my new grizzly 13 by 40 dro

desi2960

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
we picked it up at the show room, 175 mile round trip. had a well drilling buddy lift it off trailer and set it on dollys, got it into garage.

now i just need to figure out how to get it unpacked and move it into the next room
 
Very nice lathes, guys.
Still, it strikes me as odd that something so heavy should be labeled "Fragile" :confused: I mean, I know they are, but just sayin' it takes a minute or two to get the two words together in my brain.
My 2 cents,
Gary
 
Since you haven't used it yet, see if they will let you do an upgrade/exchange for a 6-jaw chuck.
Very nice lathe BTW. Much more than I would ever need. Good Luck.

KJ
 
3 jaw and 4 jaw

The lathe came with a 3 jaw and 4 jaw what is the advantage of the 6 jaw?
 
The lathe came with a 3 jaw and 4 jaw what is the advantage of the 6 jaw?

The 6-jaw will have more grip on small parts .
And if you get a Set-Tru chuck, you can dial it in down to less than .001" TIR.
I have a 4-jaw aluminum rear chuck on both of my metal lathes too.
Can't live w/out them.
Nice lathe.
Have fun cleaning out the cosmoline .:D
 
The lathe came with a 3 jaw and 4 jaw what is the advantage of the 6 jaw?

Very nice Lathe, you need to improve it though.

I hate to rain on your parade but the 3 Jaw Chuck is best used as a

BOAT ANCHOR.

IF you were ever a Machinist, you already know this, a Woodworker may not know this, I have no clue of your expertise buy you just quoted the fact that you have a 3 Jaw Chuck, I will ask one simple question and your answer will tell me a lot.

WHAT IS THE RUNOUT WITH IT?

Next up? THROW OUT THE LIVE CENTER, you have at least .005" in slop, use the Dead Center with one drop of the right oil or spend a hundred dollars on a good one.

Learn to deal with the fact that the Tailstock on Chinese Lathes ARE FACTORY SET A FEW THOUSANDS HIGH and it's really no big deal when properly utilized.

You have already been told about the same 6 Jaw Chuck that I have and it's nothing to do with it's ability to hold the material, it's all about accuracy, it has 4 micro adjusters so you can dial in the setting to be measurable in the ten thousands of an inch. You will spend plenty on the Backer Plate for it as well, then when you put it on and face it, you will not be able to find one ten thousands of one inch of inaccuracy, then mount the Chuck to it.

Thanks,,,,,,
 
thanks to all

i have zero experience with a metal lathe, and all help is welcomed. i think the dro will help me keep an eye on the run out if i ever learn to use the lathe.
before i use the 3 or 4 jaws i will see if i can do some type of swap out with grizzly for the 6
right now my biggest problem is getting the damn thing off the pallet [ wood frame ] and getting it into my shop.
 
A rolling cherry picker like they use to pull car engines is just what you need now to get it off the pallet and set in place.
 
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Read your manual well,and look on Youtube because there are several guys that do videos on theirs.

One thing you want to make SURE you don't do is confuse the feed lever with the half-nut lever.

Depending on how your gearbox is set,this may cause an uncontrollable feed rate and if that happens,an unstoppable crash will ensue unless it has a foot-brake and even that might not be enough to stop it.

Depending on where you are standing,you'll get hurt unless you are wearing armor,and invariably crap yourself.

I saw a guy in shop school do this,and luckily no one was hurt,but he damaged the machine and earned the nickname Sparky. Tommy D.
 
Nice lathe. You won't regret getting the six jaw chuck or a rear aluminum four jaw, and of course the DRO. You're going to be a happy camper :)

Mario
 
i have zero experience with a metal lathe, and all help is welcomed. i think the dro will help me keep an eye on the run out if i ever learn to use the lathe.
before i use the 3 or 4 jaws i will see if i can do some type of swap out with grizzly for the 6
right now my biggest problem is getting the damn thing off the pallet [ wood frame ] and getting it into my shop.

Wow, that is quite a purchase for not knowing anything about it. Do you have a friend who can help you set it up and check it out? They are not always perfect right out of the box.

You will also need to install an outboard chuck. It may take a little ingenuity to see how you can do it but it is kind of a must to work on cues. It makes it so easy.
 
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Once off the cart and in it's semi-permanent location you'll want to level it; accurately.
Given that Grizzly has labeled it a "GunSmith Lathe", you'll likely find it's tolerance levels quite good.
They have to meet tight specs to receive that designation.

I suggested the 6-jaw chuck because they hold better than anything else save a collet.
The ultra cheap ones do not have centering adjustments, the better ones do.
Since you appear to be going 1st-class, I thought I'd suggest a tooling choice to complement.
You may at some point consider a VFD.
That should give you variable-spd at the touch of a dial and without changing gears.
Your DRO won't tell you much about run-out. Their function is X&Y, width & length.

All in all, you've chosen a hi-quality machine that will serve you well for the rest of your life,
.....and then some.

KJ
 
Once off the cart and in it's semi-permanent location you'll want to level it; accurately.
Given that Grizzly has labeled it a "GunSmith Lathe", you'll likely find it's tolerance levels quite good.
They have to meet tight specs to receive that designation.

I suggested the 6-jaw chuck because they hold better than anything else save a collet.
The ultra cheap ones do not have centering adjustments, the better ones do.
Since you appear to be going 1st-class, I thought I'd suggest a tooling choice to complement.
You may at some point consider a VFD.
That should give you variable-spd at the touch of a dial and without changing gears.
Your DRO won't tell you much about run-out. Their function is X&Y, width & length.

All in all, you've chosen a hi-quality machine that will serve you well for the rest of your life,
.....and then some.

KJ

He can't use a VFD unless the motor is 3 phase.
 
i have zero experience with a metal lathe, and all help is welcomed. i think the dro will help me keep an eye on the run out if i ever learn to use the lathe.
before i use the 3 or 4 jaws i will see if i can do some type of swap out with grizzly for the 6
right now my biggest problem is getting the damn thing off the pallet [ wood frame ] and getting it into my shop.

CueMan took care of you, He deserves a big Thanks.

Don't turn it on in any speed other than the 350RPM range until you get used to it.

Get a Dial Indicator with the magnetic base and set it up. Take your 4 Jaw Chuck and insert a piece of Steel or Aluminum, a Precision Rod is nice but for now use the best rounded material you have. Then center it in the 4 jaw so that it's not even one thousands out of round, you will know when it's perfectly centered.

Now try it with the 3 jaw and you will begin to see that the 3 jaw really is a raft anchor, not big enough for some boats.

Then you will also know how to center your new set rite micro adjustable 6 jaw chuck with a better understanding.

Here is what happens to people who use these lathes out of the box,

Take the butt sleeve, say three inches, you drill then bore your hole, then you face the front side, it's 90 degrees to your bore, then you flip it to face the other end, it WILL NOT BE 90 DEGREES to the bore.

When you have multiple end facings all making the cue, you will glue it all together and put it on the lathe, it would wobble really bad. A DUMMY WILL SAY, that's why it's on a lathe, to straighten it all out.

COMPOUNDED PROBLEM DEFINED, you now have your lathe spinning the last turn, you think it's looking great BUT THE A JOINT IS SO FAR OFF CENTER THAT IT WILL NOW SHOW YOUR LIVE CENTER WEEKNESS, the wobble that you won't see until you put your new Dial Indicator on it and see it by pushing your finger against the point of the live center, you will see up to .005" in slop and it will screw up the entire cue.


THANK AZ BILLIARDS big time for the fact that you have people willing to help you along, I can tell you have a great ability to do it right and to listen.

Thanks again, Dave.
 
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Fwiw, I like to bolt down my big lathes.
Shim em then bolt them down.
Sure cuts down vibrations.
 
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