New lathe
- Thread starter c-fbmi
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Mauser GDog
CGN frequent flyer
Hat's off to you folks that have the skills to actually produce useful items with these..
Amen to that. Here I am looking for my first bench vise so I can assemble an AR-15...might as well be playing with Lego compared to these big-boy-toys!
I had to see a photo.
I have one exactly like that, other than it doesn't bear the Craftex logo and it's red. Many outfits sell these back gear lathes under different logos.
Be very careful to keep it at a temperature that doesn't reach extremes. Such as below freezing then quickly warm. Even if it is well lubed, the ways and chuck will show some rust.
The only thing I don't like about these lathes are the marks on the adjustment handle spindles. They aren't accurate enough and try to kill two birds with one stone by including both metric and Imperial marks into the same marks. You will need to do some serious playing to get used to it. Other than that they are fine for some very precise work. The guys that are used to CNC machines, will just chuckle and shake their heads at the almost antique set up. Not that they won't appreciate it though.
The back gear lathes can do a lot of work, if they are properly maintained. Take special care of the feed screw and the half nut. Also, be extremely careful to maintain the oil levels in the gear box. The seals in these machines have a tendency to leak. Also, make sure the belt tensions from the drive motor to the driven pulley are correct. After a couple of hours of use, there will likely be a bit of stretch.
One thing they don't come with is a soft platform to protect the ways under the chuck, during a change out. They also don't include a Spider for the rear of the spindle shaft. It will be an afternoon's project to make one up. The Spider comes in very handy when threading a barrel tenon. I also changed out the turret style tool post on mine to an Aloris, with eight change out blocks. IMHO, it is the Cadillac of tool posts. Ten seconds to change out a tool bit or style. If I hadn't been able to salvage it from a damaged, very early CNC lathe that was being discarded, I certainly wouldn't have put out the money for it though.
OP, enjoy your new toy. I use mine enough and do jobs on the side enough to have paid for mine a few times over. I do a bit of work for some of the local farmers and ranchers. Most of it, I will admit is pro bono but they are usually pretty fair about paying for bigger jobs. Ranchers and farmers are notorious for not using grease and lubricants as often as the manual suggests.
One other caveat, make sure you have a decent floor to mount your machine on. The pedestals they supply as bases, aren't nearly as stable as they should be. The pedestals that came with my Grizzly were way to light for the machine. It now has a 3x3x3/8in cross based frame to rest on. The concrete underneath them is six inches thick, reinforced with Kevlar fiber and rebar so it won't change level on me. It doesn't take very much to throw even a small machine like our off true. My Chinese back gear lathe has the same pedestals as those in the picture. It's OK and so far has stayed true. I am sure this is because of the heavy floor it rests on.
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I have the 10" swing model. I am pleased with mine and what I have used it for so far. Even built a milling vice attachment in order to do light milling. I believe you will be well pleased with the quality vs cost.
I had to see a photo.
I have one exactly like that, other than it doesn't bear the Craftex logo and it's red. Many outfits sell these back gear lathes under different logos.
Be very careful to keep it at a temperature that doesn't reach extremes. Such as below freezing then quickly warm. Even if it is well lubed, the ways and chuck will show some rust.
The only thing I don't like about these lathes are the marks on the adjustment handle spindles. They aren't accurate enough and try to kill two birds with one stone by including both metric and Imperial marks into the same marks. You will need to do some serious playing to get used to it. Other than that they are fine for some very precise work. The guys that are used to CNC machines, will just chuckle and shake their heads at the almost antique set up. Not that they won't appreciate it though.
The back gear lathes can do a lot of work, if they are properly maintained. Take special care of the feed screw and the half nut. Also, be extremely careful to maintain the oil levels in the gear box. The seals in these machines have a tendency to leak. Also, make sure the belt tensions from the drive motor to the driven pulley are correct. After a couple of hours of use, there will likely be a bit of stretch.
One thing they don't come with is a soft platform to protect the ways under the chuck, during a change out. They also don't include a Spider for the rear of the spindle shaft. It will be an afternoon's project to make one up. The Spider comes in very handy when threading a barrel tenon. I also changed out the turret style tool post on mine to an Aloris, with eight change out blocks. IMHO, it is the Cadillac of tool posts. Ten seconds to change out a tool bit or style. If I hadn't been able to salvage it from a damaged, very early CNC lathe that was being discarded, I certainly wouldn't have put out the money for it though.
OP, enjoy your new toy. I use mine enough and do jobs on the side enough to have paid for mine a few times over. I do a bit of work for some of the local farmers and ranchers. Most of it, I will admit is pro bono but they are usually pretty fair about paying for bigger jobs. Ranchers and farmers are notorious for not using grease and lubricants as often as the manual suggests.
I like mine but sometimes find the gear combinations to be a PIB. My only complaint, are the markings on the
Republic of Alberta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Took a look at that machine and it looks like it's the cats ass. I did not know that they were made in Taiwan back when I looked. I got the little 12x36 BB made in China and it has even been ok for my needs.
Thank you all for the kind comments. I am not a machinist by trade and really don't know that much about lathes and milling machines, except how to use them. Kinda like the airplanes in my life........... I took a good look at it and thought it would do for all my turning needs for the rest of my life. It has been my experience that accuracy is a product of the operator more than the machinery anyway. I have seen some pretty nice work come off some very old decrepit looking machines and vice versa. I just wish I had the financial freedom to set up a machine shop like I am setting up now, 20 or 30 years ago. Hopefully one of my sons will take up the Bubba lust and carry on with what I have managed to accumulate so late in my life.
It is unfortunate that it takes so long to acquire financial freedom and knowledge, leaving only a few years to practice this knowledge on decent equipment and gain even further knowledge. I enjoy talking to some of my friends and acquaintances in the gunsmithing field and I realize how much I don't know and how little time there is left. My thirst for knowledge is still insatiable but my time left will be never enough. I guess this is the eternal dilemma, so now I will do what I can and hope the next generation can find some value in what I have learned and carry on from there.
I have never attempted to leave a mark in the gun world and have never even documented any of the hair brained stuff I have done, I have done it all in the quest for my own personal knowledge of firearms, internal, external and terminal ballistics. The only writing and sharing of this knowledge has been on here the past couple of years. It mirrors my hunting exploits, in that I have never entered any animals in any record books anywhere. I do it for my own inexplicable reasons and it is quite personal to me and I don't really feel a great need to share or be recognized for it. You guys have really been my only sharing pool of my hunting, with the exception of a few friends who are like minded.
Enough waxing philosophical.....time to start bubba-ing some fine guns !!! First project when I get her all trued up is to hog out the chamber on a perfectly good 700 Custom shop 458 to the one I designed based on the 416 Ruger case with a 40 deg shoulder, then make up a bunch of brass from a whack of 416 Rem brass I bought a while back for this express purpose. IF I remember, I'll try to take some photos and include you guys.
It is unfortunate that it takes so long to acquire financial freedom and knowledge, leaving only a few years to practice this knowledge on decent equipment and gain even further knowledge. I enjoy talking to some of my friends and acquaintances in the gunsmithing field and I realize how much I don't know and how little time there is left. My thirst for knowledge is still insatiable but my time left will be never enough. I guess this is the eternal dilemma, so now I will do what I can and hope the next generation can find some value in what I have learned and carry on from there.
I have never attempted to leave a mark in the gun world and have never even documented any of the hair brained stuff I have done, I have done it all in the quest for my own personal knowledge of firearms, internal, external and terminal ballistics. The only writing and sharing of this knowledge has been on here the past couple of years. It mirrors my hunting exploits, in that I have never entered any animals in any record books anywhere. I do it for my own inexplicable reasons and it is quite personal to me and I don't really feel a great need to share or be recognized for it. You guys have really been my only sharing pool of my hunting, with the exception of a few friends who are like minded.
Enough waxing philosophical.....time to start bubba-ing some fine guns !!! First project when I get her all trued up is to hog out the chamber on a perfectly good 700 Custom shop 458 to the one I designed based on the 416 Ruger case with a 40 deg shoulder, then make up a bunch of brass from a whack of 416 Rem brass I bought a while back for this express purpose. IF I remember, I'll try to take some photos and include you guys.
I'm much the same way C-fbmi.
I enjoy using the lathe and have cut barrel tips and redone crowns on a few Hurricane damaged guns of mine.
I have made a .223 reamer from prints just to improve my skills as I have never been a lathe operator in the past. I have built other tools and my next project is to turn an old reduction gear into an indexing tool for my lathe.
Best wishes on your endeavors, it is a great way to learn machining, machine cool stuff and kill time.
I enjoy using the lathe and have cut barrel tips and redone crowns on a few Hurricane damaged guns of mine.
I have made a .223 reamer from prints just to improve my skills as I have never been a lathe operator in the past. I have built other tools and my next project is to turn an old reduction gear into an indexing tool for my lathe.
Best wishes on your endeavors, it is a great way to learn machining, machine cool stuff and kill time.
Nice lathe you will find it will do for what you need. I have a old craftex mill in my garage and have had nothing but good luck with it.
For those who are starting on a lathe may I suggest you practice on hard wood when I started my trade as a tool and die maker thats what I would do if I was unsure that way if you make a mistake your not beating up your tools or machine too much.
I have an old standard modern lathe and i love it
For those who are starting on a lathe may I suggest you practice on hard wood when I started my trade as a tool and die maker thats what I would do if I was unsure that way if you make a mistake your not beating up your tools or machine too much.
I have an old standard modern lathe and i love it
Lathe all set up now and I installed 2 X 2 tube 4' fluorescent fixtures right over top at 7'. Tomorrow is my first rechamber with it so I hope all goes well............458 WM to my version of 458 Ruger imp 40 deg. Spent all day yesterday familiarizing myself with all the levers and dials, so I think I got a handle on 'er now........now down to bubbaing perfectly good rifles.................
Just one comment about fluorescent tubes and machine tools....
Beware that there may be times that the pulse rate of the tube matches up with the rate that the chuck turns to the point that the strobe effect causes it to look like it is still. It is for this reason that an incandescent light or other light source be provided as well as the fluorescent. A extra work light that can be moved around the lathe is handy in any case. I REALLY liked having the magnetic base lamps around that I could move to where I needed the light.
Life is easier with all the fingers you started out with, eh?
Cheers
Trev
Trev, you really need to upgrade to the new high frequency ballast lights! I used to see some oddball strobing effects with the old transformer style line frequency light but when I installed an overhead hanging new fixture that had the new style ballast I never saw that again.
Ayup.
Only see the strobe effect on some pretty rare occasions when all the variables are just right, but it has happened.
And old light fixtures will continue to be repurposed for shop use as long as they work, so I figured it worth mentioning, even if it is a rare problem.
It's not a big deal until it becomes one, eh?
Cheers
Trev
These fixtures are the new T8 electronic with daylight lamps, they are not supposed to have a light strobe frequency............Am very much aware of the strobe effect, but then a guy would have to be 1/2 asleep not to hear the lathe running and feed his fingers into the chuck. The daylight lamps are so much nicer than the old cool whites too, much better light. This machine also has a travelling light on the tool bed you can aim pretty much where you want.
Good light is great! I have a flexible lamp that I can pull right over where I am working.
As far as safety goes, boredom and complacency can result in things happening that really shouldn't.
Wound my shirt tail around the leadscrew of my 16" South Bend one time, forty years ago. A leadscrew turns really slowly compared with the spindle. Fortunately.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
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Oh Man....just last night I was standing at my lathe and looked down to see my shirt tail had pulled out from my belt and was hanging down real close to the turning op rod.
I know better than to let that happen too. A few years ago I was a very green beginner, attending the SAIT Gunsmithing course. The fellow at the lathe behind me was a 4 or 5 time attendee and was very non-challant to the point of almost making fun of the fundamental safety concerns being relayed by the course instructor. On into the fourth night there, I heard a scream behind me, when I turned around the guys shirt was spinning at about 400 rpm in the chuck and he and another fellow were checking out some very substantial bruising to his arm and chest. Very lucky that's all he had...no more smart -ass snickers or remarks when the instructor made a safety point!!
