Brand New LittleMachineShop Lathe Owner

[Bented]

The shop has a 48" X 96" granite plate, I use an 8" X 12" granite plate at the machine that I am currently running if the parts are small.
Not large enough for a minilathe

[The Artful Bodger]

Every time some one does it, it’s a horror show with most Asian import hobby lathes.

Can you please point to an example of that? I would really like to know how the new stuff compares to my old 'hobby' lathes.

[nickel-city-fab]

I would like to remind everyone that we're here to help the new guy out, not bash on each other's equipment.
Would also like to note the Clickspring uses an SC-4 to good effect as his "large" lathe. http://www.clickspringprojects.com/

[john b]

This sounds like a conversation that that would happen over at Practical Machinist web site. The OP came here for help not to find out who had the largest Richard. I personally have a HF 9x20 and does what I need it to do. Yes I have run larger machines like a large Bullard VTL. and a4'x8' planer. They did what they meant to do just like my 9x20. Give the guy a break, don't scare him off.

[psomero]

another owner here with just over a year of use

huh? pick different gears. the table lists two, but you can pick any combination of gears, as the lever is fed off the only rotating shaft out of the gearbox?

[JRouche]

You get what I am trying to say.
I don't think anyone else does.
My post was about getting a decent lathe
in order to prevent new comers to the hobby
from getting frustrated with an import lathe.
HF or LMS it does not matter. The mechanical
design and engineering of these lathes is bad.
Real bad. They are not fit or scraped for bearing.
I referenced a SB 10" was way better performing.
And that is for design and fitting / scraping reasons.
The depth of cut without chatter tells the tale.
Compare this and that lathe, taking a cut is always
the answer. Trying to justify price among basically
the same import lathe, fruitless banter.
Get something that works.
A 10" SB lathe or a 12x36 class import lathe works
pretty well.
As for these tiny lathes, look where the headstock
attaches to the bed. (you have to pull some sheet
metal off). The bed is super thin. Like about 5/16"
where they join. This is flex city. It is a design problem.
Not good engineering. But they cover it with sheet
metal and no one sees it. Until they take a cut and
20 thousandths chatters like a bastard.
I am not trashing anyone's lathe.
I am saying if you don't already have a lathe,
buy something decent and be more happy.

-Doozer

Who the fak knew? I didnt, I dont have one of those lathes. Mine is a Southbend ten inch lathe. The bed is I think the longest they made for the 10" You could do rifle work with it. Cost me $800, eighteen years ago. It broke my big toe (thats real).

I am of a certain point to say enjoy the one you are with. JR

[Jim Stewart]

This sounds like a conversation that that would happen over at Practical Machinist web site. The OP came here for help not to find out who had the largest Richard. I personally have a HF 9x20 and does what I need it to do. Yes I have run larger machines like a large Bullard VTL. and a4'x8' planer. They did what they meant to do just like my 9x20. Give the guy a break, don't scare him off.

Yes. But the ego trips of some people always seen to poison threads from new members.

Jammer, welcome aboard!

-js

[JRouche]

Yes. But the ego trips of some people always seen to poison threads from new members.

Jammer, welcome aboard!

-js

Hey now, was I bad again? ha.. Always.

Me: "Thats a very nice machine. It has all the features you are looking for. You are going to have Fun! JR"


My objective is to not piss anyone off. Trying to turn a new leaf. You know, change... JR

[Tundra Twin Track]

[QUOTE=nickel-city-fab;n1975542]I would like to remind everyone that we're here to help the new guy out, not bash on each other's equipment.



I’m with you on that NCF, new guy just starting out hope his New Machine works great.Wecome to the Forum Jammer!

[darryl]

Somebody mentioned it a bit ago- you can hand feed the carriage easily, and for a lot of jobs you won't need to bother with change gears. I can't remember the last time I used power feed.

One thing I did long ago is remove the carriage handwheel. I did not like the action of cranking it with the little knob that's attached to it- pulling the apron back and forth, up and down depending on where the little knob was as the handwheel rotated. I replaced the handwheel with a 6 inch long section of 1-1/2 diameter aluminum tube, making up a little hub so it could attach to the existing handwheel axle. I didn't know if I would like that, but I do and have never gone back. I like the feel, I can easily go hand over hand for a continuous carriage movement, and I can back away from the chuck quickly with one twist of my hand. This isn't ideal for a long cut to take down a diameter, but I like it for 90% of what I do. I can still engage power feed if I want to.

This lathe is an 8x18, which as far as I can tell is bodily the same as the 9x19- at least in the era in which those were made en masse. My threading chart shows the gear tooth count and the positions for the change gears listed, as well as the gearbox position ( I think there are either 7 or 9 positions, I could go look-). That means there are probably a hundred or more different ratios the lead screw can be driven at, and by ignoring the chart and just playing with the gear train there are more ratios that could be used- even if these extra ones don't correspond to a known thread count. But as far as power feed goes, this gives way more ratios than anyone would care to set up. Even without the 7 position gear box, or just leaving it in one position, there are still several lead screw ratios that can be had by selecting the change gears. And that means several different feed rates are available even without the gear box. If you look at the final result only, you would see that the finest feed rate corresponds to the finest thread that could be cut, and the actions are the same. There are only two differences- one being that threading generally corresponds to higher feed rates ( a 6 tpi for instance requires a feed rate of about 160 thou per turn) and the threading system allows you to lock onto the lead screw in an exact and repeatable position for making multiple passes to bring a thread to proper depth. This action is not needed for feeding.

It's fun to play with the numbers. For instance, if you set up for a feed rate of 2 thou per inch, that corresponds to a thread of 500 tpi- pretty much useless for anything, but totally possible to create with a dead sharp cutter- and doable in one pass. The threading system with the half nuts won't let you get anywhere near this- 56 tpi is the limit on my thread chart.

[Jammer Six]

What does "blue printed" mean?

The way I've always heard it used was it meant returning all the parts in a given mechanism to the center of their respective tolerances, according to the blueprint.

The purpose was to eliminate tolerance stacking.

Since no reference surface was used, it had nothing to to with a reference plate.

[Doozer]

The way I've always heard it used was it meant returning all the parts in a given mechanism to the center of their respective tolerances, according to the blueprint.

The purpose was to eliminate tolerance stacking.

Since no reference surface was used, it had nothing to to with a reference plate.

If the engineer did his job,
there will be no tolerance stacking.
Just saying.

-Doozer

[RB211]

Here’s an example that was requested. Replying from my iPhone is challenging on this forum…

[Peter.]

Blueing & scraping and blueprinting are two different things.

What Nick is doing in the above video is blueing. His initial results are no surprise at all. I have swan-necked scrapers I use for doing those dovetails. Saves having to work on the edge of the blade and risking a dig-in.

[RB211]

I should of said “Blueing” instead of “Blueprinting”.