Help Me Pick Lathe, Grizzly G4003g Or Baliegh 13x40

I use the CNMG 80 degree diamonds for almost everything. The 35 degree diamonds are useful if you are profiling really tight corners.

Only time I use a left hand bit is for turning to the right up against a shoulder.

I generally keep my bits perpendicular to the workpiece. The tooling manufacturer has spent a lot of money coming up with optimum shapes for their tool bits, and I am not going to improve their cutting ability by randomly angling it 15 or 20 degrees off of perpendicular. Think about a cnc machine... the tooling is always perpendicular 9or inline) with the workpiece.... no other choices. The only exception to this rule is maybe a unique cutting geometry results in having to come in at an angle to get the shape I need (like putting a bevel on a workpiece where the compound doesn't feed right to get it done).

HSS btw (High Speed Steel), not HHS.

For carbide, make sure you are using the right grade/finish. Get some really sharp CCMT/CCGT inserts for cutting aluminum, save the CNMG TiN inserts for steel.
 
Thanks for the reply about the tool bits.

About the thread dial indicator - It is marked 1, 2, 3, 4, with marks half way in between.
The chart for different thread pitches shows:
1
1 & 3
1 - 4
1 - 8

Whats with the 8, since there is no 8 on the indicator?
Does 1 - 4 mean 1, 2, 3, or 4?

The leadscrew is 8TPI. Ther are 24 teeth on the indicator gear.
By the way, the brass teeth in the indicator are rounded out, like maybe it was pushed in too tight into the lead screw? I am assuming the teeth were square when new?
The manual says unmesh it when not in use, but I guess it has always been meshed (4 years). Should I order a new brass gear or not worry about it?

Thanks, Joe
 
Whats with the 8, since there is no 8 on the indicator?
Mesh at any position, numbered or unnumbered.
Does 1 - 4 mean 1, 2, 3, or 4?
Yes
By the way, the brass teeth in the indicator are rounded out... Should I order a new brass gear or not worry about it
Don't worry about it. The half nut will only engage at the right spot, so a little slop in the thread dial will have absolutely no effect.
 
Thanks for the answer about the thread dial.

The manual is clear about some of the levers to not move while the machine is running.

How about the feed/lead screw right, neutral, left direction lever?
Feed axis selector (carraige, neutral, cross slide)?

Joe
 
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