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Redesign of my Grizzly G4000 9" X 19" lathe

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Bernd:
Here's a design project that has been on the books, in other words in the back of my mind, for some time. When I got the Grizzly lathe, G4000 9" X 19", about 10 years ago, I figured I would be all set to do some turning. Unfortunately back then the quality of their machines is not what it is today. There were and still are a lot of things wrong with it. I fixed a few things and the other I did without until I got my 10" Logan lathe.

For one thing threading on the Grizzly was a nightmare. It just won't single point a thread no matter how hard I tried. So I gave up on cutting threads single point and used only dies. I fixed some binding in the controls on the apron and made some new bushings for the gears.

Now that I've gotten back into home shop machining and having several more accurate tools to work with, in each, the Logan lathe and the Bridgeport mill, I plan on someday in the future to turn the lathe into a multifunctional machine. By that I mean I would like to turn it into a line boring machine because of it's table with the slots in it. I also want to be able to index the spindle and have a cutting head located on the cross slide to do that. I discovered that the Sherline headstock can be bolted to the cross slide on a home made plate that gets bolted to the cross slide.

The other change I want to make is to put a variable DC speed drive on the machine and possibly a DC drive on the carriage. This would work great since I won't be cutting threads via the single point method. I could get rid of the noisy gears.

First is a picture of the G4000  9" X 19" lathe.


And here is the donor tread mill for the DC drive.


And here are the parts. From left to right: the control board, the speed control (long skinny green board), the safety switch (red and black), a incline motor (used to incline the tread mill so walk up hill. It's an AC reversible motor with gear rack),
The main power and motor control board, and finally the motor it's self, the motor is 6800RPM 2HP motor.



So the above is the plan of what I want to do. I have no time line as to when I think I'll have it done, after all it took one year to get the tread mill drive unit. I had originally brought the tread mill home from the transfer station. A guy was throwing it away because his wife said it won't work with her on it. He said that it ran. All I did was spray some silicone lube on the running belt and it worked fine. Then the wife was having problems keeping it going. She got sick of looking at it so this past Saturday I murdered the mill and kept the appropriate parts.

So I'm thinking my next large project after the index head will be the Grizzly lathe. It will be done in small increments or when the spirit moves me. There are also a few small projects planned in between the work on the lathe. Along with a veggie garden that will need attending soon and the brick laying that will start up again. I just hope it rains a lot because that'll give me an excuse to work in the shop. :clap:

Regards,
Bernd

sbwhart:
Looking forward to seeing the lathe asimulated  :borg:

Stew

Darren:
Me too, I'd like to see how you get on with that motor  :thumbup:

bogstandard:
Bernd,

Seing as to how you are making a very versatile machine out of it, maybe contemplate fitting a grinding head on there as well.

I see LMS have a couple of very reasonably priced toolpost grinders that would fit the bill nicely.

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_search.php?critFast=tool+post+grinder&B1=Product+Search

They are not overly large, and with a couple of micrometer heads fitted to a home made carriage you could get super accurate finishes and sizes.

John

sbwhart:

--- Quote from: bogstandard on March 29, 2009, 11:36:41 PM ---Bernd,

Seing as to how you are making a very versatile machine out of it, maybe contemplate fitting a grinding head on there as well.

I see LMS have a couple of very reasonably priced toolpost grinders that would fit the bill nicely.

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_search.php?critFast=tool+post+grinder&B1=Product+Search

They are not overly large, and with a couple of micrometer heads fitted to a home made carriage you could get super accurate finishes and sizes.

John

--- End quote ---

 :offtopic:

Ho John now I know what I want for Christmas I've been lusting after one of them after watching you use one, very handy bit of kit, I take it they will deliver to the UK.

Cheers

Stew

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