Hi folks,
I'm a newbie about 6 months into the hobby. Have a Craftex CX706 10x22 lathe I bought new and I'm having some issues with the apron and carriage movement. It is really choppy, almost like it's full of chips, to the point that it's almost impossible to move just a .001" in some spots. When I got the lathe I cleaned and greased the rack and pinion gear, but it has not improved. Any advice on adjusting it to smooth out the carriage travel?
A few days ago I noticed there's a sight glass and fill/drain plugs on the apron, even though the manual doesn't mention apron oil aside from little oil ports for way oil. Does that machine take apron oil, or is it just a repurposed casting?
Lastly, what type of oil can I use for the gear box? The manual is calling for Mobilgear 627, but it's pretty hard to come by, and only in 5 gallon jugs. Are there any alternatives that could be had in a quart or gallon sizes?
Apart from that, any advice on setup and operation of this lathe would be much appreciated. It's been working fine for the most part, but I'm sure there're some things I'm neglecting.
Cheers,
Alex.
I'm a newbie about 6 months into the hobby. Have a Craftex CX706 10x22 lathe I bought new and I'm having some issues with the apron and carriage movement. It is really choppy, almost like it's full of chips, to the point that it's almost impossible to move just a .001" in some spots. When I got the lathe I cleaned and greased the rack and pinion gear, but it has not improved. Any advice on adjusting it to smooth out the carriage travel?
A few days ago I noticed there's a sight glass and fill/drain plugs on the apron, even though the manual doesn't mention apron oil aside from little oil ports for way oil. Does that machine take apron oil, or is it just a repurposed casting?
Lastly, what type of oil can I use for the gear box? The manual is calling for Mobilgear 627, but it's pretty hard to come by, and only in 5 gallon jugs. Are there any alternatives that could be had in a quart or gallon sizes?
Apart from that, any advice on setup and operation of this lathe would be much appreciated. It's been working fine for the most part, but I'm sure there're some things I'm neglecting.
Cheers,
Alex.