BAZMAK-DIARY of a NEW SIEG SC4 LATHE

[Niels Abildgaard]

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.

 

[bazmak]

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

 

[kiwi2]

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.

 

[jayville]

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

 

[bazmak]

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

 

[jayville]

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

 

[gus]

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

Hi Baz,

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

 

[kiwi2]

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.

 

[bazmak]

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

 

[kiwi2]

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.

 

[bazmak]

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.

 

[kiwi2]

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.

 

[bazmak]

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

 

[kiwi2]

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.

 

[bazmak]

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.

 

[kiwi2]

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.

 

[bazmak]

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

 

[bazmak]

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

 

[goldstar31]

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

 

[bazmak]

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