# Finally getting my G0602 setup!



## gun410 (Jul 9, 2020)

Hello, it’s been a minute since I’ve posted, I’ve been busy with work but I’m wanting to get back on my lathe. I had a few problems with my grizzly so I’m working on getting it dialed before starting on a few projects. I swapped the compound clamp for a more rigid 6 bolt one that helped, and I got an er40 chuck & backplate. I’m concerned about the backplate though because the 3 & 4 jaw chucks that came with the lathe have 2 little clamps that screw on to the backplate, clamping on the spindle to get a better attachment than just using the spindle thread alone. The er40 backplate doesn’t have the extra collar extending past the treads (where the little clamps screw in). I also have to worry about machining the backplate, 
but I’m asking if I can use this with just the spindle thread or if I need to get a new backplate. My other problem I need to fix is what my lathe is mounted on. Right now my lathe is on a harbor freight tool cabinet (on roller wheels) and I want to find a more solid solution so I don’t have any lathe twist and that way I can level the lathe if I need to. Any insight & advice on the chuck or my lathe stand would be greatly appreciated, Thanks!


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## Aaron_W (Jul 9, 2020)

My Enco 9x20 has the same screw on clip. I think that it is mostly there to help keep the chuck on if run in reverse (odd because the 9x20 doesn't have reverse). This size lathe is mostly aimed at hobbyists so not surprising that they add an extra safety margin to ensure the chuck screwed on well.

Personally I wouldn't worry about it not being on your collet chuck. My Sherline is threaded as is my 11x24 Powermatic (which does have a reverse) and nether of them have any kind of thread locking screw.

Do make sure you get it on good though before starting the lathe, I did spin my chuck off once on the 11x24. I started to put it on, screwed it on most of the way but not snugged up. I got distracted by something and forgot to finish the job, turned on the lathe and about a second later BAM chuck came off hit my thigh and rolled down my leg then off my foot. A 6" chuck doing that will get your attention, but it was absolutely user error caused by leaving the chuck loose on the spindle. I've now added a rule to go along with never leave the chuck key in the chuck, never leave the chuck on the spindle unless it is tight, on or off but never loose. Scared the heck out of me, but thankfully I always wear an apron, pants and boots when running my machines, so it was just an oh crap moment, no injuries. My leg and foot cushioned the chucks trip to the floor and prevented it from sustaining any damage. It could have been much worse.


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## benmychree (Jul 9, 2020)

Lathes have been made for hundreds of years with screw on chucks and faceplates and have gotten along just fine without little clips, especially if not run in reverse; if desired to run in reverse, the chuck must be screwed on tight, and light cuts taken, I have my doubte if little clips would prevent a chuck screwing off to any extent while operated in reverse.


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## ub27Rocks (Jul 9, 2020)

The clips are actually quite substantial, I have no problems cutting in reverse (but mostly threading)

For the backplate you are showing, that is the wrong backplate. LMS and Grizzly both sell correct ones. The backplate must/should butt up against the spindle boss to seat properly.


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## RJSakowski (Jul 9, 2020)

gun410 said:


> Hello, it’s been a minute since I’ve posted, I’ve been busy with work but I’m wanting to get back on my lathe. I had a few problems with my grizzly so I’m working on getting it dialed before starting on a few projects. I swapped the compound clamp for a more rigid 6 bolt one that helped, and I got an er40 chuck & backplate. I’m concerned about the backplate though because the 3 & 4 jaw chucks that came with the lathe have 2 little clamps that screw on to the backplate, clamping on the spindle to get a better attachment than just using the spindle thread alone. The er40 backplate doesn’t have the extra collar extending past the treads (where the little clamps screw in). I also have to worry about machining the backplate,
> but I’m asking if I can use this with just the spindle thread or if I need to get a new backplate. My other problem I need to fix is what my lathe is mounted on. Right now my lathe is on a harbor freight tool cabinet (on roller wheels) and I want to find a more solid solution so I don’t have any lathe twist and that way I can level the lathe if I need to. Any insight & advice on the chuck or my lathe stand would be greatly appreciated, Thanks!


Grizzly does not list a  threaded backplate for the 602 in their catalog.  The 602 has a 1-3/4"-8 tpi spindle.   But they sell the OEM 5 and 6" backplates as replacement parts.  I bought the 5" backplate  for my 5C collet chuck.  The mounting holes didn't match the 5C chuck so I machined new holes offset by 120º.  There was plenty of meat to machine a new register.


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## gun410 (Jul 9, 2020)

Thank you all for your replies, earlier today I machined the backplate and got the chuck mounted. I didn’t have time to test the runout but when I turned on the lathe it looked very good and seemed to be running true without the use of the tru set screws. 

I see that some of y’all are saying the chuck is incorrect. It doesn’t have the extra collar that slides on to the portion behind the threads. Is that essential? Do I need to get another chuck or would this backplate work? I found another backplate but it would be nice if I could use the one I have, and I don’t know if it has the right placed and threaded holes.






						6.3" Fully Machined Threaded Back Plate with 1-3/4 x 8 TPI for 3 or 4 Jaw Self Centering Lathe Chucks
					

<!--<ul><li>Hub Length: 0.945''</li><li>Hub Diameter: 3.583''</li><li>Flange Thickness: 0.63''</li><li>Shoulder boss: 0.157'' </li></ul>-->




					www.shars.com
				




Either way if I have to get another backplate or not, the collet chuck should be good to go and will make a really nice addition to the lathe. But there is still another problem I need to address... 

The lathe isn’t that stable at all, it’s on a tool cabinet that is a little shaky when using the lathe. I would like to figure out a more rigid base for the lathe for sturdiness and it would allow me to finally level the lathe. These are the options that I thought of 
1. Take the roller caster wheels off and fab up some leveling legs out of sum grade 8 bolts. The cabinet’s top is wood so I wood have to figure out something else to prevent twist 
2. Or I was thinking of designing & welding up a new lathe stand out of steel with the same style leveling feet. This is what I’m leaning more towards but it would suck that I wouldn’t have the storage area below like the tool cabinet. If someone’s been through this before I would appreciate to hear or see what your solution was for a stand. Thanks


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## Aaron_W (Jul 9, 2020)

gun410 said:


> 2. Or I was thinking of designing & welding up a new lathe stand out of steel with the same style leveling feet. This is what I’m leaning more towards but it would suck that I wouldn’t have the storage area below like the tool cabinet. If someone’s been through this before I would appreciate to hear or see what your solution was for a stand. Thanks



I've seen people build a frame that will allow a tool chest to sit inside it. If you remove the wheels from the chest that should drop the top by 4 or 5" providing you with a fair amount of leeway in the height to adjust to your preference. More solid, you choose the height, and you can maintain the drawers and shelving for storage.


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## gun410 (Jul 10, 2020)

That sounds like a great idea, it would be nice to still keep the tool cabinet’s storage. Do you have any photos of that kinda lathe stand?

I’m still hoping that I can use the backplate I’ve already machined. If not that’s fine too I can get a different backplate, but the shars one I was looking at is unfortunately the wrong size. Would my current backplate without the collar make that big of difference or hinder accuracy while machining?


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## Aaron_W (Jul 10, 2020)

There have been several posts where people have done this, but not as easy to find them. 

Here is one very nice set up, there are some others in this thread as well.

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...e-for-a-model-9-a-sb-lathe.25776/#post-229500

I found this one with a cad model which may be helpful if you want to do something similar. It appears this poster went in a different direction, but the plans may still be useful is adjusted to your needs.

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/parametric-openscad-mill-stand-model.73532/


As far as your back plate, I don't think the collar / clip is a big deal but if I'm understanding ub27's comment, there may be an issue with how it registers on the spindle. Some back plates have a significant amount of material which you could turn down to match up to the spindle register, but not being familiar with that specific lathe / back plate, I'm not sure if you can do that here or not.


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## ub27Rocks (Jul 11, 2020)

A picture of the back plate showing its threads would help determine if it can be fixed. On the backplate I ordered (as a spare part) from Grizzly I had to slightly enlarge the rear hole so it would go over the chuck boss. I did this by threading it on reversed from normal position. You can get the required dimension from the plate on your 3 or 4 jaw chuck.


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## gun410 (Jul 12, 2020)

Thanks for the posts I’ll definitely be building something similar for my setup. Will be much needed after dealing with a shaky stand.

For the collet chuck, I can take a picture of the backplate but their is not enough room to machine a collar that’ll be long enough. I checked the chuck’s taper with a dial indicator and the runout wasn’t too bad, about .002 with no set tru adjustments. Is that decent for an er40 chuck or would the backplate be worth it to get less runout or what concerns should I have when using this setup?


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## ub27Rocks (Jul 13, 2020)

The backplate as shown in first photo is not seating against a repeatable face, so it is likely that every time that you mount it the runout will change. The backplate should be sitting over the shiny part. (ie a recess in the back of the plate with no threads). Might be ok to use for a while but I would order a proper one from Grizzly spare parts or from LMS. I have used both sources and they fit properly. Since you are in the US shipping should be affordable (definitely not the case when shipping to Canada!)

You should be able to get close to 0 runout, and it should repeat when you put the chuck on again.


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## gun410 (Jul 19, 2020)

So, I just finished building the tool cabinet lathe stand and it came out pretty well! I picked up some 2x2 tubing, angle and a big piece of channel from the steel yard. The stand came out pretty level after welding it up. The concrete it’s sitting on is a little messed up but with my starrett 98-8 I got it leveled decently. But overall the stand has been a huge upgrade and now my setup is rigid and sturdy. 

I also got my er40 collets in the mail, and it looks like my backplate will suffice for my needs. I’m getting less than .0005 of runout each time I test remounting the chuck. 

One of my last projects that I need to do before the lathe is setup is building a carriage stop. I also grabbed a hunk of aluminum at the steel yard that I’m planning on shaping into the stop. Lastly I unfortunately have one more concern, when I was running my lathe I could notice a goofy noise seeming to come from the spindle bearings. The spindle seems to be running true but I’m not sure if that matters. I hope they aren’t shot as it sounds like a pain to replace them, but I took a vid of it so hopefully one of you fellas can tell me if they are ok or not.


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## RJSakowski (Jul 19, 2020)

The whine is coiming from the gear belt or gear belt pulley.  I have the same noise and it persists with the spindle drive belt removed.  The pulsing noise earlier on sounds like gear noise.  There is a periodicity to it of around 1 second which suggests one of the change gears.  You can narrow it down by removing change gears from the drive train.  The noise I heard at the end could be a bearing but the bearing could be in the motor, the tensioning idler, the gear belt pulley, or the spindle.


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## Aaron_W (Jul 19, 2020)

Good job on the stand, welders are a lovely tool aren't they.     I think you will find the cabinet top a useful shelf when you are running the lathe. I always find myself, looking for a safe place to lay a tool I'm using intermittently.


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## gun410 (Jul 21, 2020)

Thanks I’m pretty sure the noise is coming from the change gears, they looked ok but i don’t know why the noise recently started.

I love my welder it’s a very valued tool in my shop! It made building the stand pretty simple.

I started doing a some turning today now that the lathe is pretty well setup. But for some damn reason I’m getting a crappy surface finish now. I was turning some 17-4 at 560 rpm and I couldn’t figure out how to get a good surface finish to save my life! First picture is .20 DOC turning with the hand wheel, and the second is 10 DOC with the power feed at .0025” per rev. Before I took a little break from the lathe I was getting a pretty good surface finish on 17-4 so I thought with the same insert tool after improving the rigidity of the lathe would improve the Finnish but I can’t figure it out, I would appreciate someone chiming in with some advice on why the surface finish is the way it it (very rough w little black streaks in it).

Ps I also made a carriage stop that came out ok, I don’t have a mill so I had to make do with the bandsaw and belt sander.
















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## ub27Rocks (Jul 22, 2020)

I calculate 73sfm, which for steel and carbide is way too slow. Guessing your work piece is 0.5" diameter, try doubling your rpm, maybe higher.

Steel with inserts is typically 250 SFM.


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## gun410 (Jul 24, 2020)

I found out this actually isn’t 17-4 I accidentally grabbed some mild steel. From the surface finish it looked like it was tearing a bit. I grabbed some hss, ground a tool with a larger nose radius and upped the lathe to 1200 rpms. It worked somewhat better but it looked like a lil tearing was still present and there are a few irregularities that u can feel fairly easy. 

Since I replaced the compound clamp rigidity shouldn’t have been an issue. I did a little research and it seems to be a spindle problem. My thinking is maybe they didn’t preload the bearings right or/and the bearings are shot. I put my indicator in the spindle taper and with just pushing w my hand I could move the spindle about a thousandth. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m figuring the tool pressure from turning is moving the spindle a little bit, causing the poor Finnish. I was looking at replacement 32009 bearings to order but there are a ton of different variations & brands I couldn’t figure out which bearings would work the best.


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## ub27Rocks (Jul 24, 2020)

Not too difficult to adjust the preload, 2 nuts on LH end of spindle are what you need to turn. Unless the bearings are bad (aka grinding etc) I would not go up that path unless really necessary.

If too much preload the bearings will overheat so do a bit at a time (I don't relcall seeing specs for this)

Also, if you are still using the ER40 chuck the way it was shown early in this thread, it is also not seated properly thus adding to issues. First photo shows unthreaded area that sits over the boss on spindle so the back of the plate mates against the spindle as shown in second photo. Without that mating the chuck will wobble. And it won't repeatedly sit in same position everytime you put it back on the spindle.


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## gun410 (Jul 24, 2020)

Ok that makes sense, but when adjusting the preload how do I know how much to tighten the nuts? 

When I was testing how much the spindle moves, I took the er40 chuck off, so the movement wasn’t caused my the chuck. But I can’t seem to find a 5” 1 3/4-8 backplate suitable for it, but at this point I’m more concerned with the spindle movement more than anything.


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## ub27Rocks (Jul 24, 2020)

I don't have an answer to how much preload but worst case I would tighten the nuts up 1/8 turn at a time while checking the deviation under load and also whether the bearings heat up when running for 10-15 minutes. If too tight the sound will change as will the temperature rise.

RJ pointed you to the Grizzly spare parts, this is the link to 3-jaw chuck backplate which is 5" https://www.grizzly.com/parts/Grizzly-CHUCK-BACKPLATE/P0602054-2


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## gun410 (Jul 25, 2020)

ub27Rocks said:


> I don't have an answer to how much preload but worst case I would tighten the nuts up 1/8 turn at a time while checking the deviation under load and also whether the bearings heat up when running for 10-15 minutes. If too tight the sound will change as will the temperature rise.
> 
> RJ pointed you to the Grizzly spare parts, this is the link to 3-jaw chuck backplate which is 5" https://www.grizzly.com/parts/Grizzly-CHUCK-BACKPLATE/P0602054-2



Thanks for the link, that backplate should work great for the er chuck! I’m out of town right now but when I get back I’ll be sure to adjust the preload, but how would one check the bearing’s temp when their enclosed in the headstock? Last thing, are the G0602’s stock bearings good quality? If thinking it might be worth it replace them with something better to avoid some headache.


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## ub27Rocks (Jul 25, 2020)

Like I said, unless you know those bearings are bad, e.g. noisy, crunchy, leave them alone until you sort out the present issues. This is my opinion based on past experience going down multiple paths at the same time  
Replacing the bearings is not trivial and requires you to make some tools first, with a lathe. There is at least one thread here on that topic. In the end you will be where you are now, how much preload do you put on the bearings.
As to how hot is too hot, I imagine the bearling location in the headstock will get warm. If you also have trouble turning the spindle by hand then you are definitiely in the too-tight realm. I would start by tightening 1/8 turn, check, do it again, check etc until you noticebly reduce the movement. At that point call it close enough for now and do some test cuts. If after 15 minutes of running you feel significant heat at the bearing locations, back off the preload 1/16 turn.


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## gun410 (Jul 27, 2020)

I got back in the shop and I gave the spanner some more torq which helped quite a bit but it still moves a bit, it seems the problem is in the headstock, the indicator moves if you press on the front of the headstock. It seems my bearings are decent so I’ll probably leave them for now, but my first concern is getting the lathe rigid & solid for smoother cuts. I hope this problem isn’t too serious and I can get it cutting decently.


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## mikey (Jul 27, 2020)

Preload setting can vary by the manufacturer and quite often they recommend adjusting preload to achieve a certain amount of end play. I don't know if Grizzly does it this way, though; you have to check the manual. I own an Emco Super 11 CD lathe and it has P6 spindle bearings in it. The way the Emco engineers say to do it is really simple. With the lathe cold, you mount a 3 jaw chuck on the spindle and spin it by hand as hard as you can. Preload is adjusted to allow the chuck to make 1 to 1-1/2 revolutions before stopping. As primitive as this might sound, it works. My spindle has zero run out and has maintained that since the late 1990's. The headstock gets only slightly warm, even after prolonged running, and the lathe makes less than 73 decibels at the highest speed.

With regard to the finish you are getting with that HSS tool, it might be the material. If that is 1018 then no tool will produce a nice finish except maybe a shear tool taking cuts of a thou or two. Your tool, what I can see of it, only has nose radii on it. It's hard to tell but it looks like side and end relief is minimal and there is no side or back rake. Such a tool will not cut well. There is a lot more to tool geometry besides the nose radius and perhaps a bit more discussion on the tool might help you. If you post some detailed pics showing all sides of the tip of the tool and part of the shank, maybe we can help.


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## markba633csi (Jul 27, 2020)

The shape of the hss tool bit in post #18 looks incorrect- rake, relief angle, etc.
Need to practice that, you should have no trouble getting fairly smooth finishes on steel with only minor tearing
-Mark


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## gun410 (Jul 27, 2020)

mikey said:


> Preload setting can vary by the manufacturer and quite often they recommend adjusting preload to achieve a certain amount of end play. I don't know if Grizzly does it this way, though; you have to check the manual. I own an Emco Super 11 CD lathe and it has P6 spindle bearings in it. The way the Emco engineers say to do it is really simple. With the lathe cold, you mount a 3 jaw chuck on the spindle and spin it by hand as hard as you can. Preload is adjusted to allow the chuck to make 1 to 1-1/2 revolutions before stopping. As primitive as this might sound, it works. My spindle has zero run out and has maintained that since the late 1990's. The headstock gets only slightly warm, even after prolonged running, and the lathe makes less than 73 decibels at the highest speed.
> 
> With regard to the finish you are getting with that HSS tool, it might be the material. If that is 1018 then no tool will produce a nice finish except maybe a shear tool taking cuts of a thou or two. Your tool, what I can see of it, only has nose radii on it. It's hard to tell but it looks like side and end relief is minimal and there is no side or back rake. Such a tool will not cut well. There is a lot more to tool geometry besides the nose radius and perhaps a bit more discussion on the tool might help you. If you post some detailed pics showing all sides of the tip of the tool and part of the shank, maybe we can help.



Hi Mickey thanks for the input, I couldn’t find anything about the preload in the manual but I tightened a little more and the runout isn’t too bad. I took a video to show what I mean but if you press on the spindle or the headstock you can get over .0005” of movement. I have no idea where this is coming from but I’m pretty sure this lack of rigidness is somewhat causing the poor surface finish. I can’t exactly remember what steel this is but I’m fairly certain it’s 1018 or 1045. I also found out I’m going to have to build an separate independent leveling system for the lathe. I’m thinking I have a slight twist because if I put the indicator on the headstock and push the spindle it doesn’t move.






I’ll also post some pics of the HSS tool I mad but it does have some relief angles cut on the cutting edges. I was under the impression a larger nose radius produces a smoother surface finish.


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## markba633csi (Jul 27, 2020)

Something like this is what you are after:  with a steeper angle on the front


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## mikey (Jul 27, 2020)

gun410 said:


> Hi Mickey thanks for the input, I couldn’t find anything about the preload in the manual but I tightened a little more and the runout isn’t too bad. I took a video to show what I mean but* if you press on the spindle or the headstock you can get over .0005” of movement*. I have no idea where this is coming from but *I’m pretty sure this lack of rigidness is somewhat causing the poor surface finish*. I can’t exactly remember what steel this is but I’m fairly certain it’s 1018 or 1045. *I also found out I’m going to have to build an separate independent leveling system for the lathe.* *I’m thinking I have a slight twist because if I put the indicator on the headstock and push the spindle it doesn’t move.*



It is very difficult to say where that half thou of movement is coming from but if I had to guess, I would suspect the spindle bearings are it. You have to remember that your lathe is built to a price point and the maker will use cheaper bearings. If you were to install accuracy-class bearings like ABEC-5's, it would be better. The cost for ABEC-5 bearings to fit your lathe would not be unreasonable; if you plan to keep your lathe then this might be something to consider. However, I suggest you put this on hold while you get the lathe aligned and leveled.

I actually have to disagree with you with regard to the headstock and spindle causing a poor finish; too many guys own that same lathe and can produce acceptable finishes. I think the tool you're using and possibly the material you're cutting is more likely the issue. This is a good thing, by the way, because I think we can definitely improve the tool. We'll get to the tool in a minute.

Putting an indicator on the headstock and pushing on the spindle tells you essentially nothing about the levelness of your lathe or anything else. There is a process to check and set the level of the lathe that I won't go into here because that is a HUGE discussion but you're going to be okay, it isn't hard to do. I suggest you start a new thread and ask the guys for advice on aligning the headstock and leveling the lathe.



gun410 said:


> I’ll also post some pics of the HSS tool I mad but it does have some relief angles cut on the cutting edges. I was under the impression a larger nose radius produces a smoother surface finish.



You're right; you do have some side and end relief - thanks for the pics. A large nose radius does produce a nicer finish BUT it also deflects like crazy unless you take tiny cuts. Moreover, you are cutting with the tool mostly perpendicular to the work piece and the area adjacent to the nose radius is rubbing; that is where your poor finish is mostly coming from. In the screen shot below, the area of primary contact is in green and the area that is probably rubbing is in red:




On a turning tool, the area of contact matters but even more important is that that contact point must be the ONLY point in contact. Therefore, the shape of the tool matters. You are cutting with the end cutting edge, which is fine. However, too much of the end edge is touching the work and the tool is rubbing. Typically, rubbing results in a torn, rough surface and that is exactly what you're seeing. 

Luckily, as Mark points out, fixing this is easy. You just need to learn to grind a better shape with the proper tool angles and you'll do just fine. To save my fingers let me refer you to a write up that might help you. We also have a huge thread going here that might be of interest to you. 

You're going to be fine. Work on getting the lathe aligned and leveled, then come on over to the model tools thread and let's hash out the tool. You'll be up and running in no time.


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## gun410 (Jul 27, 2020)

mikey said:


> It is very difficult to say where that half thou of movement is coming from but if I had to guess, I would suspect the spindle bearings are it. You have to remember that your lathe is built to a price point and the maker will use cheaper bearings. If you were to install accuracy-class bearings like ABEC-5's, it would be better. The cost for ABEC-5 bearings to fit your lathe would not be unreasonable; if you plan to keep your lathe then this might be something to consider. However, I suggest you put this on hold while you get the lathe aligned and leveled.
> 
> I actually have to disagree with you with regard to the headstock and spindle causing a poor finish; too many guys own that same lathe and can produce acceptable finishes. I think the tool you're using and possibly the material you're cutting is more likely the issue. This is a good thing, by the way, because I think we can definitely improve the tool. We'll get to the tool in a minute.
> 
> ...



I was suspect of the bearings as well, but let me see if I can explain what I did better. The first time I use the indicator I mounted the mag base on the carriage so when I pushed on the spindle i think it slightly lifted the headstock casting away from main frame casting (way casting). Because when I put the dial indicators mag base on top of the headstock and push the spindle it doesn’t move. The headstock is aligned so I think I just have to tighten the headstock down, but correct me if I have it wrong. I wasn’t trying to see the level ness of the lathe but to cancel out another variable to narrow down the movement to just the bearings, I hope that makes sense. 

I get what your saying about the tool shape, I would rather not worry about that right now so I swapped it out for a carbide tool with some 17-4 SS . I got a better surface finish but it’s seems like there are still some issues (can’t get a smooth finish without rubbing it messing up), I’ll try to get a good picture later of it. But I have a video of turning that as well as trying to part. I’m still having some bad troubles with parting and it constantly stalls the machine out when trying to cut (tool will get caught into work and instantly stop the machine), do I have a problem or is my lathe just too small for the operation?
Lathe was at 560 rpms, and I used a mgmn 3mm wise carbide parting tool & a ccmt insert for the turning show below.


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## mike44 (Jul 28, 2020)

Grind HSS  with a radius like the one you have. I can't tell if the front relief is correct. I use 8/10 ° on all metals. Diamond file or stone the radius.
Set the carriage travel to the  slowest and change the chuck speed to one higher pulley . You can use faster carriage travel til you are near the dimension. Last two passes I would use the slowest carriage travel.


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## mikey (Jul 28, 2020)

gun410 said:


> I was suspect of the bearings as well, but let me see if I can explain what I did better. *The first time I use the indicator I mounted the mag base on the carriage so when I pushed on the spindle i think it slightly lifted the headstock casting away from main frame casting (way casting).* Because when I put the dial indicators mag base on top of the headstock and push the spindle it doesn’t move. The headstock is aligned so I think I just have to tighten the headstock down, but correct me if I have it wrong. I wasn’t trying to see the level ness of the lathe but to cancel out another variable to narrow down the movement to just the bearings, I hope that makes sense.



Okay, I think I understand why you think the headstock may be loose. Luckily, it will be simple to tighten the headstock bolts down and re-test it. Let us know, okay?



gun410 said:


> I get what your saying about the tool shape, I would rather not worry about that right now so I swapped it out for a carbide tool with some 17-4 SS . I got a better surface finish but it’s seems like there are still some issues (can’t get a smooth finish without rubbing it messing up), I’ll try to get a good picture later of it. But I have a video of turning that as well as trying to part. I’m still having some bad troubles with parting and it constantly stalls the machine out when trying to cut (tool will get caught into work and instantly stop the machine), do I have a problem or is my lathe just too small for the operation?
> Lathe was at 560 rpms, and I used a mgmn 3mm wise carbide parting tool & a ccmt insert for the turning show below.



First, 17-4 is usually semi-hardened (in various grades of hardness) and is typically turned in industrial lathes so if you're looking for a challenge then you picked a great material. Looks like you took a decent depth of cut and got a fairly good finish, though. Thing with SS is that it work hardens readily and if you tried to part on stuff that is even a little bit work hardened then having trouble is not surprising. A big rigid lathe would walk right through that stuff but a small 10" lathe, maybe not so much. 

Is there a reason for turning this material? I should think that for someone new to the lathe, 12L14 mild steel or 6061-T6 aluminum would be a better material to learn on. Both materials give good finishes and are very forgiving because they are easy to cut, while also being hard enough to be cut and measured accurately. If I could advise you on the best learning materials for new lathe owners, these two would be it. 

With all due respect, I suggest you consider learning to grind and use HSS on your lathe. Carbide is okay but you just don't have the rigidity, power or speed to really use it optimally. On the other hand, I do know that many G0602 guys use carbide so consider my opinion just another opinion.


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## gun410 (Jul 31, 2020)

Thanks for the clarification, I thought I noticed harden sections but I didn’t put the two together. The surface finish was good(pretty sure it’s annealed) but I still got a slight noise with the fingernail test. I’m still working on the lathe. However I also started working on building an atv pulled brush mower that I might post about on the forum, but I went to the steel yard and picked up some 5/8” thick pieces of steel that I’m planning on cutting to fit the bottom of the lathe’s casting’s 2 feet and using that to level the lathe because I notice a slight twist in the bed. And I know I gotta hone in my hss steel grinding skills haha but I thought carbide was better for turning 17-4?


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## mikey (Jul 31, 2020)

Carbide probably is better but you may not have the lathe for it.


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