Something exciting on its way...

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2 people. Strongest one at the headstock end. Any more than that on a small machine and they would get in each others way.

Nick

Those half moon shaped weights they put in washing machines 'aint arf heavy' and they have a couple of flat surfaces.

No idea what they are made of though!

How about some photos of all these goings on for this forum?

Edited By V8Eng on 31/08/2017 13:23:05

According to the Twitter posts you need "Wes" to pick up the heavy end. Some pics there too.

I can (just)pick up the headstock end of my 280 when still fixed to the stand so I should think Neil can manage the tailstock end of an SC4.

I just keep faceplate, steadies, etc in the stand and have draws with tooling in between and it does not seem to jump about even with some large out of balance castings on it

Just lead - or propellant as well? (guess that would then be blast not ballast though!)

I can just lift the headstock end of the SC4, but as Wes (one of my steplads) now drives and unloads HGVs and previously used to carry granite kitchen worktops about in one hand I thought I would let him do the hard work. We managed to go from front drive, through the house and into the workshop in one, but I think we were both glad to get it down

We still have to lift it on the stand tonight, I've made a downpayment in Foster's.

The SO is wondering how we managed to move the lathe within a couple of hours but the old washing machine is still in the garden...

I'm not worried about the stand going anywhere, but I might screw it down if I can figure out a way of doing so!

www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machines-Accessories/Lathes/SIEG-SC4-Lathe/SIEG-SC4-and-C4-Lathe-Accessories/Deluxe-Stand-for-SC4-510-Lathe

Neil

I might screw it down if I can figure out a way of doing so!

It does say it is designed to be bolted to the floor. Nothing about screws, mind

And you can see the bolt holes in the photo you linked to. If its a wooden floor then couple of coach screws would do

I can see the holes, but how do I push bolts up through the floor from underneath without ripping it up?

There's only about 1 1/4 inches of headroom over the holes so no way to get a coach screw in.

Methinks two wooden strips overlapping the base and screwed to the floor will do the job.

Neil

mark hole positions with a pencil through the holes, move stand so you can pilot drill the floor. Pack stand up off the floor 3", poke a 4" coach screw through teh hole (should fit at an angle) then wind it 1" into the hole, lower stand 1" and screw another inch, etc.

However if it is only going to screw into a floorboard then 1" screws will do.

Alternatively don't bother screwing it down, mine is not and stand is almost identical design.

Threaded Head wood screws, mark position screw into wood floor drop cabinet over and bolt up.

Mike. **LINK**

It's not getting bolted down fast... I can't get the gearbox door fully open, so I might have to saw 8" off my mill/handwork bench and put that across the end of the workshop and the lathe can go where it was...

Anyway, got it running and did the classic of discovering it doesn't work with the guard open...

Lots of head scratching before I worked out how the standard feed and cross feed interlock with each other. At least it seems to be impossible to engage them both at the same time.

This does seem to be a very well thought out machine, look at those oil points and highly useful t-slots on the cross slide and top slide. These are meant for using it with a milling attachment on the back of the bed but in practice will provide lots of options for workholding or mounting accessories.

Way more complicated than a mini lathe.

It's going to be a busy weekend moving benches and cleaning this troll snot off the lathe. Then lots of adventures ahead like parting off under power crossfeed!

Easy job for two people. One at each end. Using equipment such as engine cranes is just making work for yourself.

We carried my wm250 across the road, down the cellar steps, through both doors and onto the bench.

It will be interesting to see how far to the right that top slide moves as there is a lot of overhang where the toolpost is at the moment.

I see it has a four way tool post - are you going to retain it or get a QCTP? If the latter, I would advise against an Arc Euro 'set'. Buying separately is the way to go and here are a few reasons:

Not really cheaper as you prolly won't want all the different tool holders in the set.

The knurling tool is an excessive pressure jobbie - not good for the lathe and the scissor types are far superior (even if a little/lot more expensive).

The parting tool holder is carp (well, mine is). The parting blade is fitted at an angle, so every time the blade is extended or retracted (for different diameter cuts) it must be reset at centre height!

More normal, simple tool holders are the real priority - the cheapest ones in the 'kit'.

Might be more, but will post now. IMO it would have been far better to offer a good price on the tool post and half a dozen, or so, normal tool holders (with maybe one of them with a V notch able to accommodate a round boring tool).

twitter photo shows the QCTP in it's box.

Can't quite see which one it is but the QCTP set for the SC4 that ARC suggest on their site just comes with just standard tool holders

Edited By JasonB on 01/09/2017 09:10:08

I only just realized that the micro lathe comment was just a farce! ​ This lathe is bigger than most of the sieg range and almost a whole 8" longer than mine. Only spindle bore and swing are smaller.

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 01/09/2017 09:54:35

I'll explore different QCTP possibilities.

I don't understand your issue with the parting tool holder? How can you have one that holds the tool at an angle and doesn't need height adjustment if you extend the blade? Even my home-made QC parting blade holder works like that. the alternative is my inserted tip parting tools which fit in an ordinary tool holder.

Having made both scissor and push-in knurling tools, I am far from convinced that the 'excessive pressure' argument really applies in these days of lathes with hefty rolling-element bearings in the headstock. I've shown this before, a 2 1/4" straight knurl done with a push-in tool on my mini-lathe, and it really wasn't difficult or traumatic:

I much prefer solid ground to shape parting tools or insert ones rather than the parting blades, they have a suberb ability to bend even at relatively short lengths!

I've never had a problem with knurling, I always follow the rule that you have to run them back up the length of the part in order for it to cut well.

Michael W

I've checked, it moves a long way, right past where it is fully supported.

About ~15mm overhang when aligned with the edge of the cross slide.

I guess a tool in a QCTP holder should be past the edge of the cross slide with the dovetail fully engaged.

Looks like I finally have a machine I can use my Wimberley tool holder with - I've waited about two years to try it! This is the US alternative take to tangential tooling.

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 01/09/2017 21:11:35

Is knurling done dry or lubed ?