This lathe any good?

[Just Duke]

http://www.grizzly.com/products/13-x...ce=grizzly.com

Attachment 196155

[cwheel]

Good basic gunsmithing lathe. But, that said, it all depends on what you intend to use it for. Also realize that the cost of the lathe is just that, for the lathe. Tooling costs will add on from that, again, depending on what your intended end use is. Lathe itself, good start.
Chris

[Just Duke]

Good basic gunsmithing lathe. But, that said, it all depends on what you intend to use it for. Also realize that the cost of the lathe is just that, for the lathe. Tooling costs will add on from that, again, depending on what your intended end use is. Lathe itself, good start.
Chris

Thanks Chris
I know. I'm close to my ship coming in here soon so the price would not be such a big deal.
I have an aerospace buddy I chat with a few times a month in CA that recommended it seeing the lathe will do up to 50 cal barrels.

[Traffer]

I don't know much about this stuff. I saw this and thought I would pass it along:
https://eauclaire.craigslist.org/tls/6081686057.html

[M-Tecs]

Of the Grizzly line if cost isn't a big factor this would be a better choice.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/16-x...l-Lathe/G0509G

[BigEyeBob]

This is identical to my H&F lathe ,I bought 18months ago , it does everything I need it to do . M ine has a 38mm spindle bore and 900mm between centers . Iadded the taper turning attachment ,but Im still needing to fit it .I also raised the lathe on the base by 4" because I'm built like a skyscraper and hate bending too much . I've still got some tooling to buy and make for it .

[Just Duke]

This is identical to my H&F lathe ,I bought 18months ago , it does everything I need it to do . M ine has a 38mm spindle bore and 900mm between centers . Iadded the taper turning attachment ,but Im still needing to fit it .I also raised the lathe on the base by 4" because I'm built like a skyscraper and hate bending too much . I've still got some tooling to buy and make for it .

The one I'm looking at. or the one Mtecs posted a link too?

[Hdskip]

This is the same lathe I'm getting ready to order for my shop. Good quality and will accomplish my needs and fit my space requirements. I have several other pieces of grizzly equipment .both woodworking and metal also. In my opinion a good choice for home use

[EDG]

Not good for most people since it is 3 phase.
I spent about 10,000 hours running engine lathes and a 16" is too big for most gun smithing chores.

A heavy duty 10" is enough. A 13" is good for 5C collet use.

Other than barrels gunsmiths mostly work on pins, screws and loading tools.

Of the Grizzly line if cost isn't a big factor this would be a better choice.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/16-x...l-Lathe/G0509G

[EDG]

Get the one you are looking at unless you want to spend a lot of money for 3 phase power.
You don't need a 16" lathe to make screws, pins, loading dies and the occasional gun barrel.

The one I'm looking at. or the one Mtecs posted a link too?

[cwheel]

There is no reason for a home gunsmith to go with a 3 phase machine at home if it can be avoided. I think the first lathe listed is more than adequate for home use. I have a almost identical lathe at home and it's served me well for the better part of 20 years. ( Birmingham 14 X 40 )Most of these are in the 2 hp. range, not a lot of power, but adequate. My main complaint with all of these is the slowest spindle speed is twice what it could be. Slowest speed on this one and mine is 70 rpm. A lower spindle speed would come in handy cutting large course threads in some cases, drilling larger holes. The other complaint is that the tailstocks are not set up to hold the tang of the drills or chucks from spinning in the #3 mt. like you find in some higher quality lathes, easy to modify and fix. I'd recommend the taper attachment if you are planning any barrel contour work, especially now when you are buying a new lathe, while you can still get it. Lots of other brands of identical lathes out there coming from the same manufacture in China, different paint, different label, and sometimes cheaper. I'd stick with Grizzly brand, even for little more money because someday you will need repair parts, Grizzly will have them, the others, not so much. You don't need to take off 1/4" of steel at a time at home doing gunsmithing or other small jobs. If it comes time to move it, it will be much easier with this one @ about 1500 lbs. than a larger machine. One of the things to look out for is the DRO's used on these aren't getting to good of reviews, I'd look at that issue closer before putting any money down.
Chris

[Jeff Michel]

Grizzly is pretty good, I had one 13.5x40 for a number of years, did a pile of barrel work with it. As pointed out prior, the lowest spindle speed is 70 RPM, not the end of the world, but it does make a difference single pointing a thread. Spend the extra and get a DRO that alone will drop your scrap rate to almost zero. I only sold it because a 15" Clausing 8000 showed up at my house and decided to stay. Grizzly has good support and parts availability, it will serve you well.

[Char-Gar]

I have a friend that have one of the gunsmith lathes by Grizzly. It is a very nice smooth running machine and I would buy one in a heartbeat.

[M-Tecs]

For lathe operation 3 phase power is a much better choice. Running 3 phase power to residence is not cost effective. Rotary phase converters are a very good and relatively cost effective solution. The newer digital phase converter are very cost effective and are reportedly very good also but I have no first hand experience with them. Single phase can produce surface finish issues. Some good discussion here.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb...-motor-102776/

When it come to lathes there is no substitute for heavy iron. Heavy iron equals rigidity. I have been a tool maker for close to 40 years. Managed a medium sized aerospace machine shop for close to 20 years. Purchase and used a lot of equipment. I also build NRA Service Rifles, Match Rifle, F Class and Bench Rest on the side. While I have never owned a single phase light duty lathe, however, I have trained 7 or 8 people on the use of their light duty lathes for general operation and specifically for barreling and chambering operations. I have not been impressed with the light duty machines. They can be made to work but everything is some much easier to achieve as the machine becomes more rigid.

My recommendation would be to call Shiraz Balolia, President of Grizzly Industrial, and ask which of the Grizzly's line of gunsmithing lathes he recommends for your application.

Here he is (he states what he has in his home shop at the end of the video)



For chambering I highly recommend a high pressure thru the spindle flush system and USR oil groove bushings on carbide reamers. Standard and oil groove bushings are not interchangeable. Switching later gets expensive.innings

[EDG]

I ran about 75 to 100 different turning machines over a period of 7 years. That includes swings to 60 inches and beds 21 feet long. After that I worked as a manufacturing engineer another 40 years. I have had the responsibility for planning the manufacture of millions of turned parts. These parts were turned on screw machines, CNC lathes, turret lathes, various Hardinges and tool room lathes.
The work done by gun hobbyists is generally light duty and there is no need for a heavy machine.
The problem with a lot of cheap light machines is they are junk. Light does not cause the problem. The problem is those machines would be worthless at any weight because they are so poorly manufactured and assembled. I can guarantee you that a lot of the heavy lathes are nearly worthless because they are not fit for turning small items. Their top RPM is way too slow and they are not set up for chucking small items.

The first gunsmith that I had any contact with was an old geezer toolmaker who had walled in his front porch for a little Atlas 9"X36". He could not chamber a barrel except by running it in a steady rest. He was skilled enough to make the chumpy little lathe do what he needed.

For lathe operation 3 phase power is a much better choice. Running 3 phase power to residence is not cost effective. Rotary phase converters are a very good and relatively cost effective solution. The newer digital phase converter are very cost effective and are reportedly very good also but I have no first hand experience with them. Single phase can produce surface finish issues. Some good discussion here.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb...-motor-102776/

When it come to lathes there is no substitute for heavy iron. Heavy iron equals rigidity. I have been a tool maker for close to 40 years. Managed a medium sized airspace machine shop for close to 20 years. Purchase and used a lot of equipment. I also build NRA Service Rifles, Match Rifle, F Class and Bench Rest on the side. While I have never owned a single phase light duty lathe, however, I have trained 7 or 8 people on the use of their light duty lathes for general operation and specifically for barreling and chambering operations. I have not been impressed with the light duty machines. They can be made to work but everything is some much easier to achieve as the machine becomes more rigid.

My recommendation would be to call Shiraz Balolia, President of Grizzly Industrial, and ask which of the Grizzly's line of gunsmithing lathes he recommends for your application.

Here he is (he states what he has in his home shop at the end of the video)



For chambering I highly recommend a high pressure thru the spindle flush system and USR oil groove bushings on carbide reamers. Standard and oil groove bushings are not interchangeable. Switching later gets expensive.

[M-Tecs]

Regardless which lathe the OP selects in addition to tooling costs there is a significant learning curve. While I have never viewed this I have read that this video on barrel installation is worth the money.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/DVD-...ce=grizzly.com

You can watch segments here:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...s-and-grizzly/

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...ly-dialing-in/

More good info here:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...emans-journal/

[Elkins45]

The first gunsmith that I had any contact with was an old geezer toolmaker who had walled in his front porch for a little Atlas 9"X36". He could not chamber a barrel except by running it in a steady rest. He was skilled enough to make the chumpy little lathe do what he needed.

Yeah, spindle bore is a really big factor in choosing a lathe for gunsmithing. My South Bend 9X36 will only let me pass a really skinny barrel through the spindle. I had to buy a steady rest as well to set back a 1" target barrel.

Buy once, cry once but the 38mm bore on the lathe the OP asked about shouldn't be too much of a limitation.

[M-Tecs]

Thanks Chris
I know. I'm close to my ship coming in here soon so the price would not be such a big deal.
I have an aerospace buddy I chat with a few times a month in CA that recommended it seeing the lathe will do up to 50 cal barrels.

On that model the bore is 1.57" so it is too small to do 50 BMG blanks thru the spindle. Compare it to the other lathes in the Grizzly line and note the difference in spindle bearings and grind spec. on the ways.

[McFred]

Regardless which lathe the OP selects in addition to tooling costs there is a significant learning curve.
...

I have limited experience with lathes but I did work part time in a machine shop for a number of years and had free reign of unoccupied machines on weekends and holidays. I'd say as long as you pay attention and have a good grasp of the mechanics of things (mechanical inclination), the learning curve is not that steep. That said, materials, speeds and feeds and basic tool geometry make a difference. Online videos and information abound. Do your research and you will be prepared once you receive your lathe. The rest is learned by making chips.

[Jeff Michel]

P.O. Ackley did his barrel work on a 9x36 Southbend. Turned it between centers, A big spindle bore is handy, not necessary. Sometimes you will have to resort to being creative with your setup's. Actually that's half the fun.