AXA-8 am I setting this up right?

[Larry42]

We've got an 8" Baldor grinder. Much better than the POS Grizzly I've got on my bench. The tool rests are a bad joke! The spindle was off center so bad It made the machine jump. I sleeved it, took a lot of fooling around but it now runs relatively (+-) smooth(er). Considered making bench mounted tool rests but I'd be better off buying a better grinder.

 

[benmychree]

Even making new machined arbor and end washers did not help.

 

[WobblyHand]

Refresh my memory, Do you have the G0602? If so, my distance from the spindle centerline to the compound is approximately. .925" (somewhere, I have more accurate value).

Realized that I replied, but not directly to you: My mistake. I estimate the spindle centerline to compound to be 0.947". Can you check that with yours?

I used a 0.786" rod (20mm) in chuck and measured 0.554" from the bottom of the rod to the compound
cl_2_cmpd = rod_dia/2 + bottom_of_rod_2_compound = 0.786/2 + 0.554 = 0.947"

I will check the measurements again, but I think they are ok. Caveat: Done with dial caliper. Remeasured rod diameter with micrometer: rod_dia = 0.7867", almost the same.

For what it is worth, the toolholder is 1.614" high. The distance from the bottom of the toolholder to the top of the blade is 0.994". This is my measured version of dimension A in the Aloris drawing.

So this toolholder can't work as is. It is about 0.047" above centerline with no adjustment possible. (The toolholder is sitting on the compound, it cannot go lower without modification.) The height will obviously vary a little depending on helix angle. For these measurements I had a helix angle of near 0 degrees, which is wrong, but is a lot easier to measure consistently.

I did call Aloris. They said they would work with me. Anyways, they asked what the spindle centerline to compound height was. I didn't have it, so I just measured it. Need to call them back this afternoon with the information. Their "drawing" on their website shows Dim A = 13/16" (0.8125"). According to the drawing, Dim A is the distance between the bottom of the toolholder to the top of the blade.
axa-8 product page My measured dimension A is 0.182" greater than the drawing dimension, which seems like a large discrepancy.

Yes, I realize I could machine or grind the tool or holder. I may do this. Will need to remove at least 0.050", just to have any adjustment.

Looking at the part more closely, I see 13/16" is about the half height of the toolholder. However the drawing shows it is distance from the top of the blade to the bottom of the toolholder. I don't know, am I misreading the drawing? What's the point of this dimension? Is it when the blade is used up? Seems like one could grind off more.

I called Aloris, but could not get in touch with the gentleman I spoke with earlier. I will call customer service directly and see if I get anywhere.

 

[RJSakowski]

Realized that I replied, but not directly to you: My mistake. I estimate the spindle centerline to compound to be 0.947". Can you check that with yours?

I used a 0.786" rod (20mm) in chuck and measured 0.554" from the bottom of the rod to the compound
cl_2_cmpd = rod_dia/2 + bottom_of_rod_2_compound = 0.786/2 + 0.554 = 0.947"

I will check the measurements again, but I think they are ok. Caveat: Done with dial caliper. Remeasured rod diameter with micrometer: rod_dia = 0.7867", almost the same.

For what it is worth, the toolholder is 1.614" high. The distance from the bottom of the toolholder to the top of the blade is 0.994". This is my measured version of dimension A in the Aloris drawing.

So this toolholder can't work as is. It is about 0.047" above centerline with no adjustment possible. (The toolholder is sitting on the compound, it cannot go lower without modification.) The height will obviously vary a little depending on helix angle. For these measurements I had a helix angle of near 0 degrees, which is wrong, but is a lot easier to measure consistently.

I did call Aloris. They said they would work with me. Anyways, they asked what the spindle centerline to compound height was. I didn't have it, so I just measured it. Need to call them back this afternoon with the information. Their "drawing" on their website shows Dim A = 13/16" (0.8125"). According to the drawing, Dim A is the distance between the bottom of the toolholder to the top of the blade.
axa-8 product page My measured dimension A is 0.182" greater than the drawing dimension, which seems like a large discrepancy.

Yes, I realize I could machine or grind the tool or holder. I may do this. Will need to remove at least 0.050", just to have any adjustment.

Looking at the part more closely, I see 13/16" is about the half height of the toolholder. However the drawing shows it is distance from the top of the blade to the bottom of the toolholder. I don't know, am I misreading the drawing? What's the point of this dimension? Is it when the blade is used up? Seems like one could grind off more.

I called Aloris, but could not get in touch with the gentleman I spoke with earlier. I will call customer service directly and see if I get anywhere.

I measured .923" from the spindle axis to the top on my compound. I measured by chucking a .7500 pin in the three jaw and .5000" pin between the chuck pin and the top of the compound and made up the difference with feeler gages. I averaged the reading from three different orientations of the chuck 120º apart. The numbers were .3750 + .5000 + .048" for a total of .923".

I would guess that the difference between the two lathes may be due to manufacturing tolerances.. There is no reason why they would need to be exactly the same. A more interesting number would be the distance from the spindle axis to the ways as this distance would affect the tailstock and would cause a problem with a replacement tailstock if ever needed.

Looking at the drawings on Penn Tools' and Aloris's website, it appeared to me that the A dimension was from the bottom of the tool holder to the top of the threading tool and was 13/16" for the P10.

 

[WobblyHand]

I measured .923" from the spindle axis to the top on my compound. I measured by chucking a .7500 pin in the three jaw and .5000" pin between the chuck pin and the top of the compound and made up the difference with feeler gages. I averaged the reading from three different orientations of the chuck 120º apart. The numbers were .3750 + .5000 + .048" for a total of .923".

I would guess that the difference between the two lathes may be due to manufacturing tolerances.. There is no reason why they would need to be exactly the same. A more interesting number would be the distance from the spindle axis to the ways as this distance would affect the tailstock and would cause a problem with a replacement tailstock if ever needed.

Looking at the drawings on Penn Tools' and Aloris's website, it appeared to me that the A dimension was from the bottom of the tool holder to the top of the threading tool and was 13/16" for the P10.

Just measured the height using your method. I'm amazed at how close it was to my original measurement. Used a 0.5000" dowel pin, and four shims for a snug but easily moveable fit. Next size shim up will not fit.* New measurement for compound to centerline is: 0.9475". Found a shim or two that didn't match the marking when I mic'd them. *Surprised that a 0.002" marked feeler gauge measured 0.0047", but the 0.0015" marked feeler gauge measured 0.00151". Measured that 0.002 shim 6 times! Couldn't believe it was that far off. All the rest of the shims were within tenths. The rotational position of the chuck didn't seem to matter, which I anticipated because of my previous vertical RDM measurements.

I interpret the drawing the same as you do.

I couldn't get through to a technical support person at Aloris this afternoon. I did email them, including my order # (which made it more real to them) and a summary of my conversation with technical support. Aloris did respond late in the afternoon and said they would contact me on Monday. Between you and me, not going to wait for their call, instead Aloris will receive a call from me on Monday morning.

 

[WobblyHand]

I called Aloris. They simply said that the tool won't fit without alteration, since my lathe was at the limit of the AXA specification. I had a choice of taking off the bottom, or grinding the tool bit. They said I could machine the toolholder with a shell mill or a carbide end mill and it was case hardened. No apology, or even sympathy. Won't be getting my business again, unless I absolutely have to have X from them.

Actually, not sure who to be irritated with more, Aloris - the originator of the standard, or Grizzly and the people who ripped off Aloris by making clones that don't quite meet the spec. Water over the dam, I guess. Yet another newbie burned by standards that aren't quite standard. Got to move on.

There's not too much to machine off the bottom, since the helix adjustment screws are close to the edge. As a wag, the edge of the hole is about 0.080 from the bottom. I could take off 0.040, maybe. That leaves 0.007 to take off the top of the blade or so. Might have found a carbide grinder, a Baldor clone. Going to look at it tonight.

So warning to everyone with an Asian made lathe - Aloris AXA-8 runs large.