out and cleaning them, opening up the apron to clean the gears there, etc.

How far is it prudent to go? My fear is getting things back together if taken to extremes…

[Jed MartensParticipant @jedmartens56976]

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

I dont have experience of any recent oriental machines but my preference would be to go the whole hog and strip it down to clean everything.

Apart from you getting a better knowledge of the machine you will have the opportunity to deburr sharp edges and generally make tiny improvements to the fit and finish of parts.

Ian P

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I don't know what the grit is – have you asked the supplier? Old fashioned Cosmoline goes hard, perhaps this is what the grit is – solid lumps starting to form in recently applied goo.

However, the purpose of the goo is to protect the machine in long-term storage especially if it's going to be steamy. It should only be plastered on the outside making a deep clean unnecessary. I suggest cleaning off the obvious without major dismantling and then trying the lathe. WD-40 or paraffin should shift it, also White Spirit but check it doesn't clean the paint off too.

My Warco machines all arrived with a light waxy protective coating requiring minimal cleaning and I believe this is typical of UK suppliers. (Perhaps because the climate is relatively kind.) Anyone else encountered thick chicken-fat?

Dave

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

I wiped mine down with paraffin and some rags, plugged it in and started to use it. That was 5 years ago. Stripping a new machine just because is an odd thing to do.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Its not that long ago since Arc Eurotrade offered a pre delivery service on the machines they sold. I seem to recall it involved stripping the machine down, cleaning, adjusting and generally giving the whole machine the once over.

Ian P

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If there was some building work going on at the factory, or just a leaf blower running while it was being loaded some gritty dust could easily be flying around. If it is a gear head lathe it is definitely worth cleaning the casting sand out and possibly the apron if it has an oil sump. If the saddle has oil points pump an eggcup full in to wash out some of what got under out during your first enthusiastic playing.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Perhaps the gritty chicken fat is Running In Paste? My Warco got no more than a basic wipe over the exposed slideways before being put into service, and 4 years later now runs with a happy, smooth hum.

[Jed MartensParticipant @jedmartens56976]

Here's some pictures…

This could be totally normal or all I know. The superficial stuff that you can see doesn't bother me, that will all be cleaned up. I'll then open up the apron and see how it looks. If it's free of dirt/grit then I'll leave well enough alone…

[BC ProfParticipant @bcprof]

Over the years I have purchased 3 machines from Warco and an x 3 mill I have never found any evidence of casting same anywhere. All I have ever done is use paraffin and WD40 to remove the protective grease then given everything a thorough lubrication The most difficult part was getting a reasonael quantity of oil through the very small oiling points that now seem to be fitted . I did go so far as to change the oil in the lathe after some hours use. The result was a quantity of nice clean oil in a collecting tray and a collection of oily paper towels. ( I never use cloth to mop up anything since seeing a .castor oil soaked rag ignite . Yes I know that was an organic oil )

Brian

[ChrisBParticipant @chrisb35596]

When I got mine I just cleaned all the wax from the ways with WD40 and left it at that. Some time later I sheared the lead screw pin and had to take the apron off. When I drained the gearbox I found quite a bit of debris inside, I'd say it was casting sand.

But to be honest the sand and other gunk will settle at the bottom and most probably will do no harm.

I would not dismantle anything from the lathe, not unless I need to, like I did to fix the lead screw problem. I'm sure the gearbox in the headstock has sand and what not inside, but I'm not touching it.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Jed Martens on 31/07/2019 17:03:01:

Here's some pictures…

This could be totally normal or all I know. The superficial stuff that you can see doesn't bother me, that will all be cleaned up. I'll then open up the apron and see how it looks. If it's free of dirt/grit then I'll leave well enough alone…

Eeeeeuwww… that's a good deal worse than I think mine was in 2015. I never looked in the apron gearbox until the crossslide leadscrew shearpin fell into it in 2017 – then there was grit at the bottom but the gears didn't pick it up and the oil pool was clean (-ish )

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