[keithmcelhinney]

Let me give you my wifes phone number and you can try to convince her that even though I spent $14k in the last month I need to replace a working tool.... (nuts)

[Mikbul]

Ouch! I feel for you brother! :argue:That would be a tough sell, how tough was the first sell?

[keithmcelhinney]

It was pretty hard and then I got SUPER busy. After a month of not having a lot of spare time, the "it will cut twice as fast" really sank in. Of course I only told her the machine price and not all the other stuff I needed...

-Keith

[Mikbul]

I was checking out the 4000, it has a few pluses like QC gearbox and comes with 2 chucks etc. No variable speed is a minus, but a lot of good machinists do without it. What did you have before the 4000?
It's kinda funny when you think about it, The 1001 comes with variable speed spindle but slow to change pulleys for the lead screw. The 4000 comes with QC gearbox but slow to change spindle speeds! I was thinking instead of selling my 7X16 if I keep it I can set one up with a slow speed on the lead screw, probably the 7X16. I haven't changed the belts around yet so if it's slow as molasses I'll keep them both. Actually if all goes well in the future I want a 10K and keep the 1001 for finish cuts and keep the 10K in back gears(Belts). They both have the D1-3 spindle so I could leave the work in the same chuck.
I got my unit heater and all the ceiling insulation in today, so tomorrow I'll spend some more time with the lathe.

[keithmcelhinney]

I didn't have anything before the 4000. The worst thing is that it has the screw on chucks and it just sucks! I learned on this lathe and I have beat on it pretty bad. I think as soon as I sell my existing mill I will bite the bullet and buy one of these. If you would stop posting it would make it easier to put off! Haha!

[juergenwt]

Reminder to all: Don't get carried away on hand scraping. I doubt if anybody sells a lathe that is completely hand scraped to a master. Most likely what you will get is a ground surface with a scraped pattern to give it the look of a genuine hand scraping. There is nothing wrong with a ground surface and the light scraping pattern. Helps with the oil film. To have a lathe where all ways are hand scraped would be to costly. Besides-where would you find the '' know how"'???

''

[Mikbul]

Reminder to all: Don't get carried away on hand scraping. I doubt if anybody sells a lathe that is completely hand scraped to a master. Most likely what you will get is a ground surface with a scraped pattern to give it the look of a genuine hand scraping. There is nothing wrong with a ground surface and the light scraping pattern. Helps with the oil film. To have a lathe where all ways are hand scraped would be to costly. Besides-where would you find the '' know how"'???

''

Good to know! However the v-way bed on the SB1001 is not hand scraped nor does it have a pattern. They are hardened and ground. It's the carriage v's and compound flats that are ground with a pattern.Attachment 205996
Now that you mention it my South bend drill vise has the same pattern which I mistook for being hand scraped. LOL ! One thing I do know is they are soothe and tight! I would imagine as you said it's for oil retention, you don't see the carriage or cross slide pattern when it's assembled. It also has the wicks/wipers on the v's which are nice.

Thanks for the info!

[Mikbul]

Several reasons: My 7X16 is variable speed so I'm used to that, I don't need huge capacity, I'll be ordering the 5" D1-3 chuck for it and that's all I'll need. I like the D1-3 chuck, like my 7X16 I used the 3" chuck for certain jobs and the 4" chuck for others. Bonus is no bolts to fiddle with on the D1-3! The quality is also something that really caught my eye, Hardened 3-way V - Bed, oil or grease fittings on everything, 1-1/8" spindle bore, hand scraped dovetails, etc. etc.. Set up was easy, I'm just swamped at work so I can't get back to it! Tonight I threw a piece of ground rod in the chuck to see where that's at. First shot was 1.5 thous. at the chuck and same three inches out. Trouble is if I re-chucked it got worse. My fault, I didn't totally clean the chuck and look for burrs etc. If it's still all over after the proper cleaning then bummer! Let's wait and see what the weekend brings. The ONLY other snag I've run into is the spindle sleeve being off . I'm sending it to Miller Machine to fix. Thing is, SB sells the sleeves for $10.00 and Miller Machine gets $60.00. I would expect to pay more for tighter tolerances. I don't think the MT4.5 spindle sleeve and the chuck are up to the standards of the rest of the lathe. The 5" SB chuck is a true D1-3 with two piece jaws and the 4" that comes with it is bolted to a D1-3 adapter and no two piece jaws. Also it doesn't say South Bend on it so I know it's not made in the same factory as the top of the line SB chucks. Hey, I'm not complaining, I knew this going in, but it does have an oil fitting and is better quality than what came with my 7X16 for sure. The 10K comes with the 5", I wish you could order a lathe with the chuck you want. I 'd pay more for that option. Actually I will be!Attachment 205728Attachment 205730

I need to re-tract what I said about the chuck, it does say South Bend on it! I must not have had my glasses on. Sorry Pappy! It's soaking right now and should be cleaned up today. Also .0015 and .0015 are not bad for a three jaw, just something was hanging up but I'll get it.

[voere]

I am strongly considering buying this lathe in the near future so I am looking at this review with a great deal of interest.Please keep the posts coming.I've e-mailed Grizzly about the cost to ship to Canada.Hope to hear from them soon.Looking forward to a review on the 5" D1-3 chuck.Wonder how a CNC conversion would go on this machine?I think with the current sale price they should be able to move quite a few machines and there will be many more reviews.

[Mikbul]

I am strongly considering buying this lathe in the near future so I am looking at this review with a great deal of interest.Please keep the posts coming.I've e-mailed Grizzly about the cost to ship to Canada.Hope to hear from them soon.Looking forward to a review on the 5" D1-3 chuck.Wonder how a CNC conversion would go on this machine?I think with the current sale price they should be able to move quite a few machines and there will be many more reviews.

Problems I had with the 4" chuck are getting better and better the more I clean it. I'm hesitant to totally disassemble it. It has a registration mark when you install it so I'd hate to make it worse. What I've been doing is submerging the chuck in mineral spirits upside down and spinning the scroll with the chuck key. It's made a world of difference, doesn't stick anymore and is very smooth with Vactrose II in it. My first tests were
.0015-.004.004-.003-.005etc.

Tonight my first test was 0!
2. .001
3. .001
4. .001

In between tests I loosened the chuck and spun the ground rod. If this is any indication the 5"D1-3 should be a good one!

[Mikbul]

At this point I'd have to say the only issue AT ALL I have is not with the lathe but the 4.5MT-3MT sleeve and I think it only fair to call and see if they will send another and see if it's more accurate. If I didn't have a 12" test bar that fits in the spindle it might not be an issue. At the sleeve it's only .0005 out.
As far as the rest of the lathe I can't see how you could go wrong.

[Mikbul]

Called Grizzly tech. support late today and a South Bend tech. will be calling me tomorrow about the sleeve. I'm also going to ask him about the five inch SB chuck, expected run out etc. I also read the manual again and found a very important page. I must have been asleep when I read it! The D1-3 chuck when on all the way you need to tap it with a rubber mallet to get it off the taper. Mine just comes right off. The manual says : "If the tapers released easily with little intervention, they are not seated together firmly as required. Remove the chuck, re-clean the mating surfaces carefully, and re-install. If the problem persists, contact our Tech Support"

I'm obviously not familiar with D1 camlocks!

[keithmcelhinney]

Just put my 4000 on craigslist. Hopefully someone will buy it.

Question : what QC toolpost are you using?

-Keith

[Mikbul]

Just put my 4000 on craigslist. Hopefully someone will buy it.

Question : what QC toolpost are you using?

-Keith

I'm using the Tormach OXA from the Little Machine Shop, bolted right on. I bought the premium package and I'll be using everything but the 1/2" chuck. I'm letting that go with the 7X16 and I bought a South Bend 5/8" instead. The Tormach is a wedge style and takes up to 1/2" tools but I've got 3/8" except for the cut off which is 1/2". Tools are US made AR Warner Co. carbide insert. Parting blade is AR Warner Co. M2 HSS

[Mikbul]

Called Grizzly tech. support late today and a South Bend tech. will be calling me tomorrow about the sleeve. I'm also going to ask him about the five inch SB chuck, expected run out etc. I also read the manual again and found a very important page. I must have been asleep when I read it! The D1-3 chuck when on all the way you need to tap it with a rubber mallet to get it off the taper. Mine just comes right off. The manual says : "If the tapers released easily with little intervention, they are not seated together firmly as required. Remove the chuck, re-clean the mating surfaces carefully, and re-install. If the problem persists, contact our Tech Support"

I'm obviously not familiar with D1 camlocks!

Found problem with D1 chuck, one stud is screwed out one turn farther than the others. With my calipers it's 25 thou higher than the others. Also the alignment mark should be 90-180 degrees from reference mark when tight, it's past 180. Easy to adjust, take out locking bolt and turn!

[Mikbul]

New spindle sleeve is on the way from Grizzly, no hassles, good tech support. Started the spindle break in tonight, 45 rpms in belted back gear! Anyway ten minutes at 50, 500, 900, 1800, and 2300 rpm. Then 2300 rpm in reverse for ten minutes. I also cleaned the pulleys with string, works great. That stud that was out too far wouldn't turn in another turn, thought it was bottomed out, or a pile of swarf down there. Nope, clean as a whistle so I stuck a rag on the stud and grabbed it with pliers. The threads just needed a little time back and forth and got another turn and a half, only needed one. Now all cam lock marks are between 90-180 degrees from the spindle mark. The chuck still comes off easy but the spindle taper is slightly scuffed so I know it's centered. I could pull all three cam lock studs and put the back of the chuck on a flat with fine sand paper and oil and just slightly give it a circle. I'll wait and re-examine the chuck back for a high spot, a burr etc. Re-tested chuck run out and got .001", same as before, so the tapers are definitely touching. I'm curious to see how the 5" chuck seats, I guess I need to order one!:drowning:

[Mikbul]

BTW it's a breeze to reverse, neutral, forward lead screw. Just loosen a bolt and push or pull to engage/ disengage etc. In neutral now during spindle break in. Also very easy to switch from high to low speed or low to high (spindle). Loosen nut, turn adjuster all the way loose, move belt over & re-tighten. When you tighten the adjuster it does both belts at a time. Motor to idler an idler to spindle, cool.

[Mikbul]

Michiganbuck on PM gave me an idea of putting my Miller test bar, with sleeve firmly seated on the taper end between centers and double check my readings. I was right! 0.000 run out on the small end and .0005" on the big end. So both the lathe spindle and test bar are telling me the same thing. .0005" doesn't sound like much but it turns into .004" at the far end. Turns my test bar into a useless piece of steel. BTW I checked up and down on that test bar and got "0" run out.Attachment 206428 That's my little 7X16 Micr Mark lathe I'm using.
Note: I'm spinning the test bar by hand, NOT running the lathe.

[Mikbul]

Well I have to say I'm saddened by the news from Pappa Grizzly that the 8K is discontinued, so get one NOW if you really want one. Truthfully when they dropped the price so much I had a sneaking suspicion. I asked him about parts and will have to wait for his reply. Since their supplying parts for 50yr old machines I'm sure there won't be a problem.

Same thing happened when I bought my 2006 Ducati in 2007. They discontinued that model the next year! Parts haven't been an issue so I'll pick up my jaw and go on.

[keithmcelhinney]

Well a guy is coming to look at my lathe this Sunday. If he buys it I am ordering one that day. I had a feeling they were going away...

-Keith