I'm done turning for a while

Same thing happened, twice, to my Grizzly lathe a few years ago. Once was the toolrest and the other time was the banjo. I've had many many things break, strip, and breakdown with that lathe. Just poor quality. I see this same type of problem across their entire line of lathes all the time. It's not just an isolated problem and is the reason I can never recommend a Grizzly lathe until they change their quality and some design issues.

Don't bother with this lathe anymore. Use it as a buffing, sanding station or some other light-duty tool.

- Andrew

When you think about it tool rests are subjected to tremendous loads when a heavy blank is mounted on a lathe and heavy cuts are being made.

I think it is important that we not try to use our lathes beyond their working capacity. This "working capacity" is not always so easy to determine.

However; just because a piece of wood will fit between the centers and spin without bumping the bed doesn't mean the lathe can actually handle that size blank. Listen to your lathe. It will tell you when you are pushing the limits by excessive vibrations or its making strange noises. When it is apparent that you are exceeding your lathes' limits........use slower speeds and lighter cuts.........switch to a smaller blank........or get a heavier lathe.

Barry

Cast iron can be brazed by a local welding shop and your tool rest can be made as good as new if done properly. A reinforcing bar may have to be added on the underside. It wouldn't cost much to give it a try.

Peace ~ Sir Edgar

Understood but I was turning slow (shoot maybe 100 rpm) with light cuts as I was trying to round it. The problem with tthe grizzly is that you have to take light cuts because the motor is so weak. The stand is also so light that any amount of speed with an unballanced object makes the entire thing shake and try and dance. I've used this lathe for about a year and a half and turned a couple pieces each month that I've had it except when Grizzly had the headstock for 2 months to replace the motor.

One of the reasons I've been looking at the Nova is that the Jet and Delta lathes in the $5-800 range turn too fast for turning unballanced pieces of wood. It seems that you have to go to a lathe around the cost of the NOVA DVR to get a slow enough turning speed.

I try my best to trim and shape a blank with either my little electric chain saw or my bandsaw but there is always something left so it is not perfectly round. I would typically work for an hour or more rounding out the chunck before increasing the speed and starting to have fun with it. All the time watching how much of a bight I'm taking because the Grizzly would bolg down too easily

Barry N. Turner wrote:

Sir Edgar wrote: Cast iron can be brazed by a local welding shop and your tool rest can be made as good as new if done properly. A reinforcing bar may have to be added on the underside ^^^^^^^^^^^ Or it can be arc-welded, using nickel rod, very easily. The shape of a tool rest is very forgiving--don't need to worry about preheat and post-cooling. As far as reinforcement is concerned, I would actually rather have my toolrest break than have the handle of my gouge come up undere my chin and smite me.

However, I'm kind of a liar too, because the replacement toolrest I made is solid steel.

Hey, Andrew, you're stealing my line. :) I have to agree, it was just one thing after another on my Grizzly, too. I hate to say sell it, but that is probably the only answer.

If you don't buy another one, take the post to a welder and have a piece of steel welded on to it. It should be as cheap as a new one and it will never break. (Of course, if it can't break, then the banjo will probably go instead!

Earl

I was thinking just the same, actually. I'm still a very new turner, and I really seriously suck at this, but I haven't been able to faze that stout little sucker with any of my many mishaps.

I don't have a chainsaw or bandsaw, so the most reasonable way I have to true something up is to stick it on the lathe and whack at it until it's round. I haven't lost anything since that first day. It can spin incredibly out of balance hunks of wood while vibrating many times less than my bench grinder.

I do have about 80 pounds of counterweight on the bottom of the lathe stand, to lower the center of gravity and make it less tippy, but it doesn't feel like it needs anything more.

The only bad thing IMHO about this lathe is that I will never be happy with a full-sized lathe that isn't up to the same level of quality, and that means something spendy.

So true... the problem is that some manufacturerers make lathes that look like they are indestructible. And many of us didn't/don't know enough to know the difference. Unfortunately for every one of us that discovers great lists like this, there must be 1000's out there that buy blind.

Even after reading books,until I began taking classes I didn't understand what a light cut was. I thought I was taking light cuts but because I was holding the tools wrong they wouldn't cut properly, so I would increase pressure, etc., etc. Some of the catches I had probably would have destroyed a Nova or One-Way!

So you give good advice. I hope all the other newbies like me listen.

Earl

No refutation of what you are saying, Barry, but I can tell you this, with my Jet mini, those dimensions >do< describe the working capacity of the lathe. I've never been able to put a piece of wood on there that it wouldn't turn, and the only thing that has ever broken, (and believe me, I've had the MOTHER of all catches before) has been the set screw knob for the quill, which I replaced with a plain piece of

1/4-20 threaded rod with a knob. Quality >is< a factor, IMO.

-- Chuck *#:^) chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply. <

September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

I just remembered something else that might be worth mentioning. I broke a cast iron toolrest on one of my earlier lathes, and welded it together at a

135 degree angle, to make it more useful around or inside. Looking down on it: __/

Grizz tools the school bought with a grant have all suffered from poorly annealed castings. They break, and the crystal size is enormous, where fine is considered best. Company is willing to send spares, but they usually have to be flattened, cleaned of flashing, or some compensation made for their own poor beginnings.

Ol' Blue, my Delta 46-204, has a lowest uncountershafted speed of ~500, and a capacity of 12" over the bed. Fortunately he is also belt driven, and when roughing a lumpy blank, I can slow him down by keeping the tool in contact with as much wood as possible.

I do not cut with the nose of the gouge up, however, but running along the toolrest toward the tailstock. That way my bevel can really rub what's fresh cut, slowing the whole thing down, versus bumping and jumping and possibly tipping in for a catch.

I also move the toolrest in toward the work several times on the average turning to lessen the piece's leverage.

Well, that should be slow enough. The tool rest probably had a weak spot in the casting. Grizzly has some great prices, but not the best machinery. I have a Jet Mini that I have been very pleased with. The Jet 1642 generally gets good reviews and has lower speeds, but is in about the same price range as the Nova. It sounds like you may have outgrown your lathe.

Barry

I haven't broken any tool rests yet, but I've had some spectacular catches. World class, actually.

Barry

Quality is always an issue, especially when it is lacking. I have one of those little workhorses (Jet Mini) myself and it will usually turn whatever you can fit between the centers. I have had some larger pieces of green oak on mine that were definitely taxing the limits of my lathe. I didn't break anything, but I finally gave up on one bowl that was about 9" in diameter and 6" to 7" deep. It was just too tough and hard to cut.

Barry

I agree. You can undoubtedly find a better lathe............but its gonna cost ya.................Barry

Guess what? I have never bolted mine down either. The Jet Mini is an exceptional lathe, especially for the money. Its on sale right now for $199. I gave $349 for mine and consider it one of the world's greatest values.

Barry

I've been smitten too. My right temple.........by a tool handle and leaving a 1/2" X 1/4" deep cut beside my right eye.

Barry