Does longer lathe ways have any disadvantage

[neptune769]

I have worked in the past as a machinist for 13 years. I have run many types of machines. But primarily manual lathes. So my thought is the bigger the longer you can afford and have space and power for get that. You can always make small items but you can't make large ones. But you also have to consider the cost of tooling on larger machines. But since your mainly concerned with the bed length get the longer one. As one person said earlier. you can park the tail stock further out of the way. My lathe at home is 18 inch centers and I wished it was like 25 inches.

Dennis L.

 

[TinyTool]

After all, you might get the urge to do some wood turning and make up some bed posts and similar.

At least you won't look as ungay as you would, if you were turning a 1.5 meter bed post, on a band saw.

Personally - I'd be requesting a lathe with a 5 meter bed - just to be sure.

 

[hacklordsniper]

That broken headstock surely looks sad. Does someone understand what are they saying? Is there a reason this happened (tool post driven in chuck jaws)? I would really like to know more, it seems quite strange.

I will definately show this video to my manufacturer and ask for comments what could have happened?

 

[gustavus]

The beginning of my disaster, I was turning a heavy piece in the headstock using the foot brake to stop rotation.

The splined shaft which supports the sliding change gears inside the headstock is not splined but merely has a long keyway milled into the shaft, the key is made from soft metal which was skewed from the inertia of the extra weight in the chuck being slowed by the foot brake. The gears now misaligned self destructed over the next two months with the filings eventually taking out the bearings.

King Canada is very good to honour their product but it would have required me transposing the lathe back to Winnipeg a 4 hour drive one way for me which I did not want to do as a compromise KC sent the replacement parts direct to my home address.

The lathe after replacing all the bearings and gears has performed well these past four years.

The brass inserts used on the steady rest is another joke, also the Chinese should add a bit of nickel to their castings, for example the older chevy small blocks designated 010 had a high nickel content and the british used I believe some addition of chrome to the casting alloy.

I agree always get the longest lathe bed you can house.

 

[hacklordsniper]

Tinytool, i dont understand meaning of your posts on this topic? They seem somehow offensive or insulting?

 

[Tin Falcon]

Agreed the post was deleted this type of humor or whatever does not follow the goals of this forum.
Tin

 

[Lathejack]

Oh dear, oh dear, I am loosing confidence in these particular lathes more and more.

Gustavus.
That was a mighty disaster your machine suffered there, is the headstock casting actually cracked as a result as well?

I am stunned that they are still cutting costs by using single keyway shafts in the headstocks of these heavier type of 14x40 machines instead of splined shafts, are any of the shafts in there splined?

I have owned a Chinese 13x30 geared head lathe for around ten years now. Although it has heavy rigid castings the eight speed headstock uses single keyway shafts throughout, so it is definitely still only a light duty machine. The spindle brake is used strictly for emergencies only, and a VFD I fitted gives a gentle start up to lighten the load when it's turned on.

I do hope the 16 inch swing version that I was considering does use splined shafts throughout the headstock, perhaps Hacklordsniper would be good enough to ask the factory that he is dealing with if they do or not.

Kind regards.

 

[gustavus]

Oh dear, oh dear, I am loosing confidence in these particular lathes more and more.

Gustavus.
That was a mighty disaster your machine suffered there, is the headstock casting actually cracked as a result as well?

I am stunned that they are still cutting costs by using single keyway shafts in the headstocks of these heavier type of 14x40 machines instead of splined shafts, are any of the shafts in there splined?

I have owned a Chinese 13x30 geared head lathe for around ten years now. Although it has heavy rigid castings the eight speed headstock uses single keyway shafts throughout, so it is definitely still only a light duty machine. The spindle brake is used strictly for emergencies only, and a VFD I fitted gives a gentle start up to lighten the load when it's turned on.

I do hope the 16 inch swing version that I was considering does use splined shafts throughout the headstock, perhaps Hacklordsniper would be good enough to ask the factory that he is dealing with if they do or not.

Kind regards.

Replaced everything March 10/2010, King 14x40 metal lathe. I got an ear once I had posted a video clip to the web complete with sound.The lathe sounded like a worn out thrashing machine.

No the machine did not lock up or break any of the castings, just full of metal filings, making a horrible noise.

 

[gustavus]

On the King website the largest lathe they post a parts list is for the 1440ML-6, one other problem I've had with my 14x40 the tail stock quill is secured from turning with one very short key called a stop pin which is prone to shearing off.

Check out part number 483 on page 8 of the parts list.

Before laying out hat hard earned cash on the 16 inch lathe ask for a parts list, this way you'll know if the shafts are splined or keyed.

http://www.kingcanada.com/Files/KC-1440ML-6_service_manual.pdf

The bed castings are far from perfect do not be surprised to find large pockets of porosity filled with auto body filler before the machine was painted for export.

Would I purchase another Chinese lathe - NO.

 

[Lathejack]

Gustavus.

Thanks for posting the photos, the shafts look to be the same as in my 13 inch lathe. Is the lathe in the video clip you posted on this thread your lathe that was damaged?

Some of the Chinese 14x40 lathes are simply stretched versions of my 13 inch type with the same external components and the same internals. But the one in your video is one of the heavier type with all different components and I have seen these advertised as having splined headstock shafts, so I am a bit puzzled.

Hacklordsniper.

Do you have a delivery date yet for your new lathe? Did you say you have got to move it down some steps to get it in your workshop? I would like to come and give you some help, but I think you are a bit too far away.

At work we have a long bed Colchester Triumph 2500, this is also about 1500 between centres. It was bought new around five years ago. This lathe is really a modern Harrison design simply badged as a Colchester and is also made in China. Despite some problems it has had it is as solid as a rock and machines superbly. This also sits on a one piece cast iron stand similar to your new lathe.
It has a three speed geared head plus variable speed.

Regards.

 

[gustavus]

Gustavus.

Thanks for posting the photos, the shafts look to be the same as in my 13 inch lathe. Is the lathe in the video clip you posted on this thread your lathe that was damaged?

Some of the Chinese 14x40 lathes are simply stretched versions of my 13 inch type with the same external components and the same internals. But the one in your video is one of the heavier type with all different components and I have seen these advertised as having splined headstock shafts, so I am a bit puzzled.

Hacklordsniper.

Do you have a delivery date yet for your new lathe? Did you say you have got to move it down some steps to get it in your workshop? I would like to come and give you some help, but I think you are a bit too far away.

At work we have a long bed Colchester Triumph 2500, this is also about 1500 between centres. It was bought new around five years ago. This lathe is really a modern Harrison design simply badged as a Colchester and is also made in China. Despite some problems it has had it is as solid as a rock and machines superbly. This also sits on a one piece cast iron stand similar to your new lathe.
It has a three speed geared head plus variable speed.

Regards.

Your welcome for the pictures, unfortunately my 14 x 40 Youtube video from 2010 is long gone.

 

[Lathejack]

Gustavus.

I have just looked at the link in your recent post and I see that the King 14 inch lathe you have that is shown is the type that I mentioned previously, the same as my 13 inch lathe but with an increased spindle centre hight. That's why your headstock internals are the same as mine. The lathe on the video you posted here isn't the damaged one you described and is a different machine that is the same as the type that Hacklordsniper is buying and that I am considering, I feel a bit better now.

Best regards.

 

[hacklordsniper]

Lathejack, you are correct that machine is completly different. However i have some good news.

This lathe contains splined shaft, possibly some other cheaper manufacturers (there is some) uses keyway shafts. He will send me pictures od headstock soon. I will also recieve comments from engineers what happened with lathe from video, and under what conditions could it happen. Its first time they see something like this.

Also there is more variants of this machine, my type is Heavy industrial engine lathe, and higher pricing reflects some changes that cheaper manufacturers dont have.

Here is a picture of headstock


forum image hosting

Also Gus, thank you for nice comments. The production of machine lasts 60-90 days after recieving deposit + ~35 days on ship + 7 days customs procedures... it can be up to 150 days from order to moving it in. You are free to come to help, we will find some nice fishing cabin for you to sleep over

 

[Lathejack]

Hello Hacklordsniper .

Thanks for the photo of the headstock, it confirms what I thought all along, that they use three spindle bearings and splined shafts. These are some of the reasons why I have been considering one of these industrial spec machines for so long.

My offer to come and help you install your new lathe is wishful thinking on my part, I would if I could but severe commitments at home would prevent me. It would have been good to be there when you unpack it.

The interesting video posted by Gustavus was a bit confusing at first. It seemed to be of his own damaged lathe, but I now see it was not. It looks like the headstock has been damaged after the lathe was dropped or hit by something.

The very sloppy fitting gearbox input shaft is a bit of a worry. The Chinese made Colchester lathe we have at work has exactly the same problem which appeared at an early stage. The problem is that they use plain bushes on this shaft instead of simply using ball race bearings which would last far longer.

All the best.

 

[spinningwheels]

for a Heavy industrial engine lathe, It looks a bit light to me.
How are the bearings getting enough oil.
Maby I´m wrong but i don´t think that it wil last for 50 years.
Here is a pic of my 54 year old meuser headstock, and this is just the smalest lathe they build with just 4 kw.

 

[hacklordsniper]

This is an industrial lathe, but its not a lathe for heavy industrial machining 24/7, for that that is different machines.

You are half wrong, it would surely not last 50 years in 24/7 of heeavy work, but in my hobby shop it will last enough to be used by next generation.

 

[spinningwheels]

I should have wrote it in a other way, sorry for that.
But I´m a bit suprised that a lathe that is sold as a industrial lathe , has the internals like that.
Sure for a hobby shop, or as a training lathe , it is more than enough.
Do you also have pics of the screw cutting gearbox?
In a earlyer reply , it was says that it is a colchester copy, is the colchester the same internal?
I had a colchester student for a lot of years , but that was indeed a student lathe, it did OK but not made to do heavy work.

 

[hacklordsniper]

Hello, unfortunately i dont have internal pictuers of screw cutting gearbox.

I will try to find some

 

[hacklordsniper]

No lathe news until now, it will be finished in one month so pictures to follow. But milling machine is ready and being packed and loaded to boat at end of this week.

 

[hacklordsniper]

Time for some updates... Few weeks ago i got pictures of my 1.5 m way length in factory. I had some concerns about what i did not think, and that is i cant bring inside trough my small door this lathe easily. Also considering my work and i definately tought anyway 1.0 m center distance lathe is much more rigid and better for me. I admit i was carried away by thinking "get the biggest you can" this time, and asked my manufacturer to buy a 1000 mm instead. This wasnt a happy news for them since the machine was allready built, but they did it for me and canceled this order to start building me a new smaller lathe.

Here is the 1500 mm center distance in the works, i wonder where in the world it will be used instead of my home...