[Mikbul]

Drilled and tapped the other side. The 8K worked great, I just need a deeper tap for one end.



A shorter upper stud could be used but would defeat the quick change ability of the part. Some deeper threads and powder coat and it'll be ready for sale.

[Mikbul]

A bit off topic but interesting and the type of work I've done and some of the prototypes and parts I make but mostly at a smaller scale now. I just re-machined a .965 diagonal for a guy in California, small jobs now.
The Bridgeport CT High School contacted me to bring their telescope back into working condition. As you'll see lubricant never saw the insides of the vital parts. Take note of the large brass RA gear and the DEC shaft that's double square threaded about a foot for the screw on CI counterweights. Also look close and you can see the fine threads that capture the setting circle and bearing cap. Last photo is brass sliding weight I just machined that would mount on a rod like photo #6
Sorry , realized photo was sideways

There's a finder scope, a guide scope, and a wide field scope all attached to the rear of the main scope. That's the reason for the five counterweights at the front of the main scope.



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[Mikbul]

:cheers: to all

[Mikbul]

Drilled and tapped the other side. The 8K worked great, I just need a deeper tap for one end.



A shorter upper stud could be used but would defeat the quick change ability of the part. Some deeper threads and powder coat and it'll be ready for sale.

I finally received my long 3/8" spiral taps with cut down shanks and a long shank 5/16" drill bit from Victor, UPS malfunction again. Now I can finish my prototype and have it powdercoated. The taps were made in Serbia.

[Mikbul]

It was too damn cold to warm the shop up and I was itching to try those new spiral taps out so coffee table here we come. I held the piece in one hand and turned the tap with a little adjustable I had in the house, it made short work of the additional 1.5" deeper I needed to go on one end. If this is any indication the 8K will breeze through providing I don't jam it with chips. The spiral pushes the chips ahead as it goes. That's a six inch tap.

[Mikbul]

I n between insulating (almost done!) and sanding my ice rink I made another part. I estimate it took 1/2 the time with the spiral tap. Center drill, pilot drill, drill through with 5/16" x 6" tap drill, drill oversize for 1.5", (still leaves 1.25" thread on that end) then power tap all the way through, the 8K didn't drop a rev, unlike the plug taps. Finished up with facing, turning, and chamfering, done.
I actually used a dead center for all turning and the tailstock was loose to slide while power tapping.

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[Mikbul]

Just some photos of the leadscrew drive system. To change feed rates you swap out the B or C pulleys. For the first six rates just the C pulley. For threading it gets complicated with pulley and belt swap outs, but there's plenty of adjustment. The main adjuster tensions the drive belt from the spindle, and pivots everything on the leadscrew shaft. The upper and middle pulleys have a nut behind them for the sliding t-bolt adjusters. The lower pulley is the leadscrew. If you got ambitious you could take the spindle gears out and run a belt to a variable speed motor above the main motor. It's about five minutes to swap the spindle gears back in, they rotate on a shaft with a pinch bolt.

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[Mikbul]

I've been off the air so to speak for awhile due to spindle bearing problems, or to be more exact, an assembler at the factory fell asleep at the grease gun. The SB1001 calls for ISO 32 light weight oil for the spindle bearings. It had been making an intermittent noise so when I got it apart I found the factory had mistakenly greased the bearings with the black grease that's throughout the rest of the machine. (that grease is supposed to be there) I can't fault the machine for this, it's very specific in there well made manual about the lubricants.
Tech support has been very helpful and I'm sure they are just as annoyed as no company thrives on warranty issues.
At this point I'm getting ready to fit the new bearing races then wait for the spindle that they put a special order in for.

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[Mikbul]

Dry run with an old race and my homemade puller/press. I still need to clean the seats and surrounding area and search for and burrs or high spots. I'll cut a third of an old race with the dremel and cutoff wheel use it to check fit around the seat.

[Mikbul]

Pulled the races in today and my homemade puller worked great. Also with the cut off piece of old race I found two high spots on the shoulder where I relieved the casting. The other old race was needed to push the last 1/4" into the seat. I ground down the OD so it wouldn't stick. If anyone is ever in need of the puller just pay shipping both ways.

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[Mikbul]

I spoke to tech support today and he said there have been no other cases of grease in spindle. He said occasionally they take a few and lube them up and break them in for quality control. Also my spindle will be in the 22nd which gives me plenty of time to finish my spanner for the spindle lock collar and make a sleeve to press the chuck side bearing on. Probably a call to online metals for the right O/D-I/D combo.
The bearing can be inspected very easily by taking three screws out of the pulley side bearing cover.

[Mikbul]

I'm making a list of ser# & mfg. dates just for curiosities sake. If you would like to participate let me know.
Mine is S/N 1111 and 11-2011.

I got a post on HMEM he said thanks for the info and photos and he just ordered an 8K to be delivered this week. Felt good considering my latest posts. Said he'll pull the bearing cover just in case! I bet he finds nothing but a nice shiny new bearing.

[Mikbul]

If you don't want to publicly post send me a private message of your S/N and where it shipped from.
I have two so far:
1111 11-2011 picked up at Muncy Pa. It's home is upstate NY
1130 11-2011 Shipped from Muncy Pa.It's home is Manitoba

[Mikbul]

Check out the German made Wabeco D6000E. It's the same motor, drive train, compound slide, crosslide, and more but no 3v way bed, D1-3 spindle, or tach. 10.6" swing and longer bed but $5-7,000.00. The optional cnc stepper motors will bolt right on the 8K. I bet most of the drive train will also.

[Mikbul]

I'm making a list of ser# & mfg. dates just for curiosities sake. If you would like to participate let me know.
Mine is S/N 1111 and 11-2011.

I got a post on HMEM he said thanks for the info and photos and he just ordered an 8K to be delivered this week. Felt good considering my latest posts. Said he'll pull the bearing cover just in case! I bet he finds nothing but a nice shiny new bearing.

I'd like to report he found no grease but that's not the case. He going to flush them with WD, drain, oil until it runs out the spindle ends, spin by hand, drain then re-oil and he should be fine. My headstock got hot with the grease and I believe that's where the initial damage was done.

[Mikbul]

Unless I hear different from South Bend expect to have to flush your spindle bearings out if you purchase an 8K.

[Mikbul]

Good news from Manitoba, he inspected the bearings and no damage, they are all flushed out awaiting the correct oil. I sent him preload instructions SB sent me. He's having trouble finding ISO32 oil and asked about 10W motor oil? I'm not sure about that, I would think hydraulic fluid would be a better choice like Deere low viscosity hyguard.
Spoke to tech support and definitely hydraulic over motor oil. Said he and I were the only two cases of grease in spindle?

[jherndon]

Unless I hear different from South Bend expect to have to flush your spindle bearings out if you purchase an 8K.

My SB1001 - srl. no. 1009 - mfg. 07/2011 shipped from Washington state had grease in the bearings, and noises from the headstock bearings from the start. I flushed the brgs. with oil and collected the drain oil. Found magnetic metal flakes in the oil. There is no way for the oil to drain from inside the headstock. When oil started dripping out of the electronic enclosure I removed it from the headstock and about a pint of oil rushed out. Spacers (strips of 1/8 alum) were added to space the enclosure away from the headstock and allow oil to drain. The on/off switch on front of headstock was soaked with oil --- I moved the switch to a location on top of the enclosure and rerouted the wires.

[Mikbul]

My SB1001 - srl. no. 1009 - mfg. 07/2011 shipped from Washington state had grease in the bearings, and noises from the headstock bearings from the start. I flushed the brgs. with oil and collected the drain oil. Found magnetic metal flakes in the oil. There is no way for the oil to drain from inside the headstock. When oil started dripping out of the electronic enclosure I removed it from the headstock and about a pint of oil rushed out. Spacers (strips of 1/8 alum) were added to space the enclosure away from the headstock and allow oil to drain. The on/off switch on front of headstock was soaked with oil --- I moved the switch to a location on top of the enclosure and rerouted the wires.

Sorry to hear you had trouble but thanks for posting your info. Did you notify South Bend, just curious? The chuck side swarf guard lets oil out but not into the headstock. On the other hand the pulley side is just the opposite, it can only run out the spindle and that's higher than the hole in the headstock casting, so instead it runs into the headstock. I' think a drain hole drilled in the left side flange at the same height as the swarf gard would take care of that, unless the bearings throw oil in? I don't think they do as I had no oil in the headstock or on the center spindle, and I ran and oiled it for 3-4 months. That still doesn't explain an oil soaked switch. Do you still get oil drainage?

[jherndon]

Sorry to hear you had trouble but thanks for posting your info. Did you notify South Bend, just curious? The chuck side swarf guard lets oil out but not into the headstock. On the other hand the pulley side is just the opposite, it can only run out the spindle and that's higher than the hole in the headstock casting, so instead it runs into the headstock. I' think a drain hole drilled in the left side flange at the same height as the swarf gard would take care of that, unless the bearings throw oil in? I don't think they do as I had no oil in the headstock or on the center spindle, and I ran and oiled it for 3-4 months. That still doesn't explain an oil soaked switch. Do you still get oil drainage?

Yes South Bend was informed starting in Nov. of 2012. No answers to several emails. The bearing issue started in Nov 2012 just after receiving the 8k. The bottom inside of headstock is not flat but is at about a 15 deg. angle front to back, oil runs to bottom back of the headstock, thus the shims between enclosure and headstock to allow oil to drain out bottom back of headstock. After removal of the electrionc enclosure a clear acrylic window was bolted to headstock back so as to observe the running operation. Observations inside the headstock showed the grease in the bearings along with gray paint on bearings and spindle, and cast iron chips on bottom inside of headstock. Headstock appears to have been painted after assy. When the spindle rotates oil is thrown out in a spray from the bearings covering the inside of headstock. Thus oil on wires and switch inside headstock. Using an ohm meter showed the oil was electrically conductive. Oil drains out on both sides of bearing on chuck end of spindle and mostly inside headstock on outboard bearing. You mentioned chatter in one of your posts, mine also had chatter in workpiece - after tracing it down the carriage ways didn't seat will with bed ways - after scrapping the saddle to fit the bed ways chatter is gone. Also, if you encounter variations in spindle speed control (I observed 600 rpm changes for no reason) look at the spades on wires inside enclosure - 3 spades were so loose they fell off when I removed them from terminal block. Solder was applied to all terminal spades and no more speed variations have been seen. Other fixes have been made to my 8k in the last year and now the lathe runs smooth, good surface finish on machined parts, holds size and accuate speed control with change out of speed pot to multi-turn precision pot. Spindle runout is 0.00012 with 1/10th indicator on spindle nose taper and internal taper. I've more fixes to make but I can use the 8k.