BAZMAK-DIARY of a NEW SIEG SC4 LATHE

[BucksMachinist]

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

 

[BucksMachinist]

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

 

[BucksMachinist]

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

 

[goldstar31]

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

 

[rad45]

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.

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.