Lathe question

R

rodm

Guest
I have a friend who is looking for a lathe to do some barrel work. He is looking at the two Grizzly models below.
MODEL G0709 14 X 40 GUNSMITH'S GEARHEAD LATHE
G0509G 16" x 40" 3-Phase Gunsmith's Metal Lathe
Does anyone have any experience with either of these lathes or have a suggestion for another lathe in this price range.
 
i like my G0509G very much. Very accurate lathe!! My spindle will turn under power and hold .0001, Its a big lathe though and there are some minor draw backs to big lathes.
I did a lot of research before i bought my lathe, and in my research i found that i would not buy the 14" grizzly. If you want a small lathe buy the 12" grizzly. I feel it is a better machine with a much better base. Lee
 
Working with two G0509 Lathes

The gunsmithing school where I teach has bought two of the Grizzly G0509G lathes. I have been setting them up and running them in. At first, changing speeds and feeds was a chore, but with the run-in recommended by Grizzly (basically 10-20 minutes in each speed), it is easier to select speeds and feeds. The collet chucks that we got with the lathes are Atlas, and the things came without the D16 locating pins and retainers. I have called both Grizzly and Atlas for help, but so far no joy. The machines are big and sturdy, and they seem to be fairly smooth at all but the highest speeds (which are far too high for me to use!). The lathes come partially assembled. You have to put on knobs and handles, etc. I have not yet mounted the taper attachments or the back side chip guards. I find the coolant system piping to be in the way. I may remove it from at least one of the lathes. I have not yet mounted the DRO's either. These are not plug in and play machines. They don't even come with oil in them, so plan to spend a little extra for the proper oil. In finest Chinese fashion, the speed control is marked 1/min which has been marked out and relabled RPM in Sharpie pen (I swear). I do NOT like the rollers on the steady rests. I would much prefer solid brass tips. The motors are powerful, but the belts slip on startup in moderate to higher speeds giving off a fingernal-on-the-blackboard screech.

Overall, I think these machines will be satisfactory, but I will have to run them for a time to see what deficiencies turn up.

Bill Jacobs
 
Butch....I think it's spelled Clempson...that's the way it was being pronounced the last time I was in South Carolina!!!!!
 
Spelling of Clemson

Bill Dorsey said:
Butch....I think it's spelled Clempson...that's the way it was being pronounced the last time I was in South Carolina!!!!!
Click to expand...

Bill is it true, the "O" and the "N" in "CLEMSON" stands for "honor and "knowledge"> That is what is told around the other parts of the ACC.

Nat Lambeth
 
Rustystud said:
Bill is it true, the "O" and the "N" in "CLEMSON" stands for "honor and "knowledge"> That is what is told around the other parts of the ACC.

Nat Lambeth
Click to expand...




I'm told it's the same as that big red "N" that Nebraska uses.....stands for Knowledge.....Yep!!!!!
 
Problem.....

First problem: Lead screw stopped turning on one lathe. Apparently a tiny shear pin runs the lead screw. Have to remove the lead screw to replace the shear pin.

Clemson
(Clemson 49 -- Syracuse 14)
 
Be sure your fully in gear. I thought the same thing on mine, but i wasnt all the way in gear on the feed lever. Lee
 
We took it apart and pulled out the pin, and it is indeed in pieces. We will manufacture another. The pin itself is really dinky -- about 1/16" in diameter. Seems like a very small pin for such a large leadscrew. Meanwhile I aligned the tailstock on lathe #2. Got it dialed in pretty good and cut a test bar. Off about 0.001 in a foot. We will refine that once we get to crankin on it. Carriage direction is determined by a push-pull button on the apron. That thing is really hard to move! Also hard to engage the feeds initially, but they seem easier after a little use.

Bill
 
I bought a Grizzly lathe, I am not unhappy with it for the cost. But some things are a bit "odd" and you want to be aware of them.

1. The graduations on the tailstock quill are .05 and .100 not 1/16 and 1/8....but the handwheel has a graduated collar on it that is quite nicem a feature older domestic lathes lack.

2. There are no degree graduations on the compound rest where you would want them to set the compound to 29 or 30 degrees for threading....I just made my own markings....in reality the compound "degree wheel" or whatever you choose to call it is about he same width as the cross slide, so there is no place for engraved markings on the side.

A positive is that the carriage feed handwheel has a graduated dial on it that is really a nice feature, most older domestic lathes do not have that feature. Usually on those older lathes you have a positive stop that has a graduated means of adjustment, but if I want to face off .01 on the Griz I can just use the marks on the carriage handhwheel.

Bill
 
My Clausing didn't have graduations on the tail stock. I just used the wheel off the Bridgeport knee and machined the tailstock for it. I much prefer my Trav A Dial for the carriage movement over a DRO especially during threading.
 
Butch Lambert said:
My Clausing didn't have graduations on the tail stock. I just used the wheel off the Bridgeport knee and machined the tailstock for it. I much prefer my Trav A Dial for the carriage movement over a DRO especially during threading.
Click to expand...

Been years since I used a Trav A Dial...decades even, but they did seem to work ok, and as a teenager I was issued a job of installing one on a lathe of some sort, do not even recall the brand, but the base hat came with the trav a dial was pretty cool how it allowed skewing it around to compensate for mounting it on a surface that was not flat.

But the setup right on the grizz handwheel works great, I typically mark a line with a sharpie. It works better than I would have guessed with most carriage wheels working via rack and pinion.

Bill
 
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