This is a long story, and its all about a tool purchase, feel free to stop now.
One day, I find a listing on CL for a Grizzly G0462 Wood Lathe. This is a larger lathe than the one I own now (Rikon midi lathe) and there are a couple of projects I would like to do that are larger. No, its not a Oneway, it doesnt have digital speed controls down to the .10 of an RPM. It doesnt weigh as much as a car, and it doesnt cost as much as a car. Its a basic lathe, just larger than what I have.
replied to the CL post (no phone number was given) and waited.
Later that day while I and the family were running around, I got an email back. I phoned the guy, found out where he was and went to see him.
The lathe didnt look bad, he wanted less than half of the price of new, and he would throw in a bunch of tools, blanks, and parts.
Once I got there, the guy told me the power switch was broken, so he used a power strip to turn it on and off.
No big deal i thought, I can get a new switch.
I turned it on, it ran, a little rough (probably the belt wasnt round anymore) and the speed readout didnt work.
He tells me, yeah I know that doesnt work.
HMMM.
I end up making him an offer less than what he was asking, with a number in my mind of approx what those parts would cost me to repair it.
We haggle a bit and end up coming to an agreement that still gave me room to fix the lathe. We took it apart, put it in my truck and drove it out to the Allin Place and got it setup.
Got on-line with Grizzly on monday and ordered the new switch, the faceplate for the lathe (not in the pieces he gave me) and a belt. Had them on their way, pretty much right on the money with what I thought it would cost to get it going again.
The parts came in that week, I headed out to the hanger that weekend. 1) Installed the switch, no problem, all good. 2) Installed the belt, Hmm, the variable pulley on the motor end doesnt seem to be right, not sure what is going on there. 3) Worked on the speed readout. No clue.
The next week I sent an e-mail to Grizzly Tech Support. I asked them if there was schematics for the readout, let them know I had access to meters and scopes and all kinds of fun stuff.
They sent me back the part # to the whole readout.
Well, I dont want to buy a new readout, because I am not sure that is what it is?
I do some digging on line and find out this readout works by sensing a slot or hole in the shaft as it goes by. so the next time I am out there, I grab a scope and start digging around. I can see the pulse coming from / to the sensor and as the speed changes, the pulse doesnt change.
Well, that tells me its mechanical right?
I proceed to tear down the spindle on the unit. As I take it apart I find:
1) Someone has done this before, bent all the E-clips, and none of them fit right anymore. (no problem, I have plenty of E-Clips)
2) The pulleys on the motor shaft are stuck and do not seperate and come together like they should with belt tension. One was aluminum and one was cast (hmm, why would they be different?) I broke the cast one trying to get it off.
3) Removed the spindle shaft and it was smooth, no notch to be seen for the Speed Counter to read.
I confirmed with Grizzly tech Support that the readout reads a spot on the shaft.
I decided to order a new spindle shaft (obviously this one had been replaced, and with the wrong one) and the pulleys for the Motor shaft also.
Got the parts in, went to assemble the Spindle. Got the bearings on the new shaft ok, went to put the pulley set on the spidle shaft and it wont go on. Get my calipers out, the new spindle is .150 large on the end where the pulleys go on that the old one.
You have got to be freaking kidding me.
Well now I have bearing stuck on the shaft, and the pulleys wont go on. If I had a metal lathe I could turn down the end of the shaft to the right size.
I dont have a metal lathe
Dont think I didnt think about buying one right then.
But I didnt
But dont be surprised.... Yes, I do know which one I want. How silly of you to think otherwise.
I did however, have to go buy a Bearing puller
so the next time out, I decide to take the old shaft, and put the hole in it (Did I mention, I do have a Mill?)
No problem, measured, measured, and measured. Got the hole right the first time out.
Assembled the whole thing back together, including putting the new pulleys on the motor shaft. Got it all back right with all the right parts.
Turned it on
and!
The speed readout still doesnt work!
Now, on the plus side. It runs much smoother now. When you adjust the speed the belt doesnt flop around. And the fast speeds are actually fast now since the belt isnt sloppy.
But it is killing me what is up with that speed readout.
It really is
Now, the lesson in all this.
A Lathe is a simple device (did you know the lathe is the only tool that can actually make itself? I.E. you can use a lathe to make a lathe, no other tool can do that. Bet you didnt know that. See if you have actually made it to this part of this long drawn out saga, you learned something. See how nice I am, I reward you for putting up with this.)
I thought, no problem, whatever is wrong with it I can deal with it.
I was wrong. I have been destroyed, beaten down, Only the corpses of rebels Ashes of dreams And blood stained streets
Hmm, sounds like the lyrcis to a song.
Anyway. I am calling uncle. The lathe is useable. It will be fine for me, and work great for the projects I have slated for it.
But every time I use it, the RPM display with its 0000 staring at me, will remind me....
DD
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