MAZAK M5 LATHE REBUILD PART 3

Here is an update on your M5. We had the bed ground on our way grinder as Pete stayed over the weekend to get it done. We also ground the top of the X-axis just for reference. The headstock was bolted on today, and now we’re aligning the spindle using a test bar on the freshly ground bedways. It’s a detailed process involving indicating, rotating, and hand-scraping to perfectly align the headstock to the bed.

We still have to final-grind the X-axis and add Turcite to raise the bed back to centerline since material was removed during grinding. Turcite will also help the axis move more smoothly, especially during threading. We’ve scraped and flattened several surfaces, but there’s still more work to do with two guys currently on it and progress is good.

I also noticed the rear turret’s servo coupling area is heavily rusted, so I’m getting a quote from Mazak for replacements and checking for good used parts. The front turret’s seal is also in bad shape. It’s something you might want to inspect on your other machines, as it’s an easy and inexpensive fix.

The team spent nearly a week cleaning up the entire machine, though the electrical cabinet still needs detailing. We’ll get to that soon. The headstock was just installed this afternoon, and once alignment checks are done, I’ll record a video showing the process.

Overall, progress is steady and we’re getting a good push on the rebuild. I’ll update you soon with quotes for the parts and more videos of the setup in action.