Mike:
I recently got a shopsmith 10 ER for free from a coworker who said he
was about to throw it out in the trash until I expressed an interest.
It runs but it needs a complete rebuild just like yours. Please post
more pictures as the restoration progresses. I heard that the10 ER is
a better (although basic) wood lathe than the mark five. The reason is
that the 10 ER castings are the real deal- cast iron, not aluminum. It
looks like you're building it up right.
The way tubes on mine are really rusty too. Whatever you did to clean
yours up worked great! I may try to get some replacement way tubes
that are new ( I live in Dayton, OH home of Shopsmith).
Also, mine has no toolrest. I've been checking ebay. I may buy one
that way or maybe build one up custom using Mark 5 parts and then
machining the post custom from 1" bar stock. Sometimes tool deals come
in 2's. One week after I committed to a second hand Powermatic 90
lathe is when I came across the Shopsmith. The powermatic is a beast!
I'm learning to turn on it but may still proceed with restoring the
Shopsmith and check its performance, I like quietness in a lathe,
something that the Powermatic is NOT.
I agree with the person who recommended the Keith Rawley book. Also,
I'd recommend that you get the Oneway Wolverine grinding system and
learn how to grind spindle gouges with the swept back fingernail
profile. I don't have the system (yet) but I believe this is the way
to go.
I second the notion about free wood. If you look you'll find it. I
like turning poplar. its nice to work. Harder wood seems to dull
carbon steel turning tools (like the ones I've got). One or two HSS or
better tools would really increase your enjoyment. I took a one day
spindle turning class and was amazed the way that a sharp high speed
steel spindle gouge (properly ground) can cut coves and roundovers
cleanly and without "white knuckling" it.
Plus the sound of the clean cutting tells you that you are doing it
right. It makes a clean slicing noise thats kind of high pitched
similar to the sound you might obtain when handplaning a peice of
straight-grained hardwood with your favorite, sharpest hand-plane.
Good Luck,
Bill C.