Parts Source For Asian Machines--a Grizzly Problem

[modela]

Let's face it, most machinery is manufactured in Asia. The good part about it comes from the lowering of the cost of machinery. The downside is finding parts. A case in point is the power feed on my Bridgeport. In a short period of inattention I ran the power feed up against a stop. Ouch. Obviously it was made in China. I pulled it apart and found a plastic gear in the worm drive missing some teeth.

I went on the web and could not find the manufacturer. I went on ebay, not much luck there either. Finally, I looked on Grizzly's site. One thing you can say about Grizzly is that they do keep parts. I ordered the plastic gear, modified it slightly on my lathe to fit and I was back in business. I turned around and ordered another as a backup.

I have found parts for grinders and other machinery from Grizzly that saved machines. There parts catalogs are good and their staff is helpful.

 

[kd4gij]

I have done the same finding parts at Grizzly for other machines.

 

[modela]

I have done the same finding parts at Grizzly for other machines.

Chinese firms must either copy each other or there is a few big ones.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

if it's any consolation , the plastic gears are metric modulus and readily available from many sources

 

[modela]

if it's any consolation , the plastic gears are metric modulus and readily available from many sources

Thanks, I will keep that in mind. Is there a specific source?

 

[Ulma Doctor]

i had a mini lathe a few years ago, when i was purchasing gears for it, i found hundreds of sellers on a google search for modulus 1.0 gears.
out of ease i chose ebay retailers, a retailer from the Greek isle Cyprus.
i don't recall his name, or if his ebay store still exists .

a more recent google search may prove to be useful to you

 

[Ulma Doctor]

just a FYI, modulus to metric is what diametrical pitch is to imperial

 

[RJSakowski]

Thanks, I will keep that in mind. Is there a specific source?

SDP/SI is a source that I used for gears. Very reasonable and rapid response. http://www.sdp-si.com/web/html/products.htm

Here is another: http://www.qtcgears.com/?utm_source=CNC+Zone&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=CNC+Zone+SDPSI+2013

 

[BGHansen]

Maybe this gear from CDCO (cdcotools.com)? Gotta love a design where the gears are the "clutch" in the drive train. I looked hard at the Enco 13 x 40 lathe, my father-in-law has one. I took off the headstock cover to see the quadrant for English/Metric gear changes. Saw a large plastic gear, went another route . . .

Bruce

 

[AR1911]

A single plastic gear in a geartrain is almost always there to be an inexpensive "fuse" in the event of a crash. It can also reduce harmonics. Fairly common and reasonable practice.