# New lathe...now what?



## Troptics (Jul 30, 2019)

Hello, I just got a new grizzly micro lathe and was wondering what all might be needed for a "basic" setup. I plan to mostly do small projects, pens, rings, threads and so on.
What tools would be best for setup and would come in handy? I'm coming from more of a 3D printing background, witch is pretty simple to say the least.
Any tips or suggestions would be greatly received!


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## pontiac428 (Jul 30, 2019)

If you got the lathe new, it probably has a drill chuck, centers, a 3- and 4-jaw chuck, and maybe a few other bonuses.  If you don't already have them, a digi or dial caliper, internal/external dividers, Dykem layout fluid, and a scribe will be helpful.  An oil can for cutting oil and one for way oil will keep the clutter down.  A chip brush for clearing chips and chip tray for catching them (oven cookie sheet works).  You'll want to pick a system to use for cutting bits: inserts, cemented carbide, or HSS.  If you don't have a grinder to sharpen with, carbide inserts are easiest (and most $$) to start with.

I also recommend a bluetooth speaker and Slayer.  YMMV.  At minimum go with Pink Floyd, but machinists should avoid jazz.  Too easy to lose the melodics.


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## Larry42 (Jul 30, 2019)

Some HSS tooling, a bench grinder to shape/sharpen them, sharpening stones. There are some good how to videos.
Measuring devices: Dial indicator, Dial test indicator & magnetic base, Thread gages, Micrometers, digital caliper.
An old copy of Machinery Handbook. Some metal to practice on: Aluminum bar stock is easy to use, Get a gallon of WD40 to use as aluminum cutting fluid. Chip brushes, acid brushes, Lathe file, Cleaning solvent, recommended lubricants. An Eagle squirt can for lube. 
Carefully take it apart so you can clean any grit out of it. Go through setup procedures to align everything. Adjust gibs. Lube everything. 
This is just the beginning! You will find there are many more things you will want/need as you progress. Live center, 4 jaw chuck, milling attachment, QCTP & tool holders, good set of tap & dies. The list goes on forever. Have fun.


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## Troptics (Jul 30, 2019)

Thank you for the information! I plan to do much more research before I start anything, just got the main purchase of the lathe itself out of the way and found myself a bit lost as to what would be a good direction to head off in next.. It's an extremely small lathe, 4 x 6 and under 50lbs. As far as lubrication goes I'm assuming a small enclosed loop with a bucket or something would work out pretty well. I should also mention that I'm doing all of this in an apartment, so vibration and sound need to be sorted out as well but that's pretty simple (or so I think..lol.)

This will be a VERY interesting adventure.


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## pontiac428 (Jul 30, 2019)

You'll be fine running a mini lathe in an apartment.  The rubber feet of the lathe are probably enough to keep the neighbors away.  For oil, just use an oil can or dropper bottle and dab the minimum amount needed to keep the cut smooth.  You won't need to rig up buckets and hoses for that.  I use castor oil based cutting fluid (CRC TrueTap HD w/green label) for ferrous metals, and cheap, water-based Kool Mist for aluminum.  Little 2-oz steel tipped dropper bottles from Amazon are all I use at the lathe for cutting oil.

Larry42 recommends grinding your own HSS, and from my perspective, I couldn't agree more.  You will need a bench grinder with a rest and some time to practice, but that's how I'd teach a man to fish.  I suggested the carbide inserts as a good start because you don't need to grind, just like disposable razors.  I prefer HSS for the quality of finish and the ability to make a razor-sharp tool that cuts material like a scalpel.  Carbide is a hard material that likes taking big bites out of hard steel.  It doesn't necessarily do the same as HSS, especially in small skim cuts as you approach a dimension, at least in my experience.  Lots of people use carbide exclusively and simply love it.  It's up to you and what your goals are.


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## markba633csi (Jul 31, 2019)

It's nice being able to grind your own tool bits, but it's a noisy activity in an apartment so for now just purchase them
You don't need a recirculating coolant system for a mini lathe, just brush or drip by hand from a container when cutting steel
Aluminum and brass are often cut dry; the finish on aluminum is better with a light fluid like wd40 or tap magic
A drilled hole will come out closer to the correct size when using those fluids
Mark


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## mmcmdl (Jul 31, 2019)

Enjoy the ride and 





Troptics said:


> This will be a VERY interesting adventure.



Much more than you could imagine .  Enjoy the ride and welcome to the site .


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## brino (Jul 31, 2019)

Welcome to the group!

For apartment use a couple other things might help......

1) some kind of back-splash/shield. When you do use cutting fluids some will spin off and make a stripe up the back wall....and down your face, and chest....

2) Can you do this in an UN-carpeted room? all that little curly swarf is bad enough when only little bits make it inside the house from my shop by hitching a ride on my shirt, shoes, in a cuff or pocket, and even in my beard! Perhaps a little shop-vac at the door to the room to try to maintain "domestic bliss".

Most of all be safe and have fun!

-brino


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## Troptics (Aug 2, 2019)

Thank you all for the warm welcomes and information! It's nice to see an active forum with helpful people!!

I have just finished removing all the shipping/packaging grease they come covered in. Gave everything a nice amount of WD40. Now looking into something that will last a little longer as a protectant and lubrication. Although WD40 might be fine for now. I have some tools coming in, eye wear, some carbide tipped bits as well as some carbide insert bits. Going to hit the hardware store today after work to pick up some stuff, cheap stock, dial, and whatever else I find that seems useful..lol.. I've attached a photo of the lathe for anyone wondering how it looks.. (It's so small! (bic lighter for scale))

It seems to struggle with lower RPM like something might have a slight bend in it somewhere. (working with Grizzly about this issue)
It's also belt driven, not sure if that's a good or bad thing.(better than plastic gears I'm guessing)
Figure its fine for a first, entry level lathe.


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## Larry42 (Aug 2, 2019)

Looks smaller than I had expected. What are you intending to make with it? I'm guessing that you will do better with HSS tooling rather than carbide. Depending on the system used many variable speed drives don't develop much power at slow speeds. You will want to use some way oil on the bed. Keep it covered when not in use so it doesn't collect a bunch of dust and get gummy. Will it cut threads?


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## ErichKeane (Aug 2, 2019)

Larry42 said:


> Looks smaller than I had expected. What are you intending to make with it? I'm guessing that you will do better with HSS tooling rather than carbide. Depending on the system used many variable speed drives don't develop much power at slow speeds. You will want to use some way oil on the bed. Keep it covered when not in use so it doesn't collect a bunch of dust and get gummy. Will it cut threads?


Doesn't appear to. This is a really tiny lathe it seems. The carriage drive is on the tailstock side, which is a first for me!  No compound either, so it is really just for turning down and drilling. 

I wouldn't dare trying carbide on it, you'd get just about no depth of cut before stalling it.


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## Illinoyance (Aug 2, 2019)

Now that you have the lathe there is no end to the things you will 
'need".


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## GunsOfNavarone (Aug 2, 2019)

Tell me that lighter in that picture is HUGE!! I have. Ever seen such a small lathe! What is the go of waste in that motor? Crazy, i had no idea! By what you'll be doing, i assume the rest bar and leveling isn't something you'll be worrying much bout? Can you cut threads? There is no half nut?


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## Grinder74 (Aug 2, 2019)

All good advice and I'll 2nd Slayer! \m/ \m/

Sent from my SM-T378V using Tapatalk


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## Aaron_W (Aug 2, 2019)

Wow, that is really tiny and I say that as someone who owns a mini-lathe. 

With such a short bed you will probably find yourself running out of room very quickly, but it will still be a good learning experience for you. 

If you plan on doing any drilling, you may want to invest in some screw machine drill bits which are much shorter in length than the standard type you find in most stores. I'd also look to see what the smallest available drill chuck you can use is. A standard 3/8" chuck will eat up most of your working length even before you add a drill bit to it. 



WD40 works fine as a cutting fluid for aluminum, but don't use it as a lubricant for the machine. WD40 isn't intended as a lasting lubricant. 

Most recommend a way oil like Vactra 2, but 3 in 1 oil can be used on most small lathes. Sherline says 3 in 1 oil can be used, but recommends Super Lube synthetic grease on their machines.

Super Lube 

I was using my lathe in a spare bedroom for awhile. I bought a 2x4 foot piece of 1/4" hardboard to put under the lathe, and a piece of poster board behind it to keep the worst of the mess contained. One nice thing with mini-lathes is they don't throw the oil and swarf as far as the big ones, so it is fairly easy to keep it contained. The plastic spindle guard on yours will help with that too.

Welcome, and don't feel intimidated by the large lathes many members have, almost all of the information transfers regardless of size.


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## Mitch Alsup (Aug 2, 2019)

For the record, I use an ISO 32 oil on just about all lathe surfaces (ways, bearings, bushings, ... )

I tried some way oil, but it does not let me "feel" the movements on the lathe as well as the ISO 32.
This is on my G0730 mill and G4003G lathe.


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## Troptics (Aug 2, 2019)

With this lathe I mostly intend to do golf tees, rings and pens. (what I think as light work)
I'm not sure how powerful the motor is or what metals will work. Hoping it will handle some of the harder metals - not in a hurry to get things worked down, more then happy to take my time with things.

I did pick up some steel rod (think its cold rolled) so I have no idea how it will handle it..but I guess we'll find out!
I also need to do some digging on types of metals and all that good stuff.

It does not do threads witch is a bit upsetting but its fine for what I'm doing. (theres gotta be a way to use a drill to get threads done, will just take a bit of math I suppose.)

It's the smallest lathe I could find that didn't look like it was from the heart of china (that's a joke btw)

Like I said before, this is mostly just an entry lathe to see if I like machine work as much as I think I do.
If this one works for what I'm doing, I have no problem spending more money for something nice and of decent size.
I've been getting more and more interested in lathes, CNC machines, welding and blacksmith work recently, enough so I'm thinking about looking into it as a career.
Gotta start somewhere right?


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## Troptics (Aug 2, 2019)

And on that note, if anyone knows a company that makes small lathes with more features and built well for around 500, ill return this one and get something else, not attached to it. =p


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## GrayTech (Aug 3, 2019)

You will be able to do threads on your Lathe with a tap and die set. You just need the tap holder and die holder for the tail stock. You could probably add a compound and power feed pretty easily.


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## mmcmdl (Aug 3, 2019)

Troptics said:


> And on that note, if anyone knows a company that makes small lathes with more features and built well for around 500, ill return this one and get something else, not attached to it. =p



That is one small lathe !  I just noticed the lighter . I would think you could find a nice $500 Atlas or SB that would suit you well . Have fun learning and welcome to the site .


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## Aaron_W (Aug 3, 2019)

Your biggest issue is going to be length. the 6" referred to in size is the total working length including any tooling. 

The 3 jaw chuck is going to take up probably 1" of that 6", if you put a drill chuck in the tail stock you lose maybe another 1-1/2"-2", and then the drill bit stick out is probably another 2" leaving you about 1" for your actual work piece.

It looks like that lathe has about a 3/8" spindle bore so golf tees and pens would probably fit, allowing you to run most of the length into the head for drilling operations. Golf tees are fairly short, and pens usually made from multiple sections so those will likely fit within your limits for turning operations. Rings of course are usually quite short.

Small lathes will cut just about any material the big ones will, they just take little bites. Some steels are kind of nasty to work with regardless of the lathe size. Aluminum is nice to work with, and if you need steel, stress proof / stress relieved or 12L14 is easier to machine than most cold roll or hot roll steels.



There is a market for tiny lathes, so they hold their value well. If you use this one and later decide you want something bigger, you could probably get $200-300 back from selling it. Little lathes are also little, so they don't take up much room as a second lathe which can be handy.

If you decided to return it, there really isn't much even on the used market for mini-lathes under $500. The usual suspects at or under $1000 are the various Chinese 7x12" and 7x14" lathes (all basically the same, just different colors for the different sellers), and closer in size to this one are the Taig and Sherline lathes, both of these are US made (AZ and CA).

Something else to consider is the availability of accessories, like chucks, drill chucks, steady rests etc. I'm not seeing any accessories listed for this on the Grizzly site. It looks like you get what it comes with and anything else is guess and hope or DIY (and you will find that you make a lot of DIY machine parts, you have a lathe so often have the option of buy, make or modify).



For your stated purpose, I think this little one will work for you. However if you decided you could bump your budget up another $500 or so (machine tools are great at blowing budgets), I think you would end up with a machine that is more than twice as useful for you in the long term. 

The 7x12/14", Taig and Sherline lathes are very popular so there is a lot of support for them, both accessories and info. Sherline in particular has a huge variety of available bits and bobs to cover most any need. The larger budget would also put the Chinese 8x16 and 9x20 lathes, and small vintage American lathes like the Atlas / Craftsman 6x18" lathes within reach if you are patient. Of course you could find the smaller machines used as well, but what typically happens is rather than cheaper you find them with more tooling keeping them at or above the bare bones new price.

I have a Sherline and personally I think it is probably the best value mini-lathe available for small projects. The entry level Sherline 4000 is a 3.5x8" lathe. You trade off a little bit of swing (diameter) but add a couple of inches to length which at this size is very useful. The bare bones lathe with a chuck (basically what you are getting with the Grizzly) would run about $700. They also have some very good package deals, to help you blow your budget with additional tooling. The 4400 is their long bed "deluxe" model which is a 3.5x17" lathe, the longer bed adds $100 to the price.     


If you do decide to return the 4x6" and look at something a little bigger / better, the members here are always happy to help others spend money.


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Aug 3, 2019)

You would be much further ahead by returning that lathe and then go to your local harbor freight to pick up a 7x10 or 7x12 model lathe they sell in that $500 price range.  You will still be very limited in the size of work it could handle however the difference in capability is literally like going from a wood lathe to a metal lathe.  Having threading ability opens up the work envelope substantially plus it has enough power to turn at least mild steel with very satisfactory results.


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## Troptics (Aug 3, 2019)

Funny, I remember looking at harbor freight and not seeing something close to the same price range.
As well as what Aaron_W said, I will try to return this one and put a little money into something that will be better in the long run.
Thank you both!


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Aug 3, 2019)

Listed at $599 but Add the 20% coupon and its $500 before tax.  I would Absolutely go for the larger atlas or sb or logan if you have the space needed but if you gotta stay small this lathe would be more capable.









						7 in. x 12 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe
					

Amazing deals on this 7In X 12In Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.




					www.harborfreight.com


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## Downunder Bob (Aug 3, 2019)

Nice little lathe, I'm guessing you have no previous experience with lathes, so please be very careful the spinning chuck and workpiece can do you a great deal of harm if it contacts you, and or your clothing.

Having said that I'm sure you'll have fun I Know some have said go for carbide inserts and others have said go for HSS. The simple advantage of inserts they are ready to use , no grinding required. Hss generally require some grinding before use. 

It has been said that a grinder might be too noisy for apartment use, however a small belt sander might be suitable in its place. Should be quieter. and a little bit easier to use, for a beginner.

HSS will give you a better finish particularly on small work, but you will need to learn how to sharpen the bits. You might want to have a look at the diamond , or similar, tangential tool holder system this makes sharpening a much simpler process.

You will find that your lathe has very little power at low speeds, just a function of variable speed motors, and their controllers. This can be partly overcome by changing pulley sizes to suit.

Good luck and enjoy.


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## Firstgear (Aug 3, 2019)

Latinrascalrg1 said:


> Listed at $599 but Add the 20% coupon and its $500 before tax.  I would Absolutely go for the larger atlas or sb or logan if you have the space needed but if you gotta stay small this lathe would be more capable.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I am not sure what the extended warranty would cost, but it would be a good idea to get one.....


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## markba633csi (Aug 3, 2019)

That lathe looks about the size of a Unimat, same limitations on length and ability to cut threads. Even so, I made all kinds of stuff on my Unimat
Mark


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Aug 3, 2019)

Firstgear said:


> I am not sure what the extended warranty would cost, but it would be a good idea to get one.....


I would probably agree but i would say the same for the model the op already bought.


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## Aaron_W (Aug 3, 2019)

I don't know about the extended warranties, my experience with HF is the stuff either works fine or it is broken as soon as you take it out of the box. The standard 90 day covers that. There are a lot of popular mods for those 7x lathes which would likely void any extended warranty.


Another + for Sherline and Taig. They know many users modify the machines and they seem to stand behind them even modified, unless the modification was likely the cause of the failure. Sherline machines come with a 1 year warranty, and lifetime parts replacement in the case of a defective part that fails. Taig comes with a 2 year warranty.


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## Pcmaker (Aug 3, 2019)

I would return to Grizzly, save up and get this instead, which they have on sale sometimes for $500









						7" x 12" Mini Metal Lathe at Grizzly.com
					

<h1>G8688 7" x 12" Mini Metal Lathe</h1> <h2>A great starter lathe offered at an incredibly low price!</h2> <p>Powered by a 1/3 HP motor, the 7" x 12" Mini Metal Lathe cuts right-handed and left-handed threads while easily fitting on your bench so you can machine your own parts.</p> <p>The G8688...




					www.grizzly.com
				




or this, which is probably the same exact lathe, only with a different branding for the same price you bought your current lathe, only with a LOT more features.









						550W 7"X12" Precision Mini Metal Lathe w/Lamp Woodworking Milling Metalworking  | eBay
					

Equipped with nylon gears, this lathe machine is wear-resistant, durable, more accurate rotation and professional. The full-length splashguard provides maximum protection. Power of Motor: 550W DC Single Phase.



					www.ebay.com


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## Troptics (Aug 3, 2019)

Welp, good news is it works and will turn aluminum. Bad news is its way under powered and stalls pretty easy. will be talking with grizzly about a return. They will probably say no because its been used once, it is what it is, maybe this one will come in handy down the line for something... EXTREMELY fun though, I will definitely be continuing the adventure of metal work!


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## Aaron_W (Aug 4, 2019)

The nice thing is you are doing this for fun, so speed of production is not critical. You might just be trying to take too large of cuts and / or running it at too low of a speed. Small lathes can be run at fairly high speeds.

There are lots of good videos on youtube, but when I first got my lathe I found these videos very helpful. Unfortunately he hasn't done any new ones for several years. 

Aimed at the beginner and he keeps things pretty basic. The videos tend to run 10-15 minutes so not too hard to stay focused. He is using a Sherline, but almost everything he covers applies to most small lathes, and some even to larger ones.

MiniMachining


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## Downunder Bob (Aug 4, 2019)

Pcmaker said:


> I would return to Grizzly, save up and get this instead, which they have on sale sometimes for $500
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I think either of these two would be much better lathe for your purposes., If you take yours back and politely tell them that you expected to be able to cut threads, they might be able to cut a deal for you,

These two lathes are still small and lightweight, but they have the real advantage of a power driven lead screw and some change gears to enable you to cut most of the common threads, and having power driven feeds will also give you a much better finish.


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## Pcmaker (Aug 4, 2019)

Do we have any members here who work for Grizzly?


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## markba633csi (Aug 4, 2019)

Just exchange for a larger Grizzly, they should be able to do that and give you credit for the first one


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## Pcmaker (Aug 4, 2019)

Let us know if you talked to Grizzly about exchanging or returning, and we'll help you pick out a good lathe for the money


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## markba633csi (Aug 4, 2019)

We will always help you spend your hard-earned money


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## Troptics (Aug 5, 2019)

I'm in the middle of emailing back and forth with Grizzly. Guess it's getting sent to the "Technical Support Department" to research further - standard run around. lol.

Grizzly does have some other ones I would be interested in and they do have things that would work better.

Now the hard part is not to use the one I have (until I hear back) to get machine time in on..


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## markba633csi (Aug 5, 2019)

Worst case just tell your credit card company you want your money back, you're not happy with the product


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## Pcmaker (Aug 5, 2019)

Yep, if they don't accept your return, it's going to make them look bad in ths forum in my opinion and I will probably cease to do business with them.


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## Larry42 (Aug 6, 2019)

I didn't want to say this right off but I think you will be better off returning the one you got & getting something that permits you to experiment with far more things. The extremely short bed, lack of a compound & the inability to turn threads will likely make for frustrations. If you have to wait a bit longer to get the $ together for a more complete lathe it will be well worth it. Many times you get enough additional items in a package deal to more than off set the slightly higher price. Most of those items are things you will likely want to add to any basic lathe and will cost more bought separately. Even with a nice package deal there are still going to be plenty of additional things you are going to want/need fairly soon.     I'm a retired old guy with a reasonable income so I was able to buy a more substantial machine complete with a good set of accessories. But I've spent a fair amount buying tooling, measuring devices, etc. I bought some "too cheap" things at first and have since up graded to better. There are add-ons that you can make or buy that will allow some milling operations to be done on a lathe, w/o the cost of buying a mill. That will extend you options, a lot. There is a substantial learning curve! That's part of the fun.


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## Troptics (Aug 11, 2019)

Sorry for the silence.
Micro is packed and will be shipped back to Grizzly tomorrow. They've said they will look the lathe over, charge a 10% re stocking fee (total bs imo)
I'm guessing they'll give store credit and I'll end up picking up a bigger model. 

Will report back with an update after all is said and done.


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Aug 11, 2019)

Hell if they are charging a 10% restocking fee you should get the rest of your money credited back to how you paid and not some bs store credit!  Cash =cash back, credit card=credit card credit.  Id then tell  Customer service if they refunded the restocking fee you would buy the new machine from them but if they would rather have the 10% fee instead of a happy and satisfied customer you will take your money elsewhere!  Thats how id try to arrange.  I realize  you have little control over how they handle that transactions however they cant control the power of Customer Reviews upon multiple related social forums and such. Thats my 2 cents!


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## Pcmaker (Aug 11, 2019)

I'm actually excited for you. I only started a year ago myself. Knew absolutely nothing about machining before then.


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## Aaron_W (Aug 11, 2019)

Troptics said:


> Sorry for the silence.
> Micro is packed and will be shipped back to Grizzly tomorrow. They've said they will look the lathe over, charge a 10% re stocking fee (total bs imo)
> I'm guessing they'll give store credit and I'll end up picking up a bigger model.
> 
> Will report back with an update after all is said and done.



Restocking fee is pretty normal, did you ask if they would refund it towards the purchase of a larger lathe?

Spending your money again,  but it is my opinion that 8x16 lathes are of better quality than the 7x12, 7x14 etc. The 7" lathes seem to be built to very a tight budget so they cut corners, the 8x16 lathes seem to be built more to the size rather than price, so not as many corners cut. Simply based on knob fiddling on the shelf, I've never used either one to make anything.

Of course the 8x16 is nearly 2x the price, but you are getting more functions and tooling with it (again, not being so tied to meeting a very low price). 

Assuming you buy from Grizzly, otherwise I'll go back to pimping Sherline.


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## Pcmaker (Aug 12, 2019)

Looks like they got the 10x22 on sale right now for the same price as a the 8x16


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## markba633csi (Aug 12, 2019)

The 10 x 22 would do nicely if you can afford it


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## Pcmaker (Aug 12, 2019)

Yep, definitely get that 10x22. Save up for a year if you have to


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## tmenyc (Aug 12, 2019)

Get that 10x22!  I also started in the past year, went the vintage route with a 10x24 Logan 820.  I have had a huge learning curve, part of which was repairing/restoring, but just love the machine.  I'm also an apartment dweller, and that 500+ lb machine is in my 11x11 shop, which used to be our daughters' bedroom in Greenwich Village. Thankfully they're both in their thirties now and long gone.  The lathe on its base gets half the width and most of the length, and yes, I now have a oil streak around 6" wide on the wall behind, the splatter shield not having risen high enough on my ToDo list.  When it does, I'll clean it off, and if not, not.  The lathe is on a very heavy restaurant floor mat, and frankly makes less noise than my wife's Kitchenaid.  The bench grinder is a diffferent story, when it's grinding, but I only use the grinder during daylight and rarely use the lathe in the evening. The neighbors aren't even aware I have a shop in there, and the directly downstairs neighbor, a professional trombonist, and I have a mutual nonaggression pact so I'm not worried about them. 
Good luck!  Welcome to this wonderful board! 

Tim


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