# GRIZZLY G0603 lathe problem



## hauch35 (Apr 8, 2014)

I have a G0603 lathe that is about 3 months old. Everything seems to work fine as far as cutting except when I use a cutoff or parting tool. When I try to part I have a real bad chatter. If I keep going it will grab and in most cases slip the drive belt. I am using a 1/16 and a 1/8" wide blade. It has the proper relief ground on but it still don't work. I have to steady things by using the tail stock but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions and ideas are welcome

Bob


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## kd4gij (Apr 8, 2014)

Parting is about the most dificult operation to master. The tool needs to be dead on center and 90deg to the part. What rpm are you running it at.


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## Don B (Apr 8, 2014)

Sometimes it helps if you stagger the tool on the way down especial if the tool is not at 90 degrees, only need to move the tool back and forth .020-.030 thou, the sids of the tool will rub on a deep cut, cutting steel? (slow rpm) always if possible use the tails stock, you can back it off at the end just before the piece parts if necessary, sometimes you can clean up the chatter by going to the lowest speed or bumping/jogging the on/off.


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## bvd1940 (Apr 8, 2014)

If your using a chicom angle cutter holder you will have trouble and you need ALL your gibs snugged up so there is no flex anywhere. You want to run the largest blade (I run 7/8th inch) you can width & height, if properly set up you should be able to part off under power at a good feed rate with no problem.
There is a seller on fleabay that is selling a nice parting tool holder that fits my BXA and takes a large parting blade and it will solve most of the problems that most members are having.
I be a OLD!!! 73 years old retired machinist and I have a chicom 1440 lathe and the parting tool that came with it is a POS IMHO. Just search Ebay for parting tool and it should pop up.
The tool presents the blade flat on and takes about a 7/8" blade and has a ledge milled on the side to fit a standard QCTP holder.
Trust me if you get your machine adjusted snug and use that tool holder you will be a happy camper:victory:


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## Jamespvill (Apr 9, 2014)

I had a Grizzly G0602 prior to my current lathe a few years back. Parting was always a huge pain in the butt! It is a very hard thing to get ahold of if you've never done it before. Heck, I knew a guy who used to work on a massive lathe and parted all the time, but when he bought his own small hobby lathe, you'd have thought he'd never parted before. The key is rigidity, no doubt. And also lots and lots of fluid if you can manage it. I never had much luck with the High speed steel parting blades to be honest. If you can swing the $50 I would HIGHLY suggest picking up one of theses guys: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Parting-Tool-with-Carbide-Insert/T10012. You don't need that exact one, but that style will make you life much easier, I promise! Also, I wouldn't buy the inserts from Grizzly, theirs aren't coated, I would suggest finding some on Ebay, they are a GTN 2.4 sized insert. It's also cheaper to go that route. 

With that in hand just make sure you are right one center, and that you are perfectly perpendicular with the work. I use a little flower watering pump sprayer filled with water soluble cutting fluid and keep the blade flooded for the entire cut. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Pressurized-P...=1397026087&sr=8-9&keywords=pump+spray+bottle. You could use a squirt gun for all it matters though, just as long as you can get something between the cut and your blade. I usually run my auto feed and have my speed around 600. But you could (should?) take it slower until you get the feeds down right. IF you are going to use auto-feed, make sure and start slowwww, you can always speed it up, but once you jam your bit by feeding too quick and it catches and blows up in your face, you may rethink your hobbies, then go change your shorts. 

I part off Stainless and aluminum all the time, but whenever I try to part 1018, It's always a chore, It has a tendency to catch more than any other material I find. Perhaps your problem is that your trying to part 1018, I always bandsaw my part and then clean it up in the lathe, I try to stay away from parting it. Others might have some better advice for it though. 

Anyway, I managed to blow up 2 or 3 HSS parting blades when I first got my G0602, all of which scared the poo out of me. So be careful (Safety Glasses) and don't get too frustrated! The biggest help for me was ordering the above parting tool and using lots of cutting fluid.

Good Luck!


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## hauch35 (Apr 9, 2014)

I have tried different spindle speeds but it doesn't seem to help. I mean when this thing grabs it really grabs. It is most frightening and very unsafe I know. The cutter is lined up as near as I can get it. I faced off the part that I am cutting and aligned the cutter with that so it should be 90 degrees to the stock. I am going to try some of these suggestions again and see what happens. I will probably end up buying another parting tool as suggested. The one I use is a blade about 1 inch in height, about 6 inches long and probably about 1/8 inch thick. It is made of HSS, I think. I guess I need to go to carbide. Anyway I sure do thank all of you for your suggestions and help. I will post the outcome of this but it will be a little later. Thanks again.

Bob


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## brasssmanget (Apr 9, 2014)

The only way I can do any kind of decent parting is with the back gear engaged and almost constant cutting fluid dripping on the cut. Aluminum is a bit easier, using WD40. Oh, and feed SLOW )


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## John Hasler (Apr 9, 2014)

brasssmanget said:


> The only way I can do any kind of decent parting is with the back gear engaged and almost constant cutting fluid dripping on the cut. Aluminum is a bit easier, using WD40. Oh, and feed SLOW )



I'm too cheap to buy fancy parting tools so I made my own for my little home-made lathe.  I found that the key to getting passable results without grabbing was relief in both dimensions: the cutting tip *must* be the widest part of the tool in the cut.  You need to have relief front to back (that is, the tip must be wider than the shank) as well as top to bottom.


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## chips&more (Apr 9, 2014)

Did you mention what the material is that you are trying to part? Also a picture or two would help. I would not go out and buy any carbide parting stuff. HSS should be all that you need.  Parting, form cutting, cutting a big radius in a shoulder, taking heavy cuts on the OD...etc. I hope you see the picture, all these operations put a heavy strain on your lathe. And if your lathe does not like it, it will chatter. The mass of your lathe is a big factor. If you made a 20” lathe chatter, you are doing something really wrong! If you made a little jewelers lathe chatter, it could be as simple as repositioning the graver. As for your lathe (12”?), check the preload in the headstock bearings, check the chuck mount to the business end of the spindle, check the chuck jaws and scroll, check the whole headstock/ chuck as an assembly for rigidity. If all of that is good, then reduce the tool pressure with the narrowest blade you have. Put a zero top clearance on that blade and put the blade on dead center. Run a SLOW spindle speed, and feed rate and use some kind of lubricant…Good Luck. And a note on chatter, if it persists, I would immediately investigate because it will brunel the headstock bearings, loosen the cross/compound gibs, wear the feed nuts and heaven forbid could even injure the operator.


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## fastback (Apr 9, 2014)

All good advice, I also use the slowest speed in back gear.  If I remember correctly your slowest speed would be around 70 rpm.  As already mentioned use plenty of oil.  I use an acid brush dipped in an oil much like automatic transmission fluid and just keep it wet and in contact above the cut.  Just re dip the brush from time to time. 

Paul


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## bvd1940 (Apr 9, 2014)

I have to reiterate that everything has to be ridged with NO flex or movement a properly ground blade set at the proper height with cutting oil will cut like hot butter. I do not give a second thought to parting at all it is just another cutting process.
Do not over complicate it.:nono:
try looking at some of the you-tube videos on parting, most folks I have observed having a problem it was one or all of 3 things 1,not ridged enough, 2,setting the blade, 3, or grinding the cutter properly.:thinking:


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