# How do you like your Grizzley G0602 10x22 lathe?



## HMF (Jun 17, 2011)

Hey Folks,

Some of you own the Grizzly G0602 10x22 lathe, so I want to ask you:

What do YOU like and dislike about them?

Thanks!



Nelson


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## Loafy (Jun 17, 2011)

I don't have anything on my 10x22 that I don't like. Well maybe the paint, it chips off very easily. I designed and built a reverse tumbler gear set for mine then a speed reducer, got the spindle speed down to 58 rpms. I'm going to do some changes to the speed reducer design so it will go even slower, just haven't done the changes yet. I installed a wedge type QCTP and really like that.
I would like to be able to get the oiler things out of the top of the lathe cabinet where your supposed to oil the spindle with out resorting to destroying them, then install grease zerks , I grease the spindle bearing instead of using oil, I use a needle point grease tip now to grease the spindle bearing.


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## Wilde (Jun 18, 2011)

I purchased my G0602 about two years ago and really enjoy using it. When it first arrived I changed the oil and broke it in as the manual suggested but things didn't quite feel right. It was my first lathe and the first time using one so i really didn't have any thing to go by but the cross slide and top slide didn't feel smooth so I took them apart to find alot of grit on the gibs, I cleaned and lobed every thing and that solved that. I also noticed when I oiled the spindle bearings that the oil coming out of the sides of the bearings was dark and kind of gritty so I dismantled the spindle to find more grit on the bearings, guess that's why the spindle didn't feel as smooth as it should have. I put the machine back together but the bearings still don't feel right I plan on changing them in the next few months for some timkin bearings. One more thing I had a problem with was when threading with the half nut and thread dial, It just don't start at the right position once you release the half nut so I just pull the cross slide back throw it in reverse then set my cross slide again and continue from there. I really think these are minor issues for a machine that cost me $1050.00 with free shipping.


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## 72Lawrencem (Jun 19, 2011)

For the price it's a pretty decent machine, I've had mine approximately 2 1/2 years and the only problem I've had to date is the machine getting a little loose (adjusting the Gibbs helped quite a bit) and the only other real issue is the backlash on the carriage over a period of time with moderate use, although minor it can be somewhat frustrating if you are doing a lot of facing, I haven't had the time to look into it as of yet, but as soon as I do I'll post whatever fix was necessary, otherwise the machine has done me pretty good in that period of time.


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## Bruce_in_Colorado (Jun 21, 2012)

I'm a first-time lathe user (!) who caught the machining bug later in life.  That said, I'm very happy with my G0602!  If you understand that you are getting a work-in-progress, rather than a ready-out-of-the-box tool, how could you be disappointed?  And given that a high-quality ready-out-of-the-box lathe would start at 10x more, it's great!  Heck, given the price of cast iron and steel these days, I don't think I could buy the raw metal in the lathe for the price I paid for the G0602.

Also, I think there's a reason that I haven't seen the G0602 on sale at Grizzly for about two years: they must be popular!

Bruce.


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## Eyskmo (Oct 15, 2021)

Had it for about 11/2 years and have done a fair amount of work with it over all for the price point I believe it is a good machine if I were to do again I would look at the PM machine the biggest complaint I have with the 0602 is that you can not get the rpm down near as low as I would like and the tailstock clamp is terrible although this is an easy fix


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## RJSakowski (Oct 15, 2021)

Eyskmo said:


> Had it for about 11/2 years and have done a fair amount of work with it over all for the price point I believe it is a good machine if I were to do again I would look at the PM machine the biggest complaint I have with the 0602 is that you can not get the rpm down near as low as I would like and the tailstock clamp is terrible although this is an easy fix


I did a motor transplant and I can go down to 10 rpm.  For any given pulley combination I have a 50:1 speed range.  

I also fixed the tailstock clamp so that goes from free to full lock in a little over 90º which permits the use of a permanent wrench.  I made a custom wrench from an old 3/4" socket and ratchet handle.  Here is a link to the solution, starting at post# 6.








						G0602 tailstock driving me nuts
					

I use the tailstock on my g0602 constantly, and it has been driving me nuts for the longest time.  One of the more common things people do is just leave a 17mm wrench on the tailstock at all times. I've read lots of posts in various places, talking about how "it only takes half a turn" to snug...




					www.hobby-machinist.com


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## Eyskmo (Oct 16, 2021)

RJSakowski said:


> I did a motor transplant and I can go down to 10 rpm.  For any given pulley combination I have a 50:1 speed range.
> 
> I also fixed the tailstock clamp so that goes from free to full lock in a little over 90º which permits the use of a permanent wrench.  I made a custom wrench from an old 3/4" socket and ratchet handle.  Here is a link to the solution, starting at post# 6.
> 
> ...


What did you do for a motor transplant that allows you to get your rpm down that would be great , as far as tailstock I did the cam lock and it works great but it is a bit of an involved project


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## RJSakowski (Oct 16, 2021)

Eyskmo said:


> What did you do for a motor transplant that allows you to get your rpm down that would be great , as far as tailstock I did the cam lock and it works great but it is a bit of an involved project


I used a 2.5 hp brushed d.c. motor with a control circuit of my own design utilizing pulse width modulation.  To enhance low end torque, I have a feedback circuit that compares the actual motor speed to the set motor speed so that when the motor starts to slow down under load, it increases the pulse width, thereby increasing torque.  To measure the motor rpm, I have forty magnets built into the intermediate pulley and a Hall effect sensor, creating a rotary encoder 

I still have some work to do on it to optimize the feedback settings.  To that end, I am working on a Prony brake to measure the torque at the spindle which will allow me to plot torque curves.

As to my tailstock modification, it is essentially a cam lock.  The wrench shown in post #16 of the above linked thread resides permanently on the tailstock clamp nut.  Were I making one from scratch, I would make a rectangular nut to fit some 1/2-13 threaded rod and weld the nut to the end of the rod to make a rectangular head bolt. A fairly simple project.  For the wrench ,a cheap box wrench could be cut off to make a more compact wrench which could live on the nut.


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## Machspeed (May 21, 2022)

I have this lathe and have had it for a number of years now. As stated above, it's a good purchase for the money. A few fixes and I'll be relatively pleased with it. The biggest is a leaky gearbox which is currently off the machine (second time) and on my workbench. Also, and as stated above is, the crappy tailstock for which I'll be addressing also.


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## GunsOfNavarone (May 21, 2022)

I have done many mods too. 6 bolt compound clamp, VFD- I can go down to 8 rpm and if I wanted to die, +4000 rpm, electronic lead screw (no more change gears). Switched the tapered spindle bearings to Nachi. A bunch of small things as well. My only wish, it were heavier/more rigid. That's not so much a G0602 problem, more so a small lathe issue. I bought it when Grizzly sold for $1800 but I got the G0602z  (I think 2K for DRO "Z" version.)


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## WobblyHand (Sep 10, 2022)

I have the G0752Z which is a G0602 with a DRO and a VFD.  I have made a couple of mods on mine now.  I made a 6 bolt compound clamp which helped a lot, made a nicer bracket for the cross slide DRO head, and just recently added an Electronic Lead Screw.  I designed the ELS from scratch, using a Teensy 4.1 processor and wrote my own code.  The ELS has a touchscreen to control it.  Today, I successfully single pointed a 40 TPI thread and a 16 TPI thread using the ELS for the first time.  This ELS is a great mod.  It took me 4 months to do.  I have not packaged everything up, and have quite a few things to complete, but am really happy at how well this has turned out.  Just looked at the box of greasy gears tonight and smiled, as I will never have to change them again.


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## DexterTripod (Dec 21, 2022)

Looks like I'm the new (old) kid on the block, just got a g0602 for my expensive hobby fix.  So far I like it better than the old Atlas lathe I had a few years ago. A few mods I'm looking at are adding a QCTP (currently trying to figure out threading to make a new post for it), a tailstock mod read about on here, and at some point I want to add a VFD and ELS but that will be down the road a bit.

(seeing some of these older posts that list what the price was then makes me cry a little inside!)


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## RJSakowski (Dec 21, 2022)

DexterTripod said:


> Looks like I'm the new (old) kid on the block, just got a g0602 for my expensive hobby fix.  So far I like it better than the old Atlas lathe I had a few years ago. A few mods I'm looking at are adding a QCTP (currently trying to figure out threading to make a new post for it), a tailstock mod read about on here, and at some point I want to add a VFD and ELS but that will be down the road a bit.
> 
> (seeing some of these older posts that list what the price was then makes me cry a little inside!)


Welcome to the club.

I have had my G0602 for ten years. I bought it because I had purchase a G4000 for work and was impressed by the overall quality and performance for a small lathe and the 602 was essentially a big brother for about $100 more.  IIRC, the 602 was about $1500 at the time.  

 Some of the additions and modifications that I have made include a six bolt compound clamp, a rear mount for the compound to add 5 inches to the cross slide range,  a variable speed drive, an electronic lead screw, the aforementioned quick release tailstock clamp, a spindle stop, a carriage stop, 7/8" risers under the lathe to provide extra clearance for cleaning and an improved mounting system for leveling the lathe, a 5C collet chuck, and a QCTP.  I also modified the belt tightening mechanism, making a new mount for the idler pulley and changing its location.  The thread dial was wonky as the markings weren't concentric which made use of the thread dial difficult so I made a new thread dial.  

The biggest limitation of the G0602 that I have found is the drive train uses a 3L belt which limits the available delivered torque.  The 3L belt limits the delivered torque to 10 -12 lb-ft which can be a problem when making heavy cuts or parting.  This is something that can't be fixed easily.  It would require making all new pulleys.  Were I to embark on this journey, I would likely elect for gear belts instead of the 3L belt.


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## GunsOfNavarone (Dec 21, 2022)

@RJSakowski  can you go more into detail about the 5" extra travel on the compound? I have no idea what rear mount is.


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## RJSakowski (Dec 21, 2022)

GunsOfNavarone said:


> @RJSakowski  can you go more into detail about the 5" extra travel on the compound? I have no idea what rear mount is.


When I had my cross slide off for some other machining, I used the opportunity to duplicate the holes for the compound and clamp at the rear of the cross slide.  This provides a secondary location for the compound extending its range.  When not used, I plug the six tapped holes and the hole for the compound boss to prevent chips from clogging.   This is useful if I ever want to work from the back side of the spindle.

Here is a picture from the SolidWorks model. The back of the cross slide is at the top.  I seated the oil ports slightly below the surface.  I had moved the central oil port to permit oiling the lead screw  when the compound was at the rear but it turned out to be innecessary as I could oil the lead screw from the front hole for the compound boss.


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## GunsOfNavarone (Dec 21, 2022)

OMG, I so would like to be able to part from the backside, but I run out of threads on the compound. This would fix that, correct?


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## RJSakowski (Dec 22, 2022)

GunsOfNavarone said:


> OMG, I so would like to be able to part from the backside, but I run out of threads on the compound. This would fix that, correct?


On the 602, yes it will.  The cross slide is machined flat across the full top surface.  I can position the center of my QCTP 7.5" to the rear of the spindle center line.


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## RJSakowski (Dec 22, 2022)

I also built a traditional reversing banjo which was removed when I added the ELS. 

 Another device was an autostop for the carriage that could stop consistently with a thousandth.  Useful for threading or turning to a shoulder.  The addition of the DRO and ELS, along with the ability to stop precisely by virtue of a variable speed drive that can slow to a controlled stop eliminated the need for an  autostop.  Consequently, the autostop design will remain on the drawing board.


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## RJSakowski (Dec 23, 2022)

A couple of items that I missed.  I trimmed the T bar on my 3 jaw chuck wrench to 5.6".  The original length would hit the headstock housing  and chip the paint, much to my annoyance. The wrench is now able to turn a full 360º with no interference.

The second thin that I did was to make a hook type spanner for the spindle.  The OEM method of using a tommy bar was chowdering the holes on the spindle.  Bonus, the wrench allows bucking up to the ways, freeing both hands for the wrench on the chuck.  For tightening, I replaced the socket head cap screw holding the backsplash at 1 o'clock to the spindle axis with a stop for the wrench so both hands are free to tighten the chuck.


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## WobblyHand (Dec 23, 2022)

RJSakowski said:


> A couple of items that I missed.  I trimmed the T bar on my 3 jaw chuck wrench to 5.6".  The original length would hit the headstock housing  and chip the paint, much to my annoyance. The wrench is now able to turn a full 360º with no interference.
> 
> The second thin that I did was to make a hook type spanner for the spindle.  The OEM method of using a tommy bar was chowdering the holes on the spindle.  Bonus, the wrench allows bucking up to the ways, freeing both hands for the wrench on the chuck.  For tightening, I replaced the socket head cap screw holding the backsplash at 1 o'clock to the spindle axis with a stop for the wrench so both hands are free to tighten the chuck.
> 
> ...


How thick is the wrench?  About 1/4"?  Did you heat it with a torch to bend and form it?


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## RJSakowski (Dec 23, 2022)

WobblyHand said:


> How thick is the wrench?  About 1/4"?  Did you heat it with a torch to bend and form it?


It is 1/4" x 5/8" stainless; one of the austenitic alloys and probably 304.   My ex actually did the bend years ago for a product she was making.  She did use heat and a hydraulic press with forming dies.  I did have to modify the bend to match the spindle. Here are the details.








						Just One More
					

The Grizzly G0602 has three radial holes in the spindle for the purpose of securing the spindle when installing or removing a chuck.According to the user manual, you are supposed to use the second chuck key as a tommy bar with those holes.  Well the chuck key didn't fit but no problem, I made a...




					www.hobby-machinist.com


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## DexterTripod (Dec 24, 2022)

Reading some of these updates I got a little confused, but realized Grizzly must have made some updates over the years.  I think mine was just made in 2022 and the spindle holes are too small to fit the wrench handle as previously described, BUT they now include a wrench like you made to hold the spindle steady.


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## RJSakowski (Dec 24, 2022)

DexterTripod said:


> Reading some of these updates I got a little confused, but realized Grizzly must have made some updates over the years.  I think mine was just made in 2022 and the spindle holes are too small to fit the wrench handle as previously described, BUT they now include a wrench like you made to hold the spindle steady.


The spindle holes in my c.a. 2013 602 were too small for the 4 jaw wrench too.  I just made a my own tommy bar to fit.  It worked better than the wrench would have anyway.  I noticed that the parts manual that came with the lathe doesn't show a cross slide lock but my lathe has one, although it is possible that it was something I added.  My 602 didn't come  with a set screw to adjust the cross slide nut backlash which I recognized very soon after my purchase and Grizzly made good on.  

Some time ago, I noticed that engaging the half nuts put an excessive load on the lead screw.  After some investigation, I found a tapped hole for provision to limit the half nut engagement and wrote about it on another thread.  Looking at the parts diagram, I see that Grizzly actually have the required parts listed; #112 and #114.  They weren't provided for my lathe. They are hidden by the thread dial assembly and the effect is subtle enough that it could easily be missed by the final inspection or by the end user.  The consequences of using the lead screw without those parts is increased wear of the lead screw and half nuts, along with gears in the drive train to a lesser degree.  They became apparent to me when I installed my ELS as the stepper motor now driving the lead screw has significantly less torque than driving by means of the gear train.


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## RJSakowski (Dec 25, 2022)

This evening, I watched a Clough42 video where he discovered an issue with his cross slide saddle.  



I checked my 602, manufactured in Mar., 2013, and I don't have this problem but many of those who replied to his video did.   It is something for 602 owners to check.  

On another note, I noticed that he has a hole about an inch to the rear of the second cross slide gib adjustment as mine does.  This is the location of the cross slide lock on my lathe mentioned in post # 24 above.  This is an undocumented feature in all of the various G0602 user manuals that I have seen.  It is a simple matter to add a screw to enable this feature.


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## DexterTripod (Jan 2, 2023)

RJSakowski said:


> This evening, I watched a Clough42 video where he discovered an issue with his cross slide saddle.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I watched that one too, and was the first thing I checked when I got mine setup.  

I looked through my manual and it looks like they remedied the missing cross slide lock position indicator.  It's not super visible but at least it's now in the manual.  I haven't taken it out to look, but the screw must be tiny though.  My allen wrench went way in and spun so many times before it stopped I thought it was empty.


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## RJSakowski (Jan 2, 2023)

DexterTripod said:


> I watched that one too, and was the first thing I checked when I got mine setup.
> 
> I looked through my manual and it looks like they remedied the missing cross slide lock position indicator.  It's not super visible but at least it's now in the manual.  I haven't taken it out to look, but the screw must be tiny though.  My allen wrench went way in and spun so many times before it stopped I thought it was empty.


My manual for machines from 9/2008 doesn't mention either the half nut  adjustment or the cross slide lock.  The half nut adjustment components are shown in the parts diagram as 112 and 114.  The cross slide lock feature isn't shown in the parts diagram.

The latest on-line manual for machines from 11/2012 does show the an adjustment for the half nut gibs but not the one involving parts 112 and 114.  It is that adjustment that will increase wear on the lead screw and half nuts if the above parts are missing or not adjusted properly.   The cross slide lock feature is mentioned in the operations section but isn't shown in the parts diagram.

Rather than the set screws and socket head cap screw for the cross slide and carriage locks, I would replace them with thumb screws, if you have clearance.  They can be left loose until needed with no harm.  In my case, my DRO scale prevents that so I retaine d the socket head cap screw on the carriage lock and replaced the set screws for the cross slide lock with a hex head cap screw.  Less convenient bit I value the DRO more than the convenience.


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