7x12 Metal Gears

Zoltan

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If someone has changed both the 7x12 headstock gears hi-lo gears to the metal ones, would you mind telling me how much louder they are than the stock plastic gears?

I'm replacing the spindle hi-lo gear with a metal one, and I'm trying to decide if I should replace the countershaft one with metal as well, or just leave it plastic.
 
They are quite a bit louder than the plastic gears. Grease em and listen to the music they make. Anything wrong and they sing a different tune. So much better than the plastic gears in that you should not have to replace them if you have an oops moment. I never broke one of the gears but I chose to upgrade to angular contact bearings and then tapered roller bearings and all my gears are metal. I'd never go back to plastic. I have not found them to be annoying at all.

Roy
 
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Does anyone know of a metal replacement hand wheel for the carriage? Its the only plastic on my little Sieg C3 and gee chrome would be nice, but whatever. Thanks.
 
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I'm thinking of going to all metal and using a plastic key for the counter shaft belt pulley as a mechanical "fuse" in the lathe transmission.
 
They are quite a bit louder than the plastic gears. Grease em and listen to the music they make. Anything wrong and they sing a different tune. So much better than the plastic gears in that you should not have to replace them if you have an oops moment. I never broke one of the gears but I chose to upgrade to angular contact bearings and then tapered roller bearings and all my gears are metal. I'd never go back to plastic. I have not found them to be annoying at all.

Roy

How often do you need to grease them?
 
How often do you need to grease them?
The change gears get lubed when they look dry on the contact surfaces. Not very often. The internal high low gears get loaded pretty well with grease when I put them in. I'd say every 2 years or so grease them.

Roy
 
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