# BAZMAK-DIARY of a NEW SIEG SC4 LATHE



## bazmak (Apr 22, 2015)

I sold my sc3 with the blown board and the restored Advance lathe,added another $600 to the proceeds and bought the new Sc4.Also bought a good quality 4" 4 jaw,negotiated the freight and was given free of charge
A 7" faceplt and clamping kit,a 16mm precision keyless chuck for the tailstock
and an 11 piece carbide set of tools.Lathe arrived from Aussie stores Melbourne in 3 working days,in a very big box.Unpacked and managed to lift in position
by myself with no lifting gear.A serious piece of kit twice the weight of the Sc 3
I had modded and repositioned the existing bench,new full width worktop
and a 3" deep drawer at the LH side. (waste no space Gus).Just fits, now need to clean down and check everything out.Will keep you posted


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## DJP (Apr 22, 2015)

Such a nice clean layout. I'm envious.

Only one suggestion.... build a metal tray for the table top to catch chips and oil. It makes clean up so much easier. 

I too have drawers and a cabinet under my lathe as it helps to stiffen up the table top and it provides quick and easy access to tooling.

Good plan.


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## Herbiev (Apr 22, 2015)

Looking great Baz. Nice tidy workshop too. Might have to tidy up my messy workshop after seeing yours.


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## bazmak (Apr 22, 2015)

I spent a week remodding the end of the workshop ready for the new lathe
Hopefully this is the cleanest it will ever look.I had a drip tray with the sc3
and found it an inconvenience.Chips trapped underneath etc,so have decided to try this lathe without.I dont use coolant and its a full melamine coated
top and splashback.Time will tell.Still in the process of modding the other end of the shed for the mill.List of things to do starting this morning. oororoo
(thats goodbye for now in Ozzie speak)


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## toolznthings (Apr 22, 2015)

Hey ! Your shop is looking pretty good to me !! Lathe looks good, also.
Time to make more parts.


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## kiwi2 (Apr 23, 2015)

Looks a nice little unit.
My old Unimat V10P in near the end of its useful life so I'm looking for a replacement.
 I've been putting it off because of the horror stories you hear about some of the rubbish out in the marketplace, so I'll be following this thread with interest.
I watched a video on Youtube of an SC4 and it seemed really loud. Have you found this to be the case?

Regards,
Alan C.


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## bazmak (Apr 23, 2015)

I was a bit concerned about the noise but its not too bad.Mainly from the gear chain to the leadscrew.With no tumbler reverse you cant disengage the leadscrew.So far i am very pleased with everything else.Horror stories of 
chinese is old hat and mainly a thing of the past.Sieg lathes are much improved
and i am on my second.I also enjoy any tweaking


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## bazmak (Apr 24, 2015)

I sold the 6" faceplt with the  SC3. The T slotted faceplt i made became part of the Rotary Table. I do like using faceplts so negotiated a &" one FOC with the
SC4. I had in mind to use it as the backing plt and fab a new T slotted one.
When i unpacked everything i was pleasantly surprised.The 7" one was a good quality substantial casting,far too good to start bolting T slots section to it.
A closer inspection and i realised there was enough meat to machine some T slots direct,so i set up on the mill and cut 4 T slots.Now a really useful item
Next,making chips. oorroo for now


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## bazmak (Apr 25, 2015)

I had kept the 3" er32 collet chuck i made for use with the RT and planned to buy one for the SC4
However they were out of stock so i decided to spend my $100 on other things and make an adaptor plate.First job for the SC4.I took a 20mm slice of 4" cast iron and proceeded as the photos. The SC4 is slightly larger, twice the weight and twice the price but it makes the SC3 look like a toy.Very ,very impressed.Drilling the 22mm hole was only just doable on the SC3,bogging down all time No problem with this beast.Twice the depth of cut and it never even thought about it.Cross feedvery good,but a little slow.Will have to look at the gearing
Facing large Dias and nudging the speed up as you travel to the centre works well
Very solid ,smooth and rigid with no hint of chatter.1.5mm cut no effort.Unit is very quiet
with the only noise from the gear train.No easy way to reverse the leadscrew so power feed is
inwards or towards the headstock,no real problem
Tried the 3 jaw in 3 posns and the jaws in 3 posns.Marked the best one about 1/2 thou runout
The gap is larger between the spindle and headstock but they have supplied hex hd sets
so its still tricky to bolt on a chuck.Reverted to the tried and tested method i used on the SC3
M8 Studs to the chuck and Wiznuts. Much better.
Again no carriage lock that i can see and i thought i will need one using the power cross feed
Apart from cleaning off the grease and bolting it down i will use it as is and make minor mods
when problems arise.Gibs seem firm and smooth so will have to wait and see
Simple locks on carriage,cross slide and compound may be needed and a carriage stop?
So far very happy.I was happy with the SC3 but this is in a different league
ooroo for now


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## bazmak (Apr 28, 2015)

The 4 way tool post was the same as the sc3 with the same small handle
that when locked was towards the lathe.So i made a better handle and skimmed the nut so the handle faced towards the operator.The sc3 had a tool height of 8mm and the sc4 was 10mm.The set of RCT tools i made needed 
packing so i made a new double ended one machined to dead centre height
The originals i will remake or fit permanent packing.I also quickly made a 
simple tool rack to hold all the commonly used tools

The sc4 stood heigher than the sc3 so i made a 3" duckboard.The lathe was also out of position,so i removed the splashback and made a simple motor cover and moved the lathe back 3".I had mounted the lathe so that the tailstock could be removed and max clearance to the leadscrew changegears
I changed the gears from fine feed to coarse feed and although the banjo design is very good with access from the front with spanner,the shafts were fitted with t nuts to make it easy.I still found it difficult having to peer round the corner.So i moved the lathe 3" to the right.Much easier access to the changegears but no room to remove the tailstock.I can live with that because of the 20" long bed.Lathe is now much more comfortable to use.Will try some single point screwcutting
The lathe is supplied with a good range of change gears for both metric and
imperials threads.Starting to feel much more comfortable using it and so far very pleased.Well worth the money


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## bazmak (May 7, 2015)

Next i made a std carriage stop.I also made  a carriage lock.I made it to fit to the headstock side of the carriage,if it is difficult to use close up to the chuck
a simple mod will allow it to be fitted to the tailstock side.


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## Niels Abildgaard (May 8, 2015)

Two questions

Are You satisfied with the chuck to spindle fixing and how much time does it take to go from one chuck or collet holder to another and back again?
I will go and try on my Boxford that has a screwing on system.

http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/bazmak47/media/lock03_zps1hsfabfg.jpg.html


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## bazmak (May 8, 2015)

No more than a minute to remove one chuck and a minute to fit another
I found it slightly faster to change on the Myford with a screwed nose
Any particular reason for the question  Regards barry


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## Niels Abildgaard (May 8, 2015)

bazmak said:


> No more than a minute to remove one chuck and a minute to fit another
> I found it slightly faster to change on the Myford with a screwed nose
> Any particular reason for the question  Regards barry



The reason is that I am really tired of the drive system on my Boxford when doing interrupted cuts.The inner v disc is around 100 mm diameter and rides on the spindle.Torque is transmitted via a key and two short pins in backgear bull wheel.It sounds awfull when working.If I had a spindle like the SC4 I would turn a v channel along the rim Diameter (aprox 200 mm) and forget about the back gear.Modern inverters do the rest.


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## bazmak (May 8, 2015)

If i had the Myford i would still make a common backplate to screw on
and made to fit the chinese chucks and accessories etc then you have the best of both worlds.Lots of accesssories and at good prices.Also its easier to make
items to fit the chinese spindle mount than to a threaded nose


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## bazmak (May 8, 2015)

As an afterthought,when i did the the thread on the Advance lathe
It had a 1" BSF threaded nose.Found it too difficult to make an internall threaded adaptor plate so i machined the existing one  to acceppt all the Sieg fittings,all chucks and faceplts then fitted both lathe and the RT.worked well


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## jayville (Sep 4, 2015)

Hi Barry I am thinking of retiring my old lathe and purchasing a Sc4 sieg ...you have had yours for some time now and am interested in how it has performed...are you happy with it and have you had any problems. regards clem in tassie


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## bazmak (Sep 4, 2015)

Hi Clem,im as happy as pig in s... No problems would highly recommend the unit for size,power etc
Main drawback is lack of tumbler reverse,means you cant disengage the leadscrew.Noise is minimal
but all from the leadscrew gearchain.I bought a 5" 4jaw self centering chuckwhich is an ideal size,does everything the 3 jaw does but holds sq bar concentric instead of hex.Makes making the turners cube a breeze.Along with the 4" 3jaw s/c and 4" 4 jaw ind. now does everything.Now can turn about 71/2 dia 
I also made a diamond toolholder as described in Model Eng Workshop mag this month and plan to make a 3 way toolpost as described in the same issue.Will keep posting as and when i do anything of interest.Regards barry


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## bazmak (Sep 17, 2015)

I have just made a 3 way toolpost for the lathe.Will post a separate thread
However i wanted to do some rough milling with the Sieg and describe the results.It was easy to mount the piece in the lathe and wanted to try out the power x feed.The lathe is very good and worked well.However i would again note the following points
Having the compound assembly on a plate with 4 bolts on T slots is really good
for ease of positioning of the work to get full Y travel.Very robust but noise gets annoying at high speeds.Will attache a video to show
I cannot understand the Chinese mentality on design.With such a great machine the add a drive disconnect knob to the chuck with the leadscrew permanently engaged solely for use if anyone buys tyhe milling head attachment
Stupid i wonder how many mill heads they have sold,anyone buying a lathe of this standard would surely buy a a stand alone milling machine ???
But more stupid is not fitting a tumbler reverse to disconnect the leadscrew for very quiet running and to reverse the feed both cross and longtitudinal.Very big drawback for this lathe.When cutting the slots in the 3 way,i power fed in and then had to handfeed out.With a 6mm dia endmill and about 1000rpm the noise was excessive.If a later version with tumbler reverse and thread dial indicator was fitted as standard and the chuck disconnect removed i would take a loss on this one and upgrade


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## bazmak (Sep 17, 2015)

Hopefully video to show milling and noise levels Will post a thread for 3 way toolpost


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## Niels Abildgaard (Sep 17, 2015)

Hello Barry

Was it worth a try to put a DC motor and some reductions on the far end of the leadscrew?
This is what Hardinge and Schaublin have done for years.


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## bazmak (Sep 17, 2015)

Too complicated for me.I am old school.Tumbler reverse for quiet and hand feed with forward reverse for feed and screwcutting.Just annoyed that such a nice piece of kit has not been designed to suit most workings.regards barry


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## kiwi2 (Dec 22, 2015)

Hi Barry,
               My SC4 lathe turned up today and I'm in the process of getting it set up. One thing I've noticed is that the carriage wheel which operates the rack and pinion is very sloppy and tends to fall out of gear if the wheel isn't pushed towards the lathe. Is your machine like this? I seem to remember a video which put the problem down to a bushing on one side only of the gear which the wheel turns and the problem was fixed by putting a support on the other side as well. The trouble is I can't remember where I saw it.
 In the short term I thought I would install a spacer on the shaft between the wheel and the circlip which will hold it in place. What do you think?
Regards,
Alan C.


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## jayville (Dec 22, 2015)

Alan ..the hand wheel is meant to drop out...it is made so you can disconnect it when using the feed..it stops your clothes getting caught..I have same lathe and have no problem...clem


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## bazmak (Dec 22, 2015)

I agree it is annoying but just that you get used to it.Hows the lathe ?


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## jayville (Dec 22, 2015)

Barry...lathe is ok..I also have another Chinese special cq6125 approx same size..it is a lot heavier in the apron and the ways but is a nuisance changing belts ...and nut on tail stock if it had the extras that the sc4 has it would probably be a better lathe...the main thing that I to be careful with is when I disconnect power cross feed is that it quite easy to go too far with lever and it connects longitudinal feed ..I have put a gouge in a few items before I got used to it...over all the lathe is ok and probably all I will ever require ...clem


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## gus (Dec 22, 2015)

bazmak said:


> I sold my sc3 with the blown board and the restored Advance lathe,added another $600 to the proceeds and bought the new Sc4.Also bought a good quality 4" 4 jaw,negotiated the freight and was given free of charge
> A 7" faceplt and clamping kit,a 16mm precision keyless chuck for the tailstock
> and an 11 piece carbide set of tools.Lathe arrived from Aussie stores Melbourne in 3 working days,in a very big box.Unpacked and managed to lift in position
> by myself with no lifting gear.A serious piece of kit twice the weight of the Sc 3
> ...



Hi Baz,

You have given some thoughts to remod my balcony machine shop!!!  Very Nice Machineshop there.


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## kiwi2 (Dec 23, 2015)

Hi Barry,
               Still too early to tell if I like the lathe yet. I should get it bolted down tomorrow and I'll post some pictures.
I may have been spoiled by my old lathe which was an Emco V10P. Although it was pretty well knackered underneath it was still a good example of German engineering. I suppose it's expecting too much for something from China which is only a fraction of the price to match it.
I believe the handwheel popping out is for users who have a mill attachment to stop it rotating when using the power feed. If this is the case a spacer between the wheel and the circlip should be OK. The lathe would be better I believe without the provisions made for the mill attachment.
One thing which amused me was that the stud for the chuck shield sticks out so far you can't fit the face plate. I had already taken the shield off so I took the stud out as well which exposed the safety switch. I assumed that the safety switch would need to be engaged before the machine would run so I made a small plate and screwed it onto the face of the headstock to depress the switch. The lathe wouldn't run and it turned out the switch needed to be open not shut which I suspect is not the safest way to interlock the chuck rotation to the shield.
Regards,
Alan C.


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## bazmak (Dec 23, 2015)

First thing i did was remove the guard and stud.Wasnt happt with the micro switch being exposed but no problems so far.Yes you have to be careful with the power feeds switch.I thought i would really need power cross feed but so far have not used it much.Only when facing large diameters.Mods i have threaded which are often used are carriage stop and carriage lock.I also bonded some thin perspex over the top of the headstock to protect the chart Yes i agree that if they put more options for the lathe and not the milling attachment it would be a big improvement.I think you get to like it more as you become more familiar 
regards Barry


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## kiwi2 (Dec 23, 2015)

Hi Barry,
              I got the SC4 lathe bolted down today. I have attached some pictures showing my original setup with the EMCO lathe and the new setup with the SC4. I'm getting an SX2.7 mill as well which should turn up in a week or two. I think I may remove the back splash guard - I can't see the point of it and a black background isn't ideal. I'll cut it so the bit which protects the motor and wiring is retained. With any luck there might be enough material in the back to make a chip tray.
Regards,
Alan C.


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## bazmak (Dec 24, 2015)

es i removed the splashback,no room for it.I made a small timber cover for the motor.If you fit a piece of laminated board to the backwall and fit riser plts
Any questions let me know,please do thread on the mill when it arrives
Again it looks a nice piece of kit but with problems.You may want to fit a chain/belt drive and lower the z axis handwheel.


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## kiwi2 (Dec 29, 2015)

Hi Barry,

               What are the scales on the handwheels of your crosslide and topslides? Mine are both 0-50 for a full rotation but they both move 1mm/revolution. This means I need to rotate the dial half the desired movement - i.e. if I want to move the topslide by 0.8mm, I rotate the handwheel by 40 divisions. If this is normal, why on earth didn't they make them direct reading?

Regards,
Alan C.


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## bazmak (Dec 29, 2015)

Yes each division is 0.8 thou annoying but i have got used to it.I treat the divisions as 1 thou until i get near size at least you cant take off too much
I usually work in imperial to 1 thou for accurate dims.I can see and feel 1 thou but 0.025 mm is not the same to me.For unimportant dims i work in metric


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## kiwi2 (Feb 17, 2016)

Hi Barry,
               I'm having trouble figuring out how to lock the saddle.
 There's nothing about how to do this in the manual but there are references to clamps in the drawings ( items 201, 231 and an unlabelled piece next to #231 which I think may be #230).
I've had a bit of a play with them and it seems that both the front and rear clamps need to be tightened for the saddle to be properly clamped. They are really awkward to get at and I don't understand why there appears to be 2 rear clamps. Do you understand how they work.
I see earlier in this post you describe making a carriage clamp. Was this made to take advantage of the two spare threaded holes which have grub screws in them and no apparent function? Did you make this because you found the clamps supplied to be too awkward to use? You installed it on the front of the carriage and said it could be moved to the back if it proved to be too awkward at the front. Have you done this?
Regards,
Alan C.


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## bazmak (Feb 17, 2016)

Hi Alan,i did not receive any clamps and made the carriage lock as shown
I fitted it to the headstock as shown and left it there.I changed the cap screw as the hole filled with swarfe and the allan key was difficult to fit.I fitted a hex hd screw with slightly longer head and have a cranked ring spanner that fits nicely.Works well,no problems.Clamps up evenly and tightly with a light
nuge with the spanner.I shaped the top clamp to fit the casting and fixed with 2 no M5 socket hds.


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## kiwi2 (Feb 18, 2016)

Hi Barry,
              On the last photo you have of the carriage clamp, there are 2 4mm capscrew heads shown side by side just in front of the oil hole. If you have a look at the drawing in the manual you'll see that they connect to part # 201 which is described in the parts list as "front clamp". I assumed this meant it was supposed to be a carriage clamp.
When I tried using it however I had the same problem you did with the capscrew holes being filled with swarf. Even after I blew them out, tightening them didn't clamp the carriage very well and it was only after tightening the 2 screws which tightened the "rear clamp" on the other side of the cross slide was the carriage properly locked. They were very difficult to access when the carriage was close to the head - which is where it's likely to be when parting off.
I still don't understand what part# 231 (also called a rear clamp) which has only 1 screw for tightening and is beside the rear clamp with 2 screws is for.
Regards,
Alan C.


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## bazmak (Jan 13, 2017)

relisting this thread may be helpful to Johno1958 unfortunately some
of the photos have been removed.Will take some of the carriage lock
when next I clean down the lathe.Any questions or photo requests 
please feel free. Regards barry


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## bazmak (Jul 23, 2017)

Will ressurect this thread with a couple of photos hopefully for Norms benefit with regard to the SC4 spindle.Is it same as yours Norm ??
I bought the small cheap alum qctp for the new small mini lathe and it was
ideal for light duty on a small lathe.I had in mind to make a larger one in steel
for the SC4 lathe,but thought sod it and bought the 250-100 with one tool holder to try out.I had to machine the M14 spindle to fit and a couple minor mods to get it going.I was very impressed with its quality for a cheap chinese clone.I will also buy some more holders .At $25 each its not worth the effort making the standard ones .Instead i will just make a few specials While i was fitting it i also did some minor mods to improve the compound slide


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## goldstar31 (Jul 23, 2017)

Hi Barry
               Note that I've moved to read your comments about --- YOUR lathe.    Clever me!!!!

Maybe our joint efforts will help others  and that I can be forgiven if I attempt to correct the alignment question.

The first point is that using a short test bar is insufficient nor is doing what Myford suggests  by cutting TWO identical rings and getting them equal.

True, it is fine for an new lathe but one that is somewhat worn, I frankly doubt it. Indeed, WE with new machines with unworn beds, it is OK. 
Before my Myford was reground, it was not.

The first thing is to  try to level the bed- using at least two or even three good spirit levels. Whether one shims or uses  bolts and washers( or an alternative), that is the way to go. 
It reduces or eliminates what is called twist. 

Whilst I have both a test bar with a No2MT shank it is inferior to one which is hollow. Again, I have a thing which can be cut  near the chuck and at its extremity. 
Again, using a pair of centres and inserting a rule/strip of metal is OK, but it doesn't sort out what is at the true end of the lathe..  One solution is a face plate, a long tube and a clock gauge. Another is a wire whilst Westbury suggested a microscope. Probably, someone might suggest a cheap lazer which wasn't about when he wrote microscope on the lathe.

There are other alternatives and I've used prisms, a lazer and wahaver pulling a crashed car back. . Torturing metal and ears!

Anyway, more intravenous coffee and thank you for reading

Norm


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## bazmak (Jul 25, 2017)

I have ordered 3 more tool holders to start a family.A 101, 102 and 107
102 has a V for holding boring bars and 107 is for a parting off tool
I made my first special tool holder for my standard knurling head
And using pieces of 40x40x6 lum angle x 40mm long i have started 
a rack for my new family.I think once i am organised i will use this
qctp most of the time.However i can quickly change the M14 pivot 
pin back to std and use my family 3 and 4 way posts and also Niels 
diamond tool holder.Now i need to start a new project and actually
make something


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## bazmak (Jul 27, 2017)

I have made a no dovetail assys.But i have never used a dovetail cutter
The larger ones like the shaper i machined the parts and bolted assemlies
The smaller one as the qctp i have tilted at 30o and used an end mill
While i have a few more to do i decided to make a dovetail cutter and used it
to make a holder for a boring bar.All worked out well but the dovetail cutter
did struggle in the mini mill.Took about the same time but i think i prefer the 
end mill method where access allows
















I must say that this method of uploading photos is much easier and quicker
than using Photo bucket. Thanks again Angie


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## bazmak (Jul 31, 2017)

I paid a visit to my local steel supplier and for a no of pieces of hrms
40x25 x75lg cut to size worked out at $12 each.By the time i have bought and fitted screws,done a lot of machining,its a no brainer.I will buy std toolholders
at $25 each and only make specials.As i said previously the 11mm bottom flg
allows a max of 8mm tool,so apart from other minor mods any tool holders 
i buy may need the bottom flg reducing in the mill
I have 2 or 3 sets of brazed carbide tools that i never use because i dont like
negative rake tools on small bench lathes.They are more suitable for bigger rigid lathes,mainly roughing out with poor finish.
With the intention of of machining the bottom flg on one anyway i machined
at 5o to give a positive top rake on the tool.This did not improve/reduce the tool height
so i also took a couple of mm off the underside of the tool.I cleaned up the tool
and ground the cutting edges,Works much better,nice finish for general turning
and roughing.So i now have an armory of 10mm brazed carbide tooling and 
i have placed an order for another 4 no 250-101 holders.


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## bazmak (Aug 5, 2017)

I downloaded plans for a ball turner and found enough steel in the scrap bin 
so i decided to make one at no cost. I havent used it yet still to come
but i will make a second tool holder that can bolt in a no of positions
on the slide to give more scope for int/ext radii


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## nautilus29 (Aug 5, 2017)

Nice mods!  You can tell by the finishes that you've spent some time on them.  Did you put the screws in at an angle on your boring bar tool post?  

Does that radius cutter pivot on a bearing?


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## bazmak (Aug 5, 2017)

Yes the boring bar flats are at an angle for some reason and i wanted
the tip to cut on centre line and horizontal so i tapped the clamping
screws at the correct angle to obtain this
Finish is nothing special just std turning and milling
The ball turner turns in a plain recess,no bearing,i dont think it needs one
The two parts pivot on an M8 csk cap screw from the underside and is set and locked with a grubscrew from the top.Simple to work and make,will try and improve after its had some use


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## nautilus29 (Aug 5, 2017)

Some future add ons that could be handy.  A screw on handle, so you have better control when turning it.  Also an adjustable hard stop would maybe be nice so you could stop your rotation at a place of your choosing.


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## goldstar31 (Aug 5, 2017)

Am I correct in suggesting that it could possibly come from the Steve Bedair excellent site?   I had a 920 variant and came across 'something similar'

It leads me to a simple question of my present Sieg C4 and would appreciate a look at your tee nuts. I'm in chaos with a shed being built and can't find anything

As for the plain bearing, I see no problem as my rotary table has no bearings and works fine.

The suggested stops are interesting as I have a set on my Quorn and also a rather intriguing pair on my Clarkson T&C. The latter goes one step further in that the base TILTS.

Meantime, kind regards as usual
Norm


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## ShopShoe (Aug 5, 2017)

goldstar31, 

I did make a version of the Steve Bedair ball turner for my 7x12, with modifications to suit my needs. In my case, I have not modified the cross slide with T-slots, so I remove the compound and bolt on the ball turner instead.

The down side is that the 7x does not allow much room for manouvering things around and makes it kind of fiddly to turn balls. Still, It was a worthwhile project and someday I may make a different version just to see if I can.

--ShopShoe


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## goldstar31 (Aug 5, 2017)

Thank you, Shop Shoe.

The question followed the rather unusual situation.

I've been able to get another lathe ie the SC4 but put it in the house where it will be warm for working-- being a very old and decrepit soul who suffers cold terribly.

Not daft( yet) but merely always cold

Cheers

N


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## bazmak (Aug 5, 2017)

Hi Norm, yes the T slot crosslide on the Sc4 is handy.Just take off the compound and bolt on the ballturner.For the T nuts i just used 16mm sq
x 6mm long drilled and tapped for cap screws. The 100mm sq baseplt is
recessed for a turned spigot on the top section.20mm clear between top
and lathe centre so i can turn a max 40mm ball.Fitted a piece of s/s rule
set the tool at 20mm,touch the cross slide to the work and set the carriage 
lock with the tool touchinching the end face then work inward until the tool
cuts the OD then i know the ballturner has reached the lathe centreline
Should be a doddle when i get some alum to turn. Also thought about a 
flat slide with a no of drilled and tapped holes for a tool mount to bolt on
in a no of positions should enable me to turn concave.Thats the plan.Stops etc
may also play a part later


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## goldstar31 (Aug 5, 2017)

Thanks again.

As the mill will be 'some distance away( coughs discreetly), I thought about being able to mount a Myford fixed vertical slide on with a vice/vise when the need arose as well as a sort of permanent  rear parting tool holder. These necessitate( probably) a sub-table which is where I came in.

Anyway. I'm enjoying myself and thank you for most useful comments

N


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## bazmak (Aug 19, 2017)

Due to bad weather, i havent been in the shed for a while so went out for a couple of hrs today to have a go with my ball turner.Max dia at this stage is 40mm but the only piece of stock i had was 50 dia x 30lg so i turned down to 40dia and drilled and tapped M8.Made a 20mm dia spindle with M6 and M8 grub screws and proceeded to make a donut.Works well but at this early stage
i might drill and tap to give a no of posns for the handle.May also remake or
modify tht tool holder so i can do convex and concave radii.The simple spigot
swivel wit no bearings works well with no chatter and the steel rule insert
makes it easy to set the radius.Then wind in to touch the OD swing thru 90o
touch the end of the work and lock the carriage.When i get some stock i will 
make some balls with the mods included


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## goldstar31 (Aug 19, 2017)

Just a note or two. The first is to spot how you have made the Tee nuts.
I'm trying to follow but really I'm working on the new workshop which the guys are making for me.

So in a break in proceedings, I went out and bought some 16mm square steel to drill and tap towards the proposed sub tables on my C4.

Cheers and Thanks

Norman


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## bazmak (Aug 19, 2017)

Hi Norm,the T nuts are just flat square washers,drilled and tapped
I made them from 16sq bar,drilled and tapped and parted of,but they will be just as easy from 16x6 flat cut to 16mm lg.I think the finished size to 
fit the table was 15.5 sq x 5.5 thk


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## jacobball2000 (Aug 20, 2017)

bazmak said:


> I sold my sc3 with the blown board and the restored Advance lathe,added another $600 to the proceeds and bought the new Sc4.Also bought a good quality 4" 4 jaw,negotiated the freight and was given free of charge
> A 7" faceplt and clamping kit,a 16mm precision keyless chuck for the tailstock
> and an 11 piece carbide set of tools.Lathe arrived from Aussie stores Melbourne in 3 working days,in a very big box.Unpacked and managed to lift in position
> by myself with no lifting gear.A serious piece of kit twice the weight of the Sc 3
> ...


Your picture scented me to a web sigh that you have to log in to just see the pic's! Once you log in it just set there spinning it's little circle and never loading up the picture.


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## bazmak (Aug 20, 2017)

Hi,if you are interested in this thread i can repost some photos just let me know what you are interested in


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## bazmak (Aug 21, 2017)

Photo bucket removed and new photos added


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## goldstar31 (Aug 21, 2017)

Hi Barry

Most useful information for which I do really appreciate.

As it stands, I now have a bigger workshop but it still requires both external and external cladding  as well as completely wiring to a modern standard for the UK.
Again, I am making standards/cupboards to store my tooling.

Happily, the Mill Drill is left in place and there is now room to get to the back of the Myford Super 7B. My blokes put the old Clarkson t&C back on a temporary stand. To use the words of the Prophet-- PHEW!!!!!!!

So I now have the gardens to tackle as well but the sit on mower is now working.

So I'm sort of out of retirement after 32 years!!

Fun ain't it?

N


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## bazmak (Aug 21, 2017)

Keep going Norm,lifes a box of chocolates.If you want any additional photos posting,let me know


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## goldstar31 (Aug 21, 2017)

bazmak said:


> Keep going Norm,lifes a box of chocolates.If you want any additional photos posting,let me know


 
I'd enjoy the choc's though

I couldn't  find the right studs but I have lots of the right size in studding to be cut to lengths instead.

On reflection, your suggestion  really solves the tedium of three and four studs on the spindle. 

Had a mate in for coffee after he had got rid of his missus to the airport for a break after breaking her leg :wall:

We were discussing the new lathe and his thoughts were to hack the Unimat ( copy) spindle etc and have an auxiliary motor to go on the saddle of the Sieg.

So I 'donated' a spare Potts spindle for one of his 2 Super7's.

seems as if we are both going back to classic lathe work- or something.

We then had a discussion on Lawrence Sparey and what he managed with just one lathe.

Makes one think

Every man should have a shed- and all that

Norm


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## BucksMachinist (Feb 10, 2018)

Bazmak, I'm glad you're keeping this thread alive!  I too have an SC4 lathe.  There is not a lot of info on the web dedicated to the SC4 lathe.  I got my SC4 from Little Machine Shop.  Its the deluxe model (8.5x20) which came with leadscrew DRO's on the cross slide and compound and it also has the LMS modified compound to accept an AXA toolpost.  I purchased the lathe 1 year ago and removed the leadscrew DRO's and went back to analog dials on the cross-slide and compound. .  I just had to many issues with them.  I've made a lof of modifications to the lathe such as upgrading the spindle bearings to tapered roller bearings.  It was actually quite easy to do with no permananent modifications.  I also added DRO scales which was a lot of work and TIME but well worth it!!
 I read at the beginning of the thread (1st page / post#9) that you stated there is no carriage lock.   Mine came with a carriage lock which is part of the carriage.   It's hidden and you'd never know it was there unless you removed the carriage gib  that is located on the operators side closest to the tailstock.  I am almost positive that your carriage is equipped with the lock or it has the provision but maybe they never put the lock on.  I can see in a few of your photos that it definintely has the allen head bolt for the lock.  I will take a photo showing you the location in another post


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## BucksMachinist (Feb 10, 2018)

Below shows the carriage lock.  
Circled in pink and labeled as CL (Carriage Lock)
Circled in orange and labeled as CG (Carriage Gib)
The carriage gib is fastened by the 2 allen head bolts above it.  
What you cant see is the lock but you can see the allen head bolt.  You may find that the lock has rotated so when you go to tighten it it just spins.   In order to fix this you need to remove the gib  and then loosen the Allen head bolts for the lock and let it drop.   It will drop down on the leadscrew cover.   Then simply move the carriage towards the headstock.   To reinstall it use a magnet while turning the Allen head bolts clockwise


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## BucksMachinist (Feb 10, 2018)

Since I posted a picture of the carriage I might as well tell you about a modification I made to the carriage gibs.  When you look at the gibs on the same side they do not make full contact with the bottom ways of the bed.  They are tilted which makes for uneven contact.  The allen head bolts that secure them are also not tight and will eventually need to be retightened.  I put a .011" shim in between the gib and the carriage.  Now I can torque the gib tight and it has just the right amount of preload.  Your tolerance may vary and you may have to experiment with different sized shims.  I used leftover aluminum flashing from my house as the shim


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## goldstar31 (Feb 10, 2018)

Many thanks as I have the earlier C4 and have found the carriage lock as depicted

As pointed out, I am none too happy with the 'dials' and the difficulty in inserting the batteries.

But--BUT, the price second hand, was a trifling £350 for an almost unused machine.

Keep posting

Norm


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## rad45 (Mar 25, 2018)

kiwi2 said:


> Looks a nice little unit.
> My old Unimat V10P in near the end of its useful life so I'm looking for a replacement.
> I've been putting it off because of the horror stories you hear about some of the rubbish out in the marketplace, so I'll be following this thread with interest.
> I watched a video on Youtube of an SC4 and it seemed really loud. Have you found this to be the case?
> ...


How much lathe are you after?
I have 3 to let go.
1, Maximat V10-P with three chucks, faceplate, 19 Dixon tool holders and inifinitely electronic controllable servo drive, 1 ph 220/240V
2, Toyo ML 360  6" swing with original pillar milling attachment and all spares and accessoriestwo chucks, faceplate. 1ph 220/240V
3, Wabeco CC-6000 hs upgraded to Siemens CNC motor and drive system, Auto tool changer, PoKeys hardware and Mach software. 1ph 220/240V

I turned 73 on Firday and think its time to sit down a while,
Russell
Ferlach, Austria.


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