Pultra 1750

[Dell]

Hi all
Haven’t been on here for a while due to having to many bereavements in close family, I have just purchased a Pultra 1750 lathe mainly because as I live in the UK it’s very expensive getting things shipped over here for my Derbyshire Magnus 10mm lathe and as the Pultra was made in the UK and has since been taken over by Smart & Brown I ( should ) be able to get parts and accessories easier, anyway I am trying to find out the paint code for the cream because I am going to refurbish it before I sell my Derbyshire.
So if anyone has any suggestions as where I might be able to find the paint code it would be much appreciated.
Thanks Dell
PS I only restore antique clocks ( mainly torsion clocks)

[Dell]

Well what a bonus my Pultra 17/50 lathe turned up today and it turns out not to be a17/50 50mm centre but in fact a 17/70 70mm centre so very happy, it looks a bit tatty but the bearings are very smooth and no play so once it’s stripped cleaned and painted it should be good, it even comes with quick close drawbar but I don’t know how that works yet as never used one.  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]    [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]    [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]    [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

[jiihoo]

It's always nice getting more than you expected. I am quite certain that two centimeters of extra center height will come in handy one day.

I looked at the pictures on lathes.co.uk and if yours is anywhere close to the specimens shown there, it will be a very droolworthy machine indeed.

Please post pictures as your restoration progresses!

Cheers,

Jari

[Dell]

Sorry everyone
I forgot to add pictures of my Pultra 17/70 finished and being used also very accurate.
Dell

[Dell]

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[vtsteam]

Thanks for the two pics, Dell -- Pultras always look great to my eyes! I like the "streamliner" look with all the curves. 

I do see some invalid attachments in the second post. Should I delete those, or do you have photos you wanted to put in there? I can add them if you want. 

[Dell]

Hi vtsteam
Sorry  for the delay in answering lotsof things going on my end I don’t know why the attachments don’t show but if it’s possible to add from link yes please if not I can post them again.
Here is a few more anyway, I am going to remove the bearings as since I have been using it I haven’t seen the oil drop on the sight glass so I am wondering if the wick’s have go hard or worse still missing altogether the bronze bearings were the only part  I didn’t remove  because there was no play I have also added an indexing plate with the mounting modified to fit my rotary table plates.
Dell
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[Dell]

Now there 2 pictures the same I must be doing something wrong please remove one thanks
Never mind I found the edit link
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[vtsteam]

Hi Dell,
Thanks for posting the Pultra photos!

And glad you got posting them sorted out. As a further request, remember in future to reduce your photos before posting to no more than 800 pixels wide, the forum standard. I've reduced your earlier images to this size just now. Thanks!

[Dell]

Sorry vtsteam will remember in future, I have altered following picture to 40kb smallest it has.
Headstock apart because I thought the wicks may be past there best  because it didn’t seem as though it was using any oil , but Sod’s law they were fine and oil all round bearings and spindle, so it must be it doesn’t use much oil because no wear on bearings and very slight marks on spindle I can see them but not feel them, new wicks going in anyway.
Dell
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[BillTodd]

They are the cutest little lathe.  I had a compound slide and a turret assembly for one that I sold a while ago , which I am regretting now.

[Dell]

They may be nice but also very strong and accurate, that’s why the MOD used them during WW2 although my one is post war late 40’s 50’s as it has ball bearing thrust and the earlier ones had solid steel thrust, this one hasn’t got any wear that I can see although the spindle has mark that I can see but not feel.
Gradually getting all the accessories I need , have collets from 0.4 to 7.9mm, vertical slide.milling/ grinding spindle, fixed steady, face plate, 3 and 4 jaw chuck, tip over tool rest ( although I had to extend it by 20mm ( I do most of my work using a graver ), to name just some.
Although there was no play or noise it didn’t seem to use any oil hence the reason I have stripped the headstock thinking the wicks need replacing but turns out everything was fine, wicks still good and plenty of oil in bearings and spindle, I will be using new wicks anyway, so it must just be that they don’t use much oil.
Dell

[Dell]

What a fiddly job fitting new wicks but got there in the end.
Dell
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[vtsteam]

I don't really understand how the wicks work/are fitted. I assume they wick oil? Or are they seals?

[Dell]

The wicks sit in high speed spindle oil and there is only about.5mm stuck out into the bearings so I presume it must be something to do with the spindle rotation that causes centrifugal force to suck a small amount of oil into the bearings ( just my best guess though), but it’s running nicely and it’s quiet.
Dell

[vtsteam]

So is there a hole in the side of the bearing or bearing housing that the wick goes into? Tough to tell from the photos -- it just looks like a spaghetti spill. 

[Dell]

The picture is after I had fitted the wicks but before I trimmed them off , yes there is a 2mm hole in the bearings and about 1/2mm of the wick sticks out into the bearings and the other end of the wick just sits in the oil well, I am not sure how it works either but it must do because Pultra used that method of oiling for all there lathes even the 15/90 that looks identical to my lathe but about 4  times bigger.
Dell

[vtsteam]

Thanks Dell. I'm sure it works I was just curious how it's routed.