# New Lathe install



## Tciplumber (Jan 13, 2013)

Just wanted to show my new toy.  I just bought a grizzly 12x36 model g4003g gunsmith lathe.  Spent all day saturday setting it up.  I also installed a DRO PROS readout on the z and x axis while it was easy to access the back side of the lathe.

Can't offer much review on the products yet, since I haven't had time yet to use them.  What I can tell you, is that due to a shipping problem beyond their control, the folks at DRO PROS take customer service very seriously, going out of their way to help me out.

This is a considerable step up for me from my tired old 9" southbend...

I'll be happy to give my review on the lathe and the DRO in the future, if anyone shows interest.


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## 1hand (Jan 13, 2013)

Me me me.......very interested! That's one of the ones I got my eye on. Please let us know what you think of it. I have a grizz 9x19 and want to get a 12 to 13 inch with a gap bed. Is dro pros price comparable to grizz's dro package? How was the install? Have to drill a bunch of holes in the cast iron?

Matt


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## willburrrr2003 (Jan 14, 2013)

OOOHHHHH what a nice new machine you have there  Congrats!!

Regards,

     Will


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## cwelkie (Jan 14, 2013)

Congratulations on your new lathe ... exciting times.
If your experience is anything like mine, you'll very much like your new machine.  Lots of capability and power with a silky smooth feel on the carriage and cross-slide.  You'll especially come to appreciate the long travel tailstock.

If not too late, I'd recommend (unplugging it and) checking all the electrical connections in the control box before it gets "pushed up" against a wall.  The only issue I've had with mine was a loose connection that showed up about 15 months in.  Fortunately I have the space to leave room between the wall and the lathe (great place for the shop air compressor).

One other tip - keep your eye out for a small rolling tool cabinet that fits between the pedestals (after you remove the apron).  I used an old 3 drawer Craftman that fit well after I removed the wheels.  The drawers and storage space are very handy for toolholders, tools, drill index and all sorts of other lathe bits.

Have fun!
Charlie


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## hacklordsniper (Jan 14, 2013)

Congratulations, that is a beautiful machine. I wonder how many sand was bundled free with it?


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## canadianhorsepower (Jan 14, 2013)

Congrat nice set up


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## S3MIH3MI (Jan 14, 2013)

Nice machine.
My brother has the same one. The only issue he had was after a year or so, one of the contacts stuck and when he went the other direction it blew both contactors. But
one set of contacts was welded closed and the motor would not shut off. Even with the "E" stop. He had to turn the breaker off.
They are cheap Chinese contactors and are only wired not mechanically interlocked.
I replaced them with an Allen-Bradley forward reversing contactor close to a year ago and no other issues.


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## petertha (Jan 14, 2013)

Tciplumber said:


> I'll be happy to give my review on the lathe and the DRO in the future, if anyone shows interest.


 
Nice lathe! I'm interested to see your DRO installation out of interest. I retrofitted my (maybe somewhat similar) King 14x40 recently. Always pays to compare tricks & tips from others here, I find.  
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/f28/newall-dro-king-14x40-lathe-19361/


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## petertha (Jan 14, 2013)

Dumb question, but where did you get that magnetic base lamp? The machine work lamps I see in KBC catalog are a small fortune, must be halogen kryptonite or something! Can't help but thinking there must lower cost alternatives with protected bulbs?


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## capin (Jan 14, 2013)

Congrats, thats the same one I have and I love it- you will be very happy !! Brian


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## lathe nut (Jan 14, 2013)

Nice, your not going to get it dirty are you, ? glad for you and nice looking shop, Lathe Nut


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## Tciplumber (Jan 14, 2013)

I'm almost overwhelmed by the interest in just one day!!!

I'll try to answer what I can, I won't have time to do any real metal turning until saturday, but I promise (due to all the interest) to post findings on the accuracy we attain.

The DRO install was easier than I anticipated.  I will post a few better pictures of my work in the near future, as well as a couple of "watch out for" that will help if you do it.  I didn't have to change anything, but did find a thing or two to watch for that the installation tips don't include.  The z-axis was simple.  Drilling and tapping the cast iron was easy.  DRO PROS send some generic aluminum brackets and a variety of metric hardware.  You can either scrap the hardware or get a few metric taps.  I drilled mine with a battery hand drill.  I would HIGHLY recommend DRO PROS.  Read their site.  Most of this discussion and tips for the DRO I will do in another post soon.  Here a couple highlights:

The cost:  I was going to buy the grizzly DRO until I came across some threads about them.  Someone mentioned they thought the grizzly was an Eaason model rebranded and that DRO PROS was the best place to buy them.  I liked DRO PROS web site.  I ordered by phone and they sold me scales that were the right length for my machine. I liked that fact, as they stock scales in various length increments to match your needs.   I also upgraded the cross slide to a higher resolution, due to the fact you remove twice the material for the distance you advance the cross slide...(read their site).  I ended up buying their middle brand, as it offered a 3 year warranty and manuals written by AMERICANS in English.  Let me tell you, the manuals are great!!  Bought two units, a 3 axis for my bridgeportmill  and the 2 axis for the lathe.  I spent $150 less for the two systems than comparable grizzly brand units, with triple the warranty and manuals I can read.  When XXX shipping company lost one of the units, DRO PROS sent me a new package overnight at no charge, since I had installer help coming in from out of town.  I can't say enough GOOD about DRO PROS.  Customer service is outstanding.

The z axis:  mount reader track lower than you think so that the guard cover won't get hit by the cross slide bolts.  I was lucky and only had to trim a cover bolt a pinch to let the cross slide pass by.  Z-axis: I opted for the slim line 1 micron scale.  I mounted with an angle bracket attached under the cross slide between the ways.  This did three things: kept the trolley on the underside of the scale track (to keep debris out), kept the install as compact as possible (to allow the tailstock as close to cross feed as possible), and the bracket becomes a positive stop for the tailstock (to protect the reader/scale) 

I also understand the china electronics.  I left just enough room between the wall and the power box to be able to gain access.  Won't be fun, but I can get to it.  I will double check the joints to make sure they are tight.

I love the idea about removing the apron... I think I'll do that and build some custom shelves.  A great place to store the steady rests, chucks, backplates, tools...

The mag base light you see is not a mag base.  The lamp comes with the lathe and is mounted by a bracket to the back of the cross slide, which by the way, I LOVE as it is always following your work and stays pointed where you want it.  It is all prewired into the lathe and the wire is in durable armored cable.


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## warf (Jan 15, 2013)

Good Machine. I've got a 4003 (not the G) the motor craped out after about 2 years so since I've got 3 ph power I converted it with a motor upgrade.  Be carefull cuting metric thds. the chart isnt right for the quick change gears on mine. the gear swap was right but they were 1 notch off on the quick.


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## Tciplumber (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks, I hoping I never need to cut metric threads...

Having read other posts, I've already decided that if the motor pukes, I'll replace it with a 3 phase motor and drive it with a VFD.  That will give me variable speed in each gear range!  I've already put a VFD on my bridgeport mill, beats a phase converter, and they aren't that expensive anymore for 3hp and smaller motors...In fact, I may not wait for it the motor to burn up...


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## Art K (Jan 15, 2013)

I would also be interested in the DRO. I am considering getting one for my Enco 12X36 lathe.

Art


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## Tciplumber (Jan 15, 2013)

1 hand and petertha:

Here are the details and some pics of the DRO install.  Figured I would just add them to this post, I hope its the right place for it...

Z-axis: The instructions are pretty good about describing how to set the track so that the read head won't strike the end and damage the glass.  What I didn't think about, was the amount of room that the aluminum cover would take.  As you can see from the 4th picture, I had to grind down the head of the cover bolt to let the carriage pass by.  Nothing major, but there is enough room that the track could have been mounted a 1/2" lower...  They sent the generic brackets you see for the z-axis.  In my case, I did not have to machine or make anything to mount the z-reader.  I put a couple of stand off bushings in (as they recommend) between the cast iron of the lathe and the track, since the cast isn't a true surface.  I had to add .030" shim to the head end of the lathe to true the track to the ways.  Vertical adjustment is simple, since there are slots in the track itself.

X-axis:  I deviated from the install manual a bit here, not that anything is set in stone, but I really wanted to mount the track with the trolley down to keep as much debris from the chance of getting in as possible, (the install book shows it sideways).  There was just enough room to mount it trolley down.  I should mention, that I bought upgrade ($50)--the 1 micron reader for the cross slide and it was also a "slim line" reader.  I'm not sure if the standard 5 micron reader would have fit like this. The bracket I used to mount the reader to the carriage was one provided by DRO PROS (6th pic), but did not come with the lathe kit.  I robbed it from the mill kit that I also bought...but, as the instructions say, you might have to make your own mounts.  I put stand off bushings in again between the cross slide and the track again, but mostly because I had to shim the track out enough for the reader underneath to clear some of the casting on the carriage--maybe .030" or .040".  The angle bracket required some milling down to get it to fit between the ways, and a couple new slots to connect with the reader.  Also, since it was a casting, and I used the inside corner, I took a few passes to true up the inside corner to a true 90.  No big deal, since I have a bridgeport five feet away!  To mount the reader bracket, I removed the rear chip shield.  I removed the travel stop from the back of the cross slide.  I ran the cross slide out, and off of the lead screw nut, until the cross slide was out of the way of the area between the ways.  I drilled two holes down through the cross slide ways between the bed ways.  Using an tap extension, I tapped the holes from below, up through the bed.  Wasn't comfortable, but it worked ok.  I deburred the holes and cleaned the ways, and then reinstalled the cross slide, travel stop, and rear chip pan.  In the end, The install worked out great, because the read head bracket became a sturdy stop in case the tailstock bumps into the carriage.  I'm going to add a small piece of aluminum to the top of the cross slide to cover the gap between the cross slide and the track.  I tapped the back of the carriage for a nylon strap (5th pic) to keep the reader cable in just the right spot so that the cross slide doesn't rub it, or the tailstock hit it.

I also purchased the grizzly tailstock DRO.  I don't know how "accurate" it is, but most of my operations won't require .0005" accuracy with the tailstock.  Just though it would be easier than reading dials...  I have yet to install it, but will add some pictures of that when I get it done.

Hope this satisfies your curiosity or helps with an install.  I can't say enough good about DRO-PROS and would buy another readout from them without hesitation if I add more machines.


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