- Joined
- Nov 14, 2014
- Messages
- 851
Looking at the photos again, I noticed the Clasusing has a quick change tool post and the Web has the old square post style tool holder. I work with a similar square post tool holder and have thought many times, "GET A QCTP and be done with this Madness! ". They actually work fine, but are very repetative and laborious to set up and clamp down proper tool height each time you switch out tooling. Buying a QCTP just adds $500+ bucks to your lathe purchase. So If you are counting votes, count me in for the Clausing! (So,long as the ways aren't worn and everything works as it should.
Good luck!
Glenn
P.S. You probably already know this, but here is a quick way to check for excessive machine wear: pull the tailstock off the ways part way and feel or look at the bottom of the casting - where it slides along the bed. If the v grove or flat side of the tailstock casting has a grove worn into it from contact with the hardened ways, that means the rest of the machine will likely have distortion/twist in the bed from cross slide wear, and excessive wear everywhere else.... (because all the parts work together.... )it's an easy check and simple to do on site. With really bad wear, you won't be able to crank the saddle all the way back and forth along the bed.
Also, if the quick change gear box is open on the bottom, take along a flashlight and lay down underneath to look and see if the gear teeth are worn out of shape. Again, a tired and worn out lathe will show a lot of wear on these gears. - including 'sharks teeth' sticking up on the edges sometimes on the most often used gears. Noisy gears when running means the teeth are misshapen and clashing with each other due to excessive wear. (Ask me how I learned these things from my old Canadian Navy production lathe). Conversely, if these things look (and sound) reasonable to good, probably all the related mechanics of the machine will be equally in good shape.
Gpb
Good luck!
Glenn
P.S. You probably already know this, but here is a quick way to check for excessive machine wear: pull the tailstock off the ways part way and feel or look at the bottom of the casting - where it slides along the bed. If the v grove or flat side of the tailstock casting has a grove worn into it from contact with the hardened ways, that means the rest of the machine will likely have distortion/twist in the bed from cross slide wear, and excessive wear everywhere else.... (because all the parts work together.... )it's an easy check and simple to do on site. With really bad wear, you won't be able to crank the saddle all the way back and forth along the bed.
Also, if the quick change gear box is open on the bottom, take along a flashlight and lay down underneath to look and see if the gear teeth are worn out of shape. Again, a tired and worn out lathe will show a lot of wear on these gears. - including 'sharks teeth' sticking up on the edges sometimes on the most often used gears. Noisy gears when running means the teeth are misshapen and clashing with each other due to excessive wear. (Ask me how I learned these things from my old Canadian Navy production lathe). Conversely, if these things look (and sound) reasonable to good, probably all the related mechanics of the machine will be equally in good shape.
Gpb
