Member postings for Jed Martens

Hi Ian - my unit came with a small yellow round cover for the side door, but it was loose somewhere (can't remember where exactly) and there was no fixing to mount it with. I guess I'll get around to fitting it somehow...

I'm with you regarding changing the chuck. The system with socket-head bolts facing into the head-stock, only accessible via a wee notch, is plain nuts.The tiny stubby hex key provided is even more laughable. Like you I had to modify a standard allen key to fit, and even then it was a struggle. I skinned one of my knuckles in the fight, but to be fair, I do that tackling even the simplest of jobs...

I have replaced the socket-head bolts with standard 25 x 8mm hex-head bolts, allowing a standard spanner to be used. Goodness knows why they didn't do that in the first place. I'm happy to be corrected if anyone can suggest why socket-head bolts are better...

I should also note, I had an anxious moment when the unit wouldn't start after I managed to get it up on the stand. It turns out the safety switch that is actuated by the side door is rather sensitive. A small shim taped to the inside of the door sorted that out by ensuring the switch is fully activated when the door is closed.

Hi Ian - glad to hear the delivery went smoothly. I managed to get mine up on the stand last night, using the "jack and pack" technique. That wasn't easy either, I had no idea owning a lathe was so challenging. There's still plenty to do before I can make any cuts...

Here's some pictures...

This could be totally normal or all I know. The superficial stuff that you can see doesn't bother me, that will all be cleaned up. I'll then open up the apron and see how it looks. If it's free of dirt/grit then I'll leave well enough alone...

Hi all, hopefully it's ok making a new thread for this - it is likely generally applicable to any new machine of Far Eastern origin...

My new Chinese-made lathe has arrived smothered in a tasty mixture of grease and grit. I think I've seen this referred to as "chicken fat" on here? If so, this particular blend has a lot more grit in it than any chicken fat I've seen...

Obviously this needs to be cleaned off. My question is, how far do you need to go? Anything that I can see or can be easily removed (eg: tail-stock) is a given - but if one assumes that this grit could be anywhere in the machine, then this suggests taking all the gears out and cleaning them, opening up the apron to clean the gears there, etc.

How far is it prudent to go? My fear is getting things back together if taken to extremes...

I was being facetious - they sit at a desk all day long like you too

Here's how the crate looked....

The Warco crate that contains the lathe is fairly solid. The stand is separate, so the crate is long and low, and as the lathe is bolted to the base, reasonably balanced. However, someone had decided to pop that onto a standard euro-pallet, which didn't support the length of the crate. Then the boxes with the base were piled on top, at one end - the head-stock end obviously. The result tipped over easily when the delivery guy turned the pallet truck.

He did say it toppled over gently. I was sceptical, but it looks ok so far. Once I can prove to myself the ways are true I'll be happy.

I have a lot of sympathy for those delivery guys, they're not the guys that package up the pallets, but they do end up dealing with the mess when things go wrong.

edit : I should also praise our local postie, who happily helped myself and the driver get the crate the right way up.

Edited By Jed Martens on 30/07/2019 20:57:22

Well, it has arrived. My first glimpse of it, as I walked down the drive to meet the delivery driver, was of the pallet laying on its side on the pavement, having tipped off the pallet trolley. Not a great start - I called Warco and we agreed I'd accept the delivery, un-box it and assess the damage, and we'd take it from there...

So, I built a timber frame around the crate with 4 handles, so that myself and 3 burly software engineers could shift it.

Then it began its trip. First a small ramp and along the front of the house...

Then up the big ramp... (kids are camping in the back yard)

and finally to the shed...

where it is currently sitting on the concrete floor while I build up the stand and get it in position. It is most certainly a 4-person job shifting one of these things...

I can't see any visible signs of damage. I've powered it up and it seems to run ok. The levers all do what they are supposed to. Once I get it on the stand I'll start checking that everything is straight and true. I've measured the spindle run-out (not that I have any idea if this is a significant measurement or not) and it is less than 0.01mm. So far so good, I suppose...

Edited By Jed Martens on 30/07/2019 19:52:55

I've been informed by Warco that the lathe has shipped.

I appreciate emojis are frowned upon here, so I'll go with a gif...

My interest in machining resulted from a few attempts at automation in my wife's wee brewery. I'm an electronics engineer, so the software and control systems were easy enough. But the mechanical aspects of the projects were woeful. So I've been watching too much youtube, reading forums like this, and building my workshop. So far it's just an sx3 mill, with a lathe arriving soon...

The first project is for a bottle labelling machine. I've been learning a bit of CAD and come up with this. No doubt this will be modified a lot as the build progresses, but it's a start...

The first part I've tackled is the "peeler" plate - the labels (which are on a paper backing) come off the roll and get pulled around the end of this, separating the label from the backing...

And here's the result, executed in 304 stainless.

This is my first ever part, so I'm well chuffed, but there's a long way to go.

Hi Fmes, those electric pallet trucks are awesome, but unfortunately I've got some bumpy lawn, steps, and more lawn to negotiate to get to my shed. Good old fashioned manpower will have to suffice

Ahaha! If only it were that easy...

I think I'll be relying on some colleagues to provide the muscle to get the machine into the shed, and then the "jack and pack" method that Howard suggests for getting it up onto the stand.

I would guess that the blue/brown are neutral/live in the UK AC colour scheme. In the US neutral is white and black is live.

If that's the case (and I'm only speculating, I'm not a sparky and I don't yet have a lathe) then connecting blue to white and brown to black would be correct.

Edited By Jed Martens on 23/07/2019 13:30:46

Great idea Ian.

I certainly have some challenges getting it into position. I'm hoping a bunch of my work colleagues can be persuaded to lend a hand.

I haven't called Warco, so thanks for the shipping update.

Thanks for all the feedback guys, it is much appreciated.

Brian has very kindly installed the original toolpost on his GH600 and confirmed that a 1/2" bar sits just under the centre line, so 12mm tooling will be ok.

I can appreciate the versatility and low-cost of high-speed steel, and I do have a bench grinder for sharpening it, but that will be a learning curve in itself. The lathe will be enough of a learning curve for now, and since standard carbide inserts are not that expensive (as DC31k points out), it seems like an obvious and easy place to start. Also, a lot of my turning will be stainless, and it isn't clear to me if HSS is commonly used for that. I guess it was before carbide tooling was invented, but all the online information I can find points to insert tooling.

A quick-change toolpost may come in time, but I'm just cutting my teeth, and learning how to shim a tool will do me no harm.

Thanks again for all your input

Jed

Thanks for the replies chaps, there's some great info and food for thought in there.

Neil's point is a good one - there's no requirement to engage the full face of the cutter, so even if the mill is struggling in some situations, the depth of cut and degree of engagement can be backed off.

I'll look in detail at the APKT insert mills, the inserts certainly appear to be a lot more sophisticated than the TPAN ones.

I'll also persist with the fly cutter, given the favourable opinions. David - I assume your reference to a "small radius" means taking off the sharp point of the cutter, which I guess reduces the chances of it chipping. I do have a bench grinder of unknown provenance - the previous owner of my house left it behind when he moved, but I have hardly used it. It runs smoothly and quietly, but the guides and guards are shot and will need some work.

What is the best source of carbide to mount in the fly cutter? Can you buy "blanks", or is it easy enough to grind down the ends of broken end mills or drills?

Thanks David, I have a (cheap) fly cutter with hss and brazed carbide cutters, and it works wonderfully cutting acetal, but as soon as I've tried it on stainless I chip the cutter. This might have more to do with me or the quality of the tool rather than fly-cutters in general, but it lead me to look at other options for face-milling stainless.

I'm pondering how the size of face mill affects the load on the machine. I presume that it's a function of the number of teeth in contact with the work, and the speed of which you are pushing them. Does this change with a larger face mill? The number of teeth is the same, and you can slow down the mill so that the surface speed of cutter is the same.

On the the hand, with a larger face mill, the teeth are further away from axis of rotation, and this might result in more sideways loading on the bearings. Is this the stress you are referring to?

Jed

I've been thinking of getting a face mill for some time, as squaring up stock with a 10mm end mill gets a bit tedious. I'm intending on buying some lathe tooling from Glanze, and am tempted by their MT3 face mill with 3 x TPAN inserts.

What size is appropriate? I assume that bigger is better in that you need less passes to cover a surface, but at some point the mill can't cope.

My mill is a Sieg SX3 (1kW motor). Will this cope with the 50mm face mill, or should I go for something smaller?

My new lathe (Warco gh600) is on its way, so I need to buy some tooling for it. It comes with a 4-way indexable tool post, that takes up to 12mm tooling.

I intend to go for indexable carbide tooling, as I don't have the experience or tools to accurately grind my own HSS tooling. And a lot of my planned projects use stainless steel.

Reading threads on here, Glanze tooling seems to be highly regarded. From their website, it looks like I can get a range of tooling for LH/RH turning/facing, internal/external threading, boring and parting for less than £200.

So that's my plan. Please tell me if I'm missing something!

I understand that with this type of tool holder, the tool needs to be shimmed to bring it up to centre-height. What is the best material to use for shimming?

Thanks in advance

Jed

edit : I think my shimming question has been thoroughly covered in this thread...

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=27984&p=2

I quite like the beer can idea. Must empty some cans first...

Edited By Jed Martens on 22/07/2019 09:42:46

Edited By Jed Martens on 22/07/2019 09:43:27

Well, I'm committed. Nothing suitable has popped up on the second-hand market, and Warco have received their latest shipment of units, so I've signed on the dotted line. Delivered next week, hopefully...

Now to think about tooling...

Thanks for the comments and feedback guys, it's really appreciated.

I found an identical looking machine on a Chinese site that has some decent pictures (why Warco has only one low-res piccy is beyond me).

Here

You can read the thread pitch info...