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  • #1

    New Lathe Set-up

    Gentlemen,

    I just received delivery of my new Jet 13x40 gear head lathe. It is the first new lathe I have owned, and am unsure about clean-up and set-up procedures.

    All help/advice greatfully accepted.

    Thanks,
    Steve Walker
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Get it where you want it, hook up electrics. Make sure ways are cleaned up of nasties and lubed, get some way oil, make sure oil in apron and headstocks.

    Level it, level is not absolutely necessary but it's the easiest way to varify if machine bed is not twisted. Beg, borrow or buy a decent level, lots of cheap import precision levels on the market. Good old Starrett good enough, make sure it's at least a 6" model, 4" Starrett mechanics level has less sensitivity, you really don't need a master precision grade, awfully sensitive.

    Hope this gets you started. Oh, don't even think about mounting it on rubber. Cardboard shims maybe, but not those rubber leveling pads some places peddle.

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    • #3
      Halfnut,

      I've heard that Asian lathes need to be cleaned and de-burred before use? Is this generally true?

      Also, what type of lub should be used on the ways?

      Thanks,
      Steve

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      • #4
        Medium-weight way lube, available from MSC ( www.mscdirect.com) and others. Way lube is formulated to mimimize stick-slip friction, i.e. static and dynamic friction differences are minimized.


        ----------
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        • #5
          Steve,

          This Jet is just a bit better than the rest of the low cost imports, just a bit better final quality control. Get what you pay for, builders build to a price. Do look it over good, double check tightness of everthing you can.

          We have a 18 x 60 Clark at work, wasn't cheap, looks just like the 18 x 60 in the Grizzly catalog but not green. Motor has fallen off, drive pulley, input pulley needed tightening, worst thing was a shifting arm that had a setscrew come loose that held it on rail. I think it was a rail, happened to dayshift, they told me about it, I haven't had the cover off and peered into it's bowels yet.

          You might be lucky and everything be good and tight, we've also replaced several bolts and such with better grade stuff.

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