Warco GH600

@David, I don't mind you saying at all. I'm new to this and any advice is gratefully received. The tool had been fitted for the purpose of evaluating the centre-height, and hasn't been used for any real cutting. I'll adjust it before I do so.

@Ian, I don't understand the difference between the two models, so I just went with the one referenced in the MEW article.

I'm pretty ignorant about difference material types. It certainly isn't aluminium. I don't think it's cast iron. I guess it must be steel

I'll take some measurements for you, but I'd say that there is plenty of material to machine. The base which I had to bore through is a little thicker than the height of the compound post shoulder.

Here's the main body of the tool holder

The square body of the holder is 66mm across. The bore is 38mm. That leaves 16mm of wall. The base is 20mm thick

Hi guys can anyone tell me the size of the Flange/Register plate please

70.2 x 63.5 x 16.1 mm

Cheers Jed

Hello people. I see this post went quiet a couple of months ago but I thought I'd ask a question as I have the GH600 from Warco and as a novice user, some of you may be able to help with this model. This is the only post I can find for this model.

I've turned a couple of items so far and I've noticed, annoyingly, that the saddle slips rather too easily when either cutting a face or a fairly decent depth of cut. To get around this I've turned the handle to get rid of the backlash in the cutting direction then held the wheel steady so that it doesn't shift.

Can the saddle be locked somehow. (I'm aware about using the tailstock but that isn't always ideal)

I don't want to lock with the half nut as I read somewhere that this isn't a good idea.

Have I lubricated the slides too well with slideway oil?

Can the saddle friction be adjusted with any of the adjustment screws without causing other issues. If so, how?

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Cheers

Hi Triumphboy, I'm a novice too, so I can't address all of your questions. But I think you can lock the saddle - if you look to the left and right of the cross-slide there are are a pair of socket-head bolts that hold the apron to the saddle. But on the right there is a 3rd bolt, above the other two, that can be tightened to lock the saddle.

I haven't used it yet, as I fear that I'll forget I've locked it and then engage the power-feed...

You can also lock the compound, but I've not found any way to lock the cross-slide.

Best Regards

Jed

I asked the same question on this thread on 11/8. I still havn't found a lock.

It hasn't caused me any problems yet, but I would happier if it could be locked solid when not in use..

On my BL12-24, which is a BH600 clone, the Saddle is locked by a hexagon head bolt (16mm from memory ) on the right of the saddle. This pulls a pad up to grip the underside of the front of the bed, above the rack.

The chances are that the GH600 is of similar construction to the BH600, apart from the Headstock being Gear driven rather than Belt driven.

The Cross Side is locked by what is described as a "Leaf Screw" (A screw with a thin flat lever that pivots in the end ) just like the one that locks the Top Slide. The Cross Slide lock is located approximately half way along the CrossSlide, on the Tailstock side.

It is likely that the four SHCS on the top face of the Saddle are the ones that hold the Apron to the Saddle. These should be tight!

Howard

With regard to the register, if the chucks are screw on, the Mandrel could be a 2.25 inch x 8tpi Whit form thread, with the chucks retained for reverse operation by two "dogs" gripping behind the flange, and held by 6 mm capscrews..

Howard

Sorry - I did not ask the same question at all. I previously asked about the cross slide that I cannot lock.

The saddle is locked as Jed has explained.

Howard, do you have a picture of the leaf screw you talk about so that I can see if the GH600 has the same?

The Chinese seem to like leaf screws to lock movements. It is just a M8 screw, with a slot at the top end, in which pivots a flat steel lever.presumably, the screw bears on the gib strip and uses that to lock that particular slide.

It is likely to ,be identical to the one used to lock the Top Slide.

It is very small version of the swivelling "power bar" used to tighten 1/2" and 3/8" drive sockets, but with a shorter lever, about 15 mm long.

It may be that cost analysis has found that an Allen grubscrew will do the same job more cheaply?

The likely location is halfway along one of the dovetails of the Cross Slide. Mine is in a horizontal tapping on the Tailstock side of the Cross Slide.

Howard

To avoid conusion ,the BH 600 and the GH600 are totally different lathes. The GH 600 does not use leaf screws to lock anything .

As stated, the saddle is locked by means of the extra allen bolt on the right hand side of the saddle ( although mine needs excessive force to lock it up. ) My version certainly has no provision to lack the ross slide although it would be possible drill and tap it . .

Brian

In the 8 months since my GH600 arrived I have found it to be accurate and easy to use ( although gear changing is rathe like driving an old lorry with a crash gear box.) The couple of silly issues were dealt with by return of post so full marks to the spares dept. I removed the chuck guard ( It kept arguing with the replacement q/c tool post ) and moved the light unit to low down on the splashback at the tailstock end .It is now out of he way but still provides adequate lighting .I do need to look into an alternative saddle lock system .

Brian

I too am happy with mine.

I have had the gears jump out a couple of times - 800rpm seem to be the problem one. It is very hard to know when it is properly engaged. Position 5 can be a bit difficult when selecting the lead screw too. I think it is a knack that needs to be learnt.

Yesterday I fitted a QCTP I got from RDG tools at the show.

I took a different approach to fitting it to you Brian - I bored out the body to fit the existing post.

This allows me to use the old tool post too if I have to, and should not effect any Warco warranty.

I have been using the lathe all day today. So much faster and easier to change tools now. More time spent doing the fun stuff.

I have kept the chuck guard, but the light does need moving.

I suppose I should be thinking about an oil change soon?

Hiya Jed and others.

Thanks for the reply. I've tried mine and it appears to lock reasonably well. I think it'll be enough to prevent slippage with the amount of cutting force capable with this machine. I might make a sort of cam lock like the ones for quick release on bicycle wheels.

So far I am very pleased with this lathe too. I had to adjust the tailstock a couple of thou and it's now within a thou. The 3 jaw chuck runs very true. The chuck guard, as mentioned, needs some modification as it catches too often on the standard toolpost.

I just need to develop some decent skills after not using one for about 40 years or so.. I can still sharpen a drill by hand. Thank heavens for YouTube!

Thanks again to all that took the time to help.

Cheers

I'm probably missing something simple here, but it's bugged me long enough to risk embarrassment on a public forum. I have no idea what the numbers in the top left table mean...

I'd always presumed they were feeds. In mm/s I would guess. There is a suggestion that facing is half the speed of turning, when using power feed, and that is indeed the case. But I can't make sense of the 0.044 figure (setting A1) for example.

What does make sense is the next table down, which is for thread cutting, and has a value of 0.25 for setting A1. The saddle does indeed move 0.25mm for each rotation of the spindle, I've checked with a dial indicator. I've also cut threads that work, so I'm pretty happy that the thread cutting table is correct.

But is 0.25mm / revolution the minimum feed rate? I was watching a youtube video where the machinist used a feed rate of 0.03mm / revolution, and checking the specs of his Emco 13 lathe, that is indeed the lower limit of feed rates. Is my minimum feed rate really ~ an order of magnitude higher?

It almost feels like there should be a change wheel or lever to switch between thread cutting and regular feeds. But I can't find a facility like that on the lathe.

Hopefully I'm just being daft and missing something simple. Humble pie is my favourite flavour

Edited By Jed Martens on 23/11/2019 20:52:12

Jed

the top table is the feed per rev when using the power feed or cross feed

the lower tables are when using the lead screw and half nuts

I agree, that seems to be the sensible explanation...

But how to change between those two scenarios? The machine only has the one driven lead screw...

Unless there's some change-wheel combination that isn't obvious, the values in the top table appear unobtainable...