- Joined
- Dec 27, 2014
- Messages
- 658
OK. I think I finally figured out what was bothering me about this lathe.
It must have went into my sub-conscious when I was looking at the owners manual.
The left side spindle bearing is a ball bearing rather than a roller bearing like the right side bearing. To make things worse, the left side bearing registers against a circlip, instead of a machined in boss. The bearings themselves seem to be inside of grease shields with no provision for oiling. I imagine it is still possible to pump some grease past the seals though. Since the cost of machining a deep groove and using a machined circlip is higher than the cost of a second roller bearing, I seriously doubt that Sieg has engineered this set-up properly. I suspect it is just a stamped circlip (50% chance it is in backwards), and a cheap roller bearing designed for minimal linear load.
I can't help but think that Sieg is just making a larger mini-lathe, rather than a smaller tool-room lathe.
/sigh.
This means the choices for 10x30ish lathes are PM (you can get on a list and maybe get a lathe in 4 months), Bolton (cringe), Shop Fox (double cringe), Wholesale Tool (900lb lathe! may as well get a real lathe), or some clapped out Southbend that is 2x what it is worth.
I think I will go with the Bolton and pay a lot more than for the PM, but at least they answer the phone and can send me a lathe this week - one in the hand is better than two in the bush. The Bolton seems to be the exact same lathe as the PM with out the VS and other goodies.
Gah, just got a text from my ex-wife. She sent me a picture of the field from her seat at the OSU/Oregon game. :banghead:
Going to go vomit.
Thank you all again
It must have went into my sub-conscious when I was looking at the owners manual.
The left side spindle bearing is a ball bearing rather than a roller bearing like the right side bearing. To make things worse, the left side bearing registers against a circlip, instead of a machined in boss. The bearings themselves seem to be inside of grease shields with no provision for oiling. I imagine it is still possible to pump some grease past the seals though. Since the cost of machining a deep groove and using a machined circlip is higher than the cost of a second roller bearing, I seriously doubt that Sieg has engineered this set-up properly. I suspect it is just a stamped circlip (50% chance it is in backwards), and a cheap roller bearing designed for minimal linear load.
I can't help but think that Sieg is just making a larger mini-lathe, rather than a smaller tool-room lathe.
/sigh.
This means the choices for 10x30ish lathes are PM (you can get on a list and maybe get a lathe in 4 months), Bolton (cringe), Shop Fox (double cringe), Wholesale Tool (900lb lathe! may as well get a real lathe), or some clapped out Southbend that is 2x what it is worth.
I think I will go with the Bolton and pay a lot more than for the PM, but at least they answer the phone and can send me a lathe this week - one in the hand is better than two in the bush. The Bolton seems to be the exact same lathe as the PM with out the VS and other goodies.
Gah, just got a text from my ex-wife. She sent me a picture of the field from her seat at the OSU/Oregon game. :banghead:
Going to go vomit.
Thank you all again