Would someone kindly take a look at this lathe for me?

Christine 1953

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Hello newbie Chris here,

I was wondering if I could get an opinion on this lathe. Seems like the price is right. I've been looking for a SB 9", but I'm a little concerned about buying used, as I pretty much know nothing about them. The only experience at metal working is a few semesters in High School and that was a long time ago... Right now just looking for a machine to get started on that has the essentials. $1500 is pretty much my limit. Any help would be most appreciated

Thank you,
Chris
http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x...768?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com
grizzley.jpg
 
Hi Chris,

First, Welcome to the site!

Second; while I do NOT have direct experience with that lathe I have a few comments.

It does look like a great entry level model. In many ways similar to an older SouthBend, but all shiny and new with some warranty!
Also, Grizzly should have parts for a number of years if you need them.

It should give you enough of a step into "at home" metal working and provide capabilities for years to come.
Then if you ever need something larger, you will have learned what your specific needs are.

With the current sale on you would have some money left for more tooling.
Many folks would want a quick-change tool post (QCTP), likely an AXA size would fit.
I have this one on my SouthBend 9":
http://www.kingcanada.com/detail/tool-post-kit-KQCT-0012/625?cid=147&mid=10
and it works well.

Best of luck, and please let us know what you decide!

-brino

PS: By the way, I bet someone else with direct experience on this model will be by shortly to add their knowledge.
 
What do you want to do on the lathe? I would list out what you want to do and see if that
lathe has the features you want.

After a quick look, here are some of the features it has and others that it doesn't that might influence
how easy it will be to do certain operations:

1) I don't see a quick change gearbox (QCGB). This means if you want to cut threads or change your feedrate
you'll need to change out gears. You mentioned a SouthBend 9". A 9A or 9B had a QCGB the 9C did not.
If you don't see yourself doing much threading, or aren't put off by swapping out gears, this might not
matter to you.
2) I think feeds are only possible via the lead screw. Again, if you want to change your feed rate
this involves changing gears. Some lathes have a separate feed rod allowing for slower feed rates and
less lead screw wear. Like #1 this might not matter that much to you, it depends on what you want to do.
3) An 8x16 would be fine for smaller work, but the 16" is generally the center-to-center distance. That can
get eaten up quickly when you add a chuck and a tailstock drill chuck and bit. If you're mostly interested
in producing parts that fit into that work envelope, then this could be a good match for you.
4) It has variable speed which I like. I have found when I am parting off I will increase the speed as I get
closer to the center of the work to keep up my surface feet/minute up as the diameter decreases.
5) It has a knob for feed reverse. That is a nice feature to have. With my SouthBend and my PM1228,
I have to change that by going inside the gear cover.
6) It is a new lathe with a fair amount of accessories (3 and 4 jaw chucks, faceplate, steady rest, centers, etc...).
In my opinion this can be an advantage over an older lathe which may not come with all of the attachments
and where finding them may be difficult.
7) This lathe has a slightly larger than 3/4" through bore on the spindle. This is about what
the SouthBend has. This means that anything larger than around 3/4" won't pass through
the spindle. This may not be a big deal, but it was one of the things which bothered me with
my SouthBend. Being able to pass larger work through the spindle means you don't have to
saw off longer stock (within reason) when you work on it.

Finally if you have an older lathe you might need to spend some time doing some work on it. I have a 1939 SouthBend 9C
which I like because it was my Dad's, but it is almost 80 years old and needs some attention. I recently bought a PM1228
which is a much tighter machine but even with that I had to do a few minor tweaks. But the SouthBend needs to really be
stripped down and rebuilt at this point. Not to say you couldn't find an older lathe in really great condition, but it might
be difficult and it would probably take time.
 
One nice thing I noticed on that Grizzly is how they put the compound gib/screws on the side facing you. Many lathes put them on the "wrong" other side.
A small thing, but an improvement in my opinion.
Mark S.
 
Welcome to the forum Chris.

I have no experience with Grizzly lathes, but I had a look at their site. Another machine you might compare with this one is the G4000 9 x 19" lathe. It has a little more swing, more bed length and comes with a quick change
gear box and more tooling for only a little more $$$. It isn't variable speed which is a bit less convenient, and the bottom of the speed range is a bit faster, but overall it seems to have some advantages. It also is
a bit heavier, which in lathes is a good thing. Grizzly generally has a good reputation for customer service.

If you're just getting started, you'll need to budget for other tools as well: calipers or micrometers, drills, cutting tools for the lathe etc., etc. When I got my first lathe a few years ago I bought a batch of High Speed Steel insert type
lathe tools from Arthur R. Warner Company (http://www.arwarnerco.com) and I'm glad I did. Some people may advise you to learn to grind your own tools, which is a very valuable skill. But in the beginning, starting with
tools from Warner will help you get going easily without having to learn another set of skills right away. They are dirt simple to sharpen as well, and a grinder isn't required. High speed steel is also somewhat easier to
live with for beginners when compared with carbide. One of their 5 piece turning kits and a boring bar would get you started nicely.
 
I'd take the variable speed over the quick change gearbox. It's so handy. And you won't be doing a lot of threading right away probably.
Also do keep an eye out for a cheap used bench grinder at a yard sale or on Craig's list.
 
Add my welcome to the site. For your first lathe it should work well for you. If you really get bit by the machining bug. You 'll soon be looking for other machines to go with it. There's a few on craigslist selling a nice mill and more. So keep looking there when your ready for more. May I just add please wear SAFTEY glasses , no loose clothing or rings , keep your hair up if long. Machines don't care what they grab and can hurt for a lifetime.
 
Chris, in case you didn't notice, there's a Grizzly Industrial sub-forum on this site that should be helpful in evaluating their lathes. Also, if you have an idea about the kinds of projects you
plan on working on, it will help in recommending a machine. Don't hesitate to ask more
questions. And yes, in general a machine like that would be fine to start with.
 
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Hello Everyone,
Thank you so much for the warm welcome and wealth of information. You all bring a nice complementary mix of viewpoints to the table and the time you took to contribute is much appreciated.

I think either one of these machines would really work well and is probably a really good starter machine because of 1, I'm a beginner, and 2, the machine will probably behave.

So now I'm armed with ideas and I'll need a day or two to take this all in, and probably will generate more questions!

Again, Thanks so much for the help, and I'll be in touch soon!

All the best,
Christine

PS Feel free to chime in if any other ideas come up.
 
What do you want to do on the lathe? I would list out what you want to do and see if that
lathe has the features you want.

Christine, let me add my welcome to the site.

Fradish has the right of it. It is helpful to decide what your goals are before spending money on a machine. If you just want to dabble in this to see if you'll like it or if you only plan to work on the smaller end of things then you should look at high quality small lathes. Sherline comes to mind here, and there are many research and prototype labs that agree. On the other hand, if you intend to work on larger pieces then you need to look for lathes that will enable that. Much of the time our machines are used to enable or support other hobbies or lifestyle needs so look at the other things you do and envision how the machine will support those activities and that will tend to push you toward a smaller or larger lathe.

My best advice is to take some time to define your needs and then look for machines that will meet those needs. The guys will then be able to tell you about the nuances for those machines.
 
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