My new Grizzly G0761 Mill

Today I hooked the cherry picker back up, installed longer bolts and lifted the head and column off of base. Very disappointed, this is the left hand side, looks like a junior high shop student used a hand grinder on the surface of the base that the column bolts to.

Untitled by redmech, on Flickr

This picture show the high spots and low spots with a straight edge and a flash light. The left side was the first side I looked at, there were no more milling marks left, just uneven grinder marks, probably from a hand held grinder,

Untitled by redmech, on Flickr

The column hasn't been ground on, appears flat,

Untitled by redmech, on Flickr

This is the right side, you can see mill marks on the left hand side of this picture, but the right 75% of this mounting surface has had the hand grinder to it as well.

Untitled by redmech, on Flickr

I used a few scotch brite pads, to knock down any loose material left behind. Lots of brake clean and towels, and both surfaces are now free of foreign material, I bolted it back together, tightened down hardware tight, and set up my indicator to recheck my front to back tram.

It measured the same as before,

Untitled by redmech, on Flickr

Untitled by redmech, on Flickr

My first thoughts was that the base was ground on to have the head trammed in to "serviceable" spec. But looking at the clues, grinding on the rear portion of the base, will tilt the column rearward making my readings read the exact way it is. I kind of think, if the base was like how it was machined the first time (before hand grinder), the head would be much closer to perpendicular and square like it should be.

I am getting the feeling I should return this machine and look for a good used Bridgeport. I was worried about my basement floor supporting a heavier machine, and at this point I'm ready to try and take the risk. I don't think I want another Grizzly, this has me worried of their quality control. Even if they offered to exchange for another one of the same model, just a bit gunshy. I also hate to let weeks and months pass, and before you know it, I'm stuck with something that should have never passed quality control.
 
I still need to check adjustment of the Z axis gib, see if that changes things.
 
I can feel your angst from this side of the world.
What do you want to do?
Considering this is still under warranty, you could send it back to Grizzly and ask for a refund. If you go down this path who knows how long before you get another, and whether its in better or worse condition.
Personally, I would repair it myself, warranty or no warranty. I see you have a flat base on the column. I would leave this alone for the time being.
I would file the ground part of the base reasonably flat and with a dial indicator set on the table top and running on your filed faces, measure flatness and parallelism to same. Do this to both sides and make them truly flat then scrape both sides flatter and adjust to get correct tram, using just the table top as a reference. Then scrape the column base to suit and check tram upon assembly and continue adjusting by scraping until square.
Time consuming? Yes, but it'll be better than anything coming from a chinese factory.

" before you know it I'm stuck with something that should have never passed quality control."
I think everyone of us is stuck in the same boat, I haven't seen one iota of chinese quality control yet.
 
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You nailed it. I've slept on it, I know it's repairable, and a used Bridgeport could/will bring its own hurdles. Today I'm going to shim it to fialit in, and this will assure me how far off and where.

At that point, I probably will do as you say, indicate off the bed ways or the table, and start working the mounting surface parallel to the bed. I know the problems with this mill, I don't need a different Grizzly mill, I think I'll work on this for a week or two, and see how much I start to like it or hate it.

Thanks for your thoughts and time.

Ross,
 
No worries Ross, keep us posted how you go. I'm trying to buy one of these same mills from work. It is physically the same mill, but no brand name. I know it has 006" forward tilt, similar to yours.
Just need to convince the boss it needs to be replaced., as it's too light for our requirements. Ok for home though.
cheers Alby
 
Interesting technique. I like the way he left the bolts in place, to prevent the column from swinging away out of control. And by the way ... the US distributor for Diamant products is Devitt Machinery Company http://www.moglice.com
 
Yes, good method he has in that video.

I installed .005" worth of shim stock between the column and base on the front bolts, the bolts that still had a bit of the mill marks still there. So I know now that where the China man ground on the mill was to bring the head closer to being trammed in. I'd imagine the grind job was "good enough" for their tolerances. I'm going to call or email Grizzly this week with pictures and see where I'm going from here.
 
Its a shame that the Chinese "kits" that we buy need work out of the box to make them right but on the same note I'm fairly certain that if they were perfect we could not afford them. Keep a good attitude call Grizzly and see what happens. In my opinion I bought a Chinese mill with my best judgement of dollars vs knowing I would have to possibly do a bit of rework compared to an older machine that was worn in ways I could not fix.
 
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