Rebuilt Machine Tools May Be Superior to New
Modern lathes, planers, radial drills and hammers, when properly rebuilt, are equal or better than brand new tools. Most of parts in a rebuilt machine are seasoned through years of service and have found their final set. Often a new machine is rushed through the manufacturing plant and finally finished with the castings still “green.” When installed the various temperatures to which a long bed is subjected will very often cause it to warp. When rebuilt this warp is removed and the as the casting has assumed its final “set,” temperature differences have no effect on the alignment.
Careful manufacturers of machine tools cool the new castings slowly, rough plane them and then season them by placing them in the weather for a year or more, after which they are finished. Unfortunately, all manufacturers are not so thorough in the seasoning of castings. The reputable rebuilder of machine tools has advantage over the manufacturer inasmuch as his materials are all seasoned, ready for the final refinishing.
