Sometimes the tool is the project

[Hmerkle]

Now that you mention it, I'm not sure. I'd assumed just some other type of steel given the heft to it, but it was just corroded/oxidized looking rather than rusted like the rest of the steel parts; aluminum would explain that. Guess I'll need to find a magnet to check. If aluminum polishes up this easily, I'm going to be doing a lot more polishing on any future CNCs I build I guess

Yes, that is what made me think of it - Aluminum polishes easily with a little buffing.
But all in all, I think the wheel looks good too...you could always have it nickle plated... but then that could add a lot of cost...

 

[Gotcha6]

Careful, Matt. You may get it looking so good you won't wanna let it get dusty & dirty again! :eusa_danc

 

[Chemeleon]

I just have to get it shiny enough the dust can't even stick to it, right?

 

[Hmerkle]

Matt you went the wrong direction - oil based battleship gray - the thickness covers cracks and after three months (unless on your hands - 15 seconds) drys to a high gloss finish and is only reapplied in case of a "learning event!" (ask any [strike]Seaman[/strike] mariner.)

 

[Gotcha6]

I wouldn't know. Never had anything dust WOULDN'T stick to..........

 

[Gotcha6]

Nevertheless, I hope you will continue in your endeavors to refurbish your lathe. I have found it is one of my shortcomings to be both impatient and procrastinative. As a result, whenever I acquire such a tool or project, I put enough energies into it to make it useable, saying to myself, "I'll come back and redo this later." Later never gets here, and I end up with something, although it works just fine, is less than ideal. Hang in there and I'm sure you'll have a lathe to be proud of. :icon_thum

 

[Chemeleon]

Finally had the necessary combination of free time and sunny weather to do a bit more work on this. Finished wire brushing the main beam, and got it, the legs, headstock, and a couple of the small parts primed with 2k epoxy primer. I've still got a few more small pieces to wire brush and prime, but the trial run on the big stuff went well. A few runs I'll have to sand out, and a lot of bondo work to go if I want things nice and smooth, but went uneventfully at least. Figure I'll stop at HF in the next couple days and grab a couple more spray guns - given the cost of their cheap HVLP guns, vs the time and the cost of thinner for 2k epoxy and paint, easier to just treat them as disposable.