Machine tool comments?

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Ron LaDow
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Re: Machine tool comments?

#16 Post by Ron LaDow »

Norm, been trying sample cuts at various speeds and feeds; after adjusting the gibs, I'm not getting any chatter. Both the cross slide and the compound rest will get locks regardless; I can dimension the locations now.
But it did not get 'run-off' at the factory; the tailstock did not want to stay in place, fore and aft. Check, there were paint-drips on the bottom of the ways and dirt on the tailstock clamp casting. A lot of cleaning and scraping but all better now. It WILL stay in place.
Joris has that Hardinge (used, Joris?) likely 'tuned' by the first owner and not requiring anything like this needs even from the factory; you pay for that sort of effort and expertise. I had a Lodge & Shipley at one time; it was also used but very accurate. And 'tuned'. My Jet was pretty well sorted when I got it and got better as I had it (looks like Jack Staggs is gonna get that). In this case, I'm willing to turn this into a useable tool, but hope that Grizzle pays what they owe for what they delivered.
Sort of like buying a freshly 'restored' car; now make it work after it looks pretty.
Still tuning today; got the tailstock center aligned within .0003" on radius to the headstock center (machined in situ). I'm gonna try once more, but it may be the limit of the setscrew adjustment accuracy.
It is a far better lathe than the one I had.
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

Norm Miller
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Re: Machine tool comments?

#17 Post by Norm Miller »

Ron,
Wont you need a shim in the way for the screws to set against.
Some machining required!

Norm
 

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Ron LaDow
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Re: Machine tool comments?

#18 Post by Ron LaDow »

Norm, the drawings in the manual suck, so it remains in question, but it looks like I can run a screw against the top, outside of the gib in both places and force them against the mating, linear bearing, surface without harm.
Still working at it...
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

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Ron LaDow
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Re: Machine tool comments?

#19 Post by Ron LaDow »

A bit more:
The tailstock is aligned by setscrews seating on a raw casting; you (the machinist) are to take that into consideration.
Try several more times, setscrews, dial indicator, get a TIR of ~.0002" (on a 6" linear cut); pretty happy.
More efforts, presuming there are some tenths inconsistencies in the tailstock taper, the live center concentricity (three places I can see for errors in the live center). Mark the near side of the live center with a wick pen, rotate it in the tailstock take a cut and measure.
Four tries; ~180* from the original seating gives me mic dims that seem to favor one side of the scribe mark or the other; I'm calling that zero since I don't do optical work.
Not got to the locking screws yet, Norm.
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

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Ron LaDow
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Re: Machine tool comments?

#20 Post by Ron LaDow »

I did get it dialed in, except for some obvious and trivial 'economies' here and there (the switch panel could be made of stiffer material), it seems to be a good piece of machinery.
Unfortunately, the importer and seller, Grizzly Machine of Seattle, suffers from a serious case of shoddy, not to say slimy, business practices and ethics. As a result of their failure to deliver what I had ordered, there was near $1K in additional costs to me in direct, specific costs.
In reply to my email, they were stupid enough to offer a $50 credit on future purchases.
So, unethical and dumb besides; deal with them at your own risk.
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

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