# How to reduce the vibration of a bench lathe ( Emco Compact 8 )



## compact8 (Dec 24, 2021)

It's my EMCO Compact 8. The noise level is very acceptable at 500 rpm but then it would step up to max at 850 rpm and then reduced by a bit at 1700 rpm. Obviously some kind of resonance is happening. May I have some suggestions on how to cut the noise down at 850 rpm ?   Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas


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## FOMOGO (Dec 24, 2021)

Turn up the tunes? Mounting to a somewhat dampened surface (wood, hard rubber), and add weight to the base, are two methods. Mike


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## Ken226 (Dec 24, 2021)

Your video link shows, "unavailable", so Im making a few assumptions.

What type of motor does it have?  

Switching from a single phase motor to 3 phase reduced my lathes noise by about 3/4.    

Especially the gear noise from the headstock.


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## OCJohn (Dec 24, 2021)

Ken226 said:


> Your video link shows, "unavailable"...


That's one way to make it quieter.


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## compact8 (Dec 24, 2021)

The video should be visible now. Somehow it was unintentionally marked as private in Youtube so only I could see it.

The lathe is belt driven so it is not gear noise. The power feed gear train in the picture is disengaged as I rarely use power feed. The belt was kept in tension by a spring and a wheel. I believe the noise is due to the resonation of the spring. I could feel by my finger that the shaft of the wheel pressing on the belt shakes a lot more when the noise level is high.  Just have no clue how to fix it, if it can be fixed at all.

It's not the noise but vibration that bothers me. The vibration may make the machine wear out more quickly.


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## mikey (Dec 24, 2021)

Could be the tensioning wheel that presses on the belt. There is a large amount of pressure on that wheel in use and I wonder if the bearing in there is going.


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## compact8 (Dec 24, 2021)

mikey said:


> Could be the tensioning wheel that presses on the belt. There is a large amount of pressure on that wheel in use and I wonder if the bearing in there is going.


The metal of the wheel runs directly on the shaft without any ball bearing. I oil the shaft quite often and as far as I can feel it, the rotation is silk smooth.


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## Fermic (Dec 25, 2021)

compact8 said:


> The metal of the wheel runs directly on the shaft without any ball bearing. I oil the shaft quite often and as far as I can feel it, the rotation is silk smooth.


I stopped oiling it and replaced with a new pulley out of 6061 and 2x 6001-2RS bearings pressed-fitted in that, vibrations did go down but isn't fully gone because my 1-ph ac motor is the major source of vibration in my lathe.


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## compact8 (Dec 25, 2021)

Fermic said:


> I stopped oiling it and replaced with a new pulley out of 6061 and 2x 6001-2RS bearings pressed-fitted in that, vibrations did go down but isn't fully gone because my 1-ph ac motor is the major source of vibration in my lathe.


Nice mod. I believe the aluminium wheel is much lighter than the original steel wheel so the resonating frequency of the spring+wheel system is changed ( to a higher frequency ) resulting in less vibration ?

Secondly, what's the diameter of the new wheel compared with the original ? if the new wheel is larger, the length of the spring hence the tension will be changed. That may change the resonating frequency as well.  I think I will try things out in that direction.  Thanks.


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## woodchucker (Dec 25, 2021)

wow, that's quiet...
And that's bothering you?


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## Fermic (Dec 25, 2021)

compact8 said:


> Nice mod. I believe the aluminium wheel is much lighter than the original steel wheel so the resonating frequency of the spring+wheel system is changed ( to higher frequency ) resulting in less vibration ?


The original pulley is sloppy when I grabbed it and it can be tilted left and right, so the fit has gone loose. Replacement is faster and more durable and more tight fitting, I don't think that lighter alu by itself helps with vibrations.


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## compact8 (Dec 25, 2021)

woodchucker said:


> wow, that's quiet...
> And that's bothering you?


It's the virbation that bothers me but the video cannot capture it. It may do harm to the machine in the long run I think


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## Alcap (Dec 25, 2021)

Do you have a mechanics stethoscope ? You might be able to pinpoint at least what area the issue is coming from


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## graham-xrf (Dec 25, 2021)

If it is a spring vibrating, you can stop it doing so by damping. The "just right" size of rubber tube pushed up it can work, or a cut piece of plastic foam packing. Better is to identify where the vibration that excites it into resonance comes from.

Mechanic's stethoscope can let you hear all sorts of noises, but it takes some usage to get used to what is "normal", and no problem. A quick shortcut is to get a long large screwdriver, carefully press the tip on the end of the shaft by a suspect gear, or on the outside of a bearing cover.
Then get the handle end onto your ear lobe, and gently press to block your ear.
BE CAREFUL - DO NOT SLIP !!
You will hear things like bearing running badly, or cyclic throbbing that leads you to noise sources.

I am one who might get a mechanic's stethoscope, just because I am curious!


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## Ischgl99 (Dec 25, 2021)

There are many sources of vibration that you will need to systematically go through to reduce your problem.  You can’t eliminate vibration entirely, but finding the source can significantly reduce it.  Possible sources are lack of proper preload, bad bearings, worn pulley/shaft fit, motor unbalance, and bad belts.  There are probably others, but that is off the top of my head having a similar lathe a number of years ago.

First step is to look for anything loose.  If any bolts have come loose, that could cause a vibration problem.

Since it runs fine at other speeds, it is likely not in the motor, but can’t hurt to check the vibration.  Check the motor by removing the belts and see if you have the same vibration.  

If that is ok, check preload on your spindle and adjust as necessary.  If that is ok, see if there a problem with your belt.  Belts have a natural frequency and if they are going bad, or too loose, it could change the speed at which they vibrate.  If the belt looks questionable, replace it.

See if the pulleys are loose on the shafts, or pulleys with bearings/bushings are loose.  They should not have any play.

Check the bearings as explained above, if they are wearing out, you can experience vibration at certain speeds you didn’t see before.

There is a lever which engages the drive system, if the spring is broken or weak, it could cause a vibration problem.  Check this by engaging the drive with the machine powered down, and see if the belt feels loose.  If you can easily move the belt with vey little force, the spring is likely bad.  There should be some resistance to deflecting it.

The last thing is you need more mass for your stand to reduce vibration.  Everything has a natural frequency at which it vibrates and by adding more mass, or stiffness, you change the natural frequency.  If everything above is ok, you might just need to make your stand heavier or more rigid.


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## compact8 (Dec 31, 2021)

I have replaced the original steel pulley that runs on a brone bushing with one made of 6061 aluminium running on ball bearings. Now there is zero play between the pulley and the shaft but disappointingly the vibration is not reduced by even a bit.

This video shows that the excitation clearly comes from the belt.  As the pulley is gradually lowered hence the tension and resonating frequency of the belt increased, the belt would vibrate strongly at some points.  The last occurrence is so strong that the image stabilization mechanism of the camera ( an iphone 11 pro ) was somehow affected causing it to join the dance. The camera was mounted on a tripod which is not touching the bench or the lathe. I believe the strong vibration is the result of the belt and the spring resonating together.

I have tried to dampen the vibration by holding the lower half of the spring as tightly as I could with my hand but it didn't help at all so I doubt if attempting to dampen the vibration is the way to go.  Now I guess I will have to live with it or avoid using this speed ( 850 rpm ) ?  Too bad that this rpm should be optimal for turning steel stocks of the diameter range that I work on mostly.


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## OCJohn (Dec 31, 2021)

I'm sure it's just a video/shutter thing, but on my end it looks like the belt is running true at the point of greatest vibration. Have you done the same test using the phone's slow motion setting? I'm not doubting your assessment that this is a belt issue, just pulling at straws. Other than changing belts, you're following the same diagnostic steps I would. 

Are there other belt options available? I've had great results with linked belts on my machines, but I have no idea if they are available in a size that small.  I went down this rabbit hole a few months ago and found there's a lot more variety than I'd ever seen. Here are a few related links I found...



			Link Belting for Power Transmission | Fenner Drives
		






						Rainbow Precision Products | Rainbow Precision Products
					






					www.rainbowprecisionproducts.com
				





			V-Belt Pulleys Selection Guide: Types, Features, Applications | Engineering360
		


Also quite a few pulley options at McMaster if the road leads to a different belt type...








						McMaster-Carr
					

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.




					www.mcmaster.com
				




Thanks for detailing your diagnosis. I've got a motor upgrade in the works for my mini lathe and haven't yet settled on a drive system. I'm learning a lot from this about things to consider.


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## Ischgl99 (Dec 31, 2021)

Your video shows the belt on a different groove on the sheave than your photo earlier in this post.  Do you get vibration on both grooves with the sheave mounted to the motor?  If you are getting the vibration on both groove speeds, then it could be a motor problem being transmitted to the belts.  Going through the slip clutch might be dampening the vibration enough that you are not getting it when using those speed settings.

Check the alignment of the two sheaves to each other, the grooves need to be in line to prevent rubbing along the side of the groove.  If they are not aligned, it can cause an excitation of the belt natural frequency since the belt gets plucked like a guitar string as it rubs and releases when it rotates.  You’ll also want to check the grooves for excessive wear, that can cause belt vibration problems too.

Did you try doing this test without a chuck mounted?  If there is an imbalance, or something causing it to be eccentric, it could induce a vibration in the belt if it is at the same natural frequency of the belt.  If removing the chuck eliminates or significantly reduces the vibration in the belt, then your problem is likely in the chuck and/or mounting.

I don’t recall reading if this was an old belt or if it has been replaced.  If it is an old belt, you might try replacing with a new one.  V-belts have a natural frequency and what you show in the video looks like it is running at the natural frequency, or something is exciting the natural frequency.  Older belts weaken over time, or strands break, so their natural frequency can change, a new belt might run better at that speed.  

If none of this solves your problem, the easy solution is not running at that speed, the more expensive solution would be to install new sheaves with different groove diameters to move the speed up or down a bit to get away from that speed, or installing a three phase motor with a VFD and operate at a speed where it doesn’t vibrate.


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## Alcap (Dec 31, 2021)

Just a thought , they do make hydraulic belt dampeners , our old dryer had one . Might be something you could try hydraulic damper for belt tensioner Think a shock absorber attached to your tension pulley. Edit, I thought my link posted but it didn’t,I’ll try again   https://www.diycarserviceparts.co.uk/blog/2020/06/05/what-are-tensioners-idlers-and-dampers/


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## compact8 (Jan 1, 2022)

Thanks again for all the detailed replies. I didn't mention it but I did have tried to replace the belt with a new one ( made by Gates USA ) but the result is the same. Then I took off the chuck as suggested by Ischgl99 and the vibration immediately subsided by a LOT.  There are now two possibilities I can think of :

1) The original Emco 3-jaw chuck is unbalanced. Not sure if it indicates anything but I have tried mouting a four-jaw chuck with all the jaws touching each other at the center and the result is the same.

2) The additional mass of the chuck changes the resonating frequency of the whole structure causing it to resonate at 850 rpm.

What would be the sensible next step under such circumstance ?


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## Steve-F (Jan 1, 2022)

Spindle bearing tension adjustment?


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## Alcap (Jan 1, 2022)

Another thing is the tensioner is on the drive side not the slack side , designed like that but maybe try using a turnbuckle to tighten the tensioner instead of the spring to at least for a test


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## Ischgl99 (Jan 1, 2022)

Yes, check the spindle bearing preload.  Every chuck is unbalanced to some degree, so if the preload is loose, then the chuck will amplify it even if the imbalance in the chuck is not that bad.  Since it is the same with both chucks, I would not expect the imbalance of the chucks to be too high that you would need to balance them.

To picture what is happening with loose preload, the spindle is like a lever with the belt acting like a spring with the chuck end bouncing up and down from the imbalance.


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## compact8 (Jan 1, 2022)

Ischgl99 said:


> check the spindle bearing preload.


This is likely to be a stupid question but may I know what spindle bearing preload is ? Mine is just a simple hobby lathe so it doesn't have all the features of big lathes.


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## Steve-F (Jan 1, 2022)

It is the amount of tension you place on the tapered bearings in the head stock. There is a adjustable collar on the pulley end, try cinching it up a little more after you unscrew the locking Allen screw, just a little a check the vibration again.


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## OCJohn (Jan 1, 2022)

compact8 said:


> 1) The original Emco 3-jaw chuck is unbalanced. Not sure if it indicates anything but I have tried mouting a four-jaw chuck with all the jaws touching each other at the center and the result is the same.
> 
> 2) The additional mass of the chuck changes the resonating frequency of the whole structure causing it to resonate at 850 rpm.
> 
> What would be the sensible next step under such circumstance ?


I'd start with checking balance to address Q1. I've seen a few videos on YT about simple balancing jigs and techniques. Four bearings, some metal angle, a smooth (ideally ground...) steel rod and some patience can get you pretty far. Sounds like a therapeutic day in the shop, to me.


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## OCJohn (Jan 1, 2022)

compact8 said:


> This is likely to be a stupid question but may I know what spindle bearing preload is ? Mine is just a simple hobby lathe so it doesn't have all the features of big lathes.


Doesn't look like your lathe has tapered roller bearings, so I don't think there's much to do about preload/bearing slop. Replacing the stock bearings, converting to tapered roller bearings or angular contact bearing$ would be logical next steps. Have you measured for bearing play with an indicator?

My next steps start with an indicator on the spindle to check for play, and then move on to checking balance on the chuck.

Probably not the root of your issue, but a heavy, bolted base like this couldn't hurt if you're looking for detour project.

This Old Tony did a video on bearing options:


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## compact8 (Jan 1, 2022)

OCJohn said:


> Have you measured for bearing play with an indicator?


Although it's a pretty basic lathe but it is equipped with tapered roller bearings. Just checked the play at the spindle end and there is none so I have some hesitation to adjust the bearing preload


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## Steve-F (Jan 1, 2022)

They come stock with precision tapered bearings, I own one too.


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## OCJohn (Jan 1, 2022)

compact8 said:


> Although it's a pretty basic lathe but it is equipped with tapered roller bearings. Just checked the play at the spindle end and there is none so I have some hesitation to adjust the bearing preload


That makes things easier, so might as well go for it. In addition to checking side to side play, also check end-play. That's your best confirmation of preload. 

Tapered roller bearings are usually cheap, so no need to be hesitant about adjusting preload.


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## Ischgl99 (Jan 1, 2022)

Preload is the amount of load placed on the bearings to reduce the amount of play in the spindle.  This lets the spindle run true with minimum deflection under load.  When preload is too tight, the bearings can overheat and seize.  If the preload is too little, you get excessive deflection of the spindle, but you also reduce the natural frequency of the spindle system.  Lets say for example with proper preload the natural frequency of the spindle is 3,000 rpm, if the preload is too loose, that could drop into your operating range.

The right amount of preload in these machines is a bit of art, you need to adjust and test.  If it is difficult to turn the shaft by hand, preload is too high, you should be able to spin the chuck and get a few rotations before it stops.  When you run the machine up to speed for a while, it should get a bit warm.  If it is too hot to touch, too much preload.   If you decide to try adjusting the preload, make a mark on the preload nut and spindle so you know where you started so that if you wanted to go back to that setting, it is easy to do.


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## compact8 (Jan 1, 2022)

Just tried to adjust the spindle bearing preload as advised. The strange thing is that no matter how hard I tighten the preload nut, I could not get the preload increased as evidenced by the fact that the spindle rotated just as freely as it was when turned by hand. I bought the machine new some 25 years ago and it has been well kept in a dry environment so the contact of related parts being frozen by rust is unlikely.

The Emco user manual does mention preload adjustment but it is very brief.  Have done a bit of searching and found this Grizzly manual : http://cdn2.grizzly.com/manuals/g4003g_m.pdf which says that a "small sledge or heavy dead blow hammer" should be used to break the spindle free from the bearing, kind of scaring for me  . With no sign of any spindle play and good finish of cut I am getting, I will not consider doing so for the time being.

This is the construction of the headstock of my lathe :




The finding so far is that vibration occurs only if heavy chucks are mounted on the spindle. If the chuck is lighter like my collect chuck, the level of vibration is much lower. To be more precise, the low-frequency components of the vibration, which shake everythings is cut down by a lot.  If the problem cannot be solved, the only way to get around it is to use collect chuck when 850 rpm is required but that will be rather inconvenient.


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## mikey (Jan 1, 2022)

The way the spindle bearings are adjusted at the factory is to do it cold, not after running the lathe. A chuck is mounted on the spindle and spun "hard" by hand. If it makes more than 1-1/2 revolutions before stopping then you need to increase preload until the chuck stops within 1 to 1-1/2 revolutions. This comes from one of the Emco engineers at the factory so I have to assume he knows how they do it. 

Once preload is set, check static spindle run out. It should be zero to 0.0002" TIR. If it is not, then it is time to change bearings. If you do change them, look for at least ABEC 5/P5 bearings to restore accuracy.


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## compact8 (Jan 2, 2022)

mikey said:


> The way the spindle bearings are adjusted at the factory is to do it cold, not after running the lathe. A chuck is mounted on the spindle and spun "hard" by hand. If it makes more than 1-1/2 revolutions before stopping then you need to increase preload until the chuck stops within 1 to 1-1/2 revolutions. This comes from one of the Emco engineers at the factory so I have to assume he knows how they do it.
> 
> Once preload is set, check static spindle run out. It should be zero to 0.0002" TIR. If it is not, then it is time to change bearings. If you do change them, look for at least ABEC 5/P5 bearings to restore accuracy.


I have taken a slow-motion video with my iphone and counted 6 turns when the 3-jaw chuck was spun hard by hand. The adjustment was done when the lathe was cold but still I could not change the level of preload.


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## mikey (Jan 2, 2022)

The only way that tightening the preload nut will have no effect is if the rear bearing is locked up against something such that it cannot move. Might be time to disassemble the spindle and have a look.


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## jwmay (Jan 2, 2022)

compact8 said:


> The finding so far is that vibration occurs only if heavy chucks are mounted on the spindle. If the chuck is lighter like my collect chuck, the level of vibration is much lower. To be more precise, the low-frequency components of the vibration, which shake everythings is cut down by a lot. If the problem cannot be solved, the only way to get around it is to use collect chuck when 850 rpm is required but that will be rather inconvenient.


What about buying a little smaller chuck? If you've proven it's that. Did this problem begin with the use of these larger chucks you mention? Did it suddenly appear, or has it been slowly getting worse, to the point that you are now addressing it? Springs wear out. I think you said it's not the spring. But they don't last forever. 25 years is a pretty good run.


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## compact8 (Jan 2, 2022)

jwmay said:


> What about buying a little smaller chuck? If you've proven it's that. Did this problem begin with the use of these larger chucks you mention? Did it suddenly appear, or has it been slowly getting worse, to the point that you are now addressing it? Springs wear out. I think you said it's not the spring. But they don't last forever. 25 years is a pretty good run.


As far as I can remember, it has been like that for a long time. Although the lathe was bought 25 years ago, it didn't get much use.  Too many other hobbies .....


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## jwmay (Jan 2, 2022)

compact8 said:


> Too many other hobbies .....


I know how that goes.  Sometimes it seems the world conspires to keep me out of the shop. But you made a good pick 25 years ago eh? I get the impression these lathes have a good reputation.  It may not be the culprit, but springs are usually fairly cheap.  I also wondered, as already mentioned, about a gas charged cylinder to replace that spring. Any thoughts on that? 
I watched your videos again a few times. Can you tell us a little more about the mechanism by which the tension is applied? Is it a cam attached to a hand lever? Does ot both rotate on an axis, and slide in/out? I can't guess why it would matter, but it's action seemed odd in the video. As if it were cammed, and then the pin seemed to lean, and then the entire thing seemed to shift away from the lens. Perhaps I'm seeing things.


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## compact8 (Jan 2, 2022)

jwmay said:


> Can you tell us a little more about the mechanism by which the tension is applied?


The mechanism is very simple. The tensioning wheel is attached to the end of a short lever ( #3 in the diagram below ) which is in turn attached to the spring. The handle is there just to lift up the tensioning wheel when the belt is being re-positioned. When things are set, the handle is not touching any part of the mechansim. The tensioning wheel just sits on the belt so it can go up and down depending on the tension of the belt and that of the spring.


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## jwmay (Jan 2, 2022)

Such an interesting problem! Probably not to you... but this is unique to me. You've replaced that little round belt too? It does quite a dance at below the resonance. The sound of it though, reminds me of a time I tried to use a "not exactly correct" Gates timing belt in a pulley set. Needs must, as I'm sure you understand.  I wouldn't think that's the issue, as you ordered the exactly correct part for your machine.


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## Ischgl99 (Jan 2, 2022)

OCJohn said:


> Tapered roller bearings are usually cheap, so no need to be hesitant about adjusting preload.


Precision tapered roller bearings are far more expensive than industrial quality.  The manual shows this lathe uses 32007 P6 bearings.  Industrial grade of this size costs in the $50-70 range, P6 would be about double that, and going up one more tolerance class to P5 would be at least double that, and more likely 4x the cost.  That of course is using quality name brands, you can certainly find cheaper ones out there.

@compact8, 6 revolutions is too much for proper preload.  Since the machine is 25 years old, the grease is probably used up, so it would be worthwhile to remove the spindle and clean out everything and inspect the bearings.  Components over time can get stuck on the shaft as well, so cleaning everything will enable you to set the preload properly.  Even with  no use, the bearings can sustain damage.  Since you live in a city, there is likely vibrations from traffic most of the day that can be transmitted to the lathe.  The rolling elements will over time wear slight grooves in the inner and outer races from the vibration.  If you disassemble the spindle, that would be something to check for, it will show up as very small marks that line up with the rolling element pitch.  If you see that, I would recommend replacing the bearings, and don’t keep a chuck on the spindle when not in use if you are doing that now.

To remove the spindle, you might be able to make a press off tool instead of using a hammer to loosen it.  The press off tool would have a screw that presses against the spindle to push the spindle out and eliminates any damage from using a hammer to loosen it.


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## Ken226 (Jan 2, 2022)

FAG makes a 32007 in P5. 123 bearing carries them for around 70$ ea.


Odd,  it showed FAG as the brand untill I clicked on it, then changed to generic.










						Tapered roller bearing 32007-X-P5 - 35x62x18 mm | 123Bearing
					

Tapered Roller Bearing 32007-X-P5 Generic, Diamètre intérieur 35 mm, Diamètre extérieur 62 mm, Epaisseur 18 mm, matière N/A




					www.123bearing.com
				





Here it is.









						Tapered roller bearing 32007-XDY-P5-FAG - 35x62x18 mm | 123Bearing
					

Tapered Roller Bearing 32007-XDY-P5-FAG FAG, Diamètre intérieur 35 mm, Diamètre extérieur 62 mm, Epaisseur 18 mm, matière N/A




					www.123bearing.com
				




I replaced my spindle bearings with P5 bearings from these guys.  Shipped from France, but arrived pretty quick and we're great bearings.


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## Ischgl99 (Jan 2, 2022)

As I have mentioned before, there is a lot of counterfeiting of bearings worldwide.  If you don’t purchase from an authorized distributor of that manufacturer, you are taking a chance the bearing is not authentic.  123Bearing does not claim to be an authorized distributor, so I would assume they are not and the sources of their products becomes questionable.

That price is a major red flag.  This could be old stock they acquired from somewhere that they are reselling, or could be a fake.  In either case, a price that low screams run away to me.  If it works for you, great, but I would never put anything but an authentic bearing in any of my machines, and I will never recommend someone purchase from other than an authorized distributor.


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## Ken226 (Jan 2, 2022)

Is BDI express out of Cleveland, OH reputable?

They sell p6 and p5 bearings from Consolidated bearing for similar prices.  



			https://www.bdiexpress.com/us/en/Bearings/Roller-Bearings/Tapered-Roller-Bearing-Assemblies/32007-X-P-6/p/215419?backURL=search
		




			https://www.bdiexpress.com/us/en/Bearings/Roller-Bearings/Tapered-Roller-Bearing-Assemblies/32007-X-P-5/p/215418?backURL=search


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## Ischgl99 (Jan 2, 2022)

Ken226 said:


> I found several other companies in Europe selling the same FAG bearing for similar prices.  They could be counterfeit as well though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


BDI is an authorized FAG distributor, as is Consolidated, but you posted links to bearings claiming to be manufactured by Consolidated Bearings.  Consolidated is not a premium brand, so of course they are going to sell for less than something like FAG.  I never said you can’t find cheaper P5 bearings, just that the price of the ones in France for FAG bearings is too low for me to trust as authentic.  I don’t have access to pricing data any longer, but that price looks lower than what it cost FAG in North America to purchase it from FAG Germany.

I suspect your source in France buys surplus bearings from various sources and can offer low prices since they are likely paying less than it costs the country distributors to buy from the parent company.  The problem with companies like that is you don’t know if they are authentic since there is no link to the source.  There is a company I worked with in the states that bought bearings from companies that had too much money tied up in maintenance inventory and paid pennies on the dollar.  If the manufacturing plant they bought the inventory from bought counterfeits from somewhere, they could then unknowingly sell a counterfeit to someone else down the line.

Hopefully your Timkens are authentic and you got a great deal, they likely are, but I have seen counterfeits that were so good that they fooled the application engineers at first glance, so I do not take chances when I don’t need to, and why I recommend others don’t either.


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## Ken226 (Jan 2, 2022)

Thanks for the information. From here on out,  when I need bearings I'll try to verify that the vendor is a  authorized distributor for the brand I'm looking for.

Thanks again.


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## Ischgl99 (Jan 2, 2022)

You’re welcome.  I’m trying not to be a Debbie Downer, really!  lol.


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## Ken226 (Jan 2, 2022)

Ischgl99 said:


> You’re welcome.  I’m trying not to be a Debbie Downer, really!  lol.



No worries. I didn't take it that way.

I'm not sure if you remember, but last year when I put those Timkens in my lathe, I started a thread on them.

You and Mikey were both part of the thread.   I only  remembered because in that thread you, or possibly someone else mentioned counterfeits, which prompted me to contact Timken to verify the markings and part#, and their status as P5.   

Of course, they said they couldn't be certain from pics, but the part numbers and markings all looked correct.


This thread.








						Timken Spindle Bearings?
					

The spindle bearings in my 2002 era Birmingham Chinese lathe are still humming along fine, but I sprung a oil leak in the gasket right behind the d1-4 mount.   I knew ahead of time that I would need to completely remove the spindle to access that gasket.  My current spindle bearings (SG...




					www.hobby-machinist.com


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## Ischgl99 (Jan 2, 2022)

I forgot about that post.  I’m glad you contacted Timken and checked with them, and it looks like they are genuine.  It looks like you did a good job rebuilding it, hopefully many decades of good service until next bearing replacement.


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