Restoring the old Oliver

[Steve Ash]

This afternoon I went out to play with my lathe and instead of grabbing the bowl gouge, I grabbed a flat screwdriver and started chipping at the old nasty cracked paint. I knew when I got started that I should quit, but kept picking away at the old nasty stuff. after about 15 minutes I said, "heck with it" and started removing parts and pieces, drug out the grinder, put on a rough grit sanding disk and started removing paint.

The whole time visions of restoring my old Chevelle SS kept popping in my head and I was thinking you guys on sawmill creek talk about a slippery slope....well I fell in over my head in the drop off....been there before numerous times with muscle car restorations, antique tractor restorations...seemed only fitting to get busy and start the process on this old Oliver 159.

Then I got some ideas on how to "modify" it to my liking, got some chrome out in the shop, and extra muncie 4 speed.....oops, might get out of hand. At any rate here are some pictures of todays progress. I willl update this project until I'm done ( I'm sure it won't go as fast as Karl's house did )

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/GardenBay/Oliver1.jpg

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Steve I'm getting goose bumps!! This is cool. However, all the while I thought it was Oliver Green and truth be known it must be John Deer Green.

[David Richardson]

Hot dawg, it's lookin better already! You gonna have your buddy check out the motor while you're at it? That and a little paint and it'll be worth 3 times what you paid! Lookin good, keep us up to date on your progress.

By the way....nice truck in that first pic! :rolleyes:

[Tony Sizemore]

Man am I envious!!!!!!!
I would love to come across and old piece of iron like that have the time and room to redo it. As you fall just remember you will be in good company do here! J
Keep us up to date on how it goes:D :D :D

[Steve Ash]

Hot dawg, it's lookin better already! You gonna have your buddy check out the motor while you're at it? That and a little paint and it'll be worth 3 times what you paid! Lookin good, keep us up to date on your progress.

By the way....nice truck in that first pic! :rolleyes:

Hey Dave, nice of you to pop in. Yep going through it all, gonna copy your switch setup except I'm thinking of adding a turbo booster, a line lock, maybe a tachometer......

That is a nice truck..... thanks for doing the hauling.

[John Hart]

Too Cool Steve! Can't wait. Nice of you to do the progress-pic thing.;) :)

[Jeff Horton]

Must be something in the air today Steve. I tore down my DeWalt RAS to start rebuilding it this morning too.

Since this is not a lathe ...... :rolleyes: Just found it funny we both started today. I am betting you get yours done before I get mine done though.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Steve that is going to be a awesome looking machine when you getter done. Can't wait to see it all decked out. Looks like you got a good start.

[Pete Jordan]

Steve,

I thought you might go this route. I can't wait to see it when it is done. Have you decided on a color yet?
Pete

[Jason Morgan]

Steve,

How did you find the Oliver? Do you have a thread on it or a brief recap of what all you did to find it? I would like to try the same thing.

[John Shuk]

Steve,
That is definately the way to do it! Looking good.

[Pat Salter]

So, where ya going to hang the fuzzy dice????

BTW, I think David Marks has one of those that he uses in one of his episodes on DIYnet. Painted grey. :eek:

[David Richardson]

Jason, here's one place to watch for an Oliver:

http://www.olivermachinery.com/welcome.html

[Steve Ash]

Pete, I've got a whole paint cabinet of left over paint from some cars, let's see...there is Plum crazy purple with lime green, got some sunset gold over pure red, John deere green and yellow, midnight blue and some silver for accents......don't really know yet.

Found a SS396 emblem I could use, hang the fuzzy dice from that I guess. Might make up a instrument cluster with a oil pressure guage, keyed switch, Tach, NOS button,....hurst shifter knob could go on the variable speed handle. 8 track tape player underneath the bed.... you guys will just have to check in on the progress. :D

[Corey Hallagan]

Steve, that is great! It is going to be a fun project to watch your progress. I opt for plumb crazy, 396SS badge and the 8 track under the bed!

Corey

[Jim Becker]

Steve, no harm in that. By the time you're done with the restoration, you'll know the machine inside and out, literally. And while rebuilding, you'll probably find some interesting thoughts coming on how to soup it up! I don't recommend chrome, however...you don't need any glare while you have a hunk 'o wood spinin' round and round!

[David Richardson]

Steve, lots of good ideas, but I'd skip the NOS...I don't really think that qualifies as 'variable speed'!

[Jim Young]

Steve, just don't paint it plum crazy purple. I would say go with something light, that way things are a little easier to see. I bet when you get done done it will be real nice looking. Makes me want a new lathe already.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

See........I told you!............What exotics have you been turning Steve?.........I knew it!...:eek: :rolleyes: :D

[Chuck Lenz]

I have a Oliver 159MW complete, right down to the knockout rod and wrench, 3/4hp 220 V motor, and it's for sale in this website, I'm not much of a turner. The original color from what I can tell is battleship gray. These lathes were know as the Cadillac of lathes, I seen a guy put a Cadillac emblem on one. It's not something I would do, but to each his own. If I don't sell it, mine will go back to the original color. http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c89/Woodchuck_/Oliver159MW1.jpg