My First Lathe - HF 9" x 20"

[wachuko]

Starting a thread in the correct section after buying my first lathe!! Thank you all for your feedback on the initial thread in the General Section.

Purchased on September 14, 2021

It is a Central Machinery (Harbor Freight) 9" x 20" geared head belt driven, bench lathe. Built in September, 2006.

Paid 500.00 for it with what you see in the photos (Craftsman bench included as well).

Manuals and original purchase receipt included... There was also a printed manual for the Grizzly G4000 (better documentation).

And this, that I am searching to see what it is for...

Everything looks to be in working order and in good condition. I did clean it, took apart the compound, checked the gibs, and cleaned and oiled everything.

Photo looking at the gears for the feed rate...

And a recent photo...

 

[wachuko]

I have a Precision Matthews lathe coming in (I am guessing here) January... Being new to all this, I wanted to practice with something more inexpensive... Finding this lathe, at this price, was great for what I wanted. Also keeps me busy and not thinking about when the PM lathe is arriving... hehehe

The first thing I managed to do was break the half nut lever... made out of pot metal... it just crumbled when I tried to engage the half nut... This is part number P4000711 in the Grizzly G4000 and it is currently on backorder. If I can't get to the circlip that holds it in place, I will have to disassemble that area to get to it for removal.

 

[Steve-F]

Well done! That plate "might" be for mounting a Ball Turning device on it, less the post and the tool itself....best guess

 

[wachuko]

Well done! That plate "might" be for mounting a Ball Turning device on it, less the post and the tool itself....best guess

Yes, maybe that is what is for... I could not find anything in the included parts/accessories, that would bolt to it. Took it apart, got it all cleaned and back together... will see what it is good for.

 

[wachuko]

I do not want to invest much on this... but I do want a quick change tool post for it... Let me do a quick search on what size is the correct one for it.

 

[wachuko]

Have not had it for a day... and all I was doing last night was taking it apart, cleaning, setting the gibs, oiling it... Making sure everything was working smoothly. Man!! and I already want a powered cross slide

 

[Aukai]

I'm glad I had a "practice" lathe before my 1340, the only issue was I got comfortable with the controls, and had to get new muscle memory for the 1340 controls.

 

[wachuko]

I'm glad I had a "practice" lathe before my 1340, the only issue was I got comfortable with the controls, and had to get new muscle memory for the 1340 controls.

I want to learn and shake off the fear of using a lathe... I have to admit that I was intimidated by starting with that 12x36... This smaller lathe will ease the way...

Got an AXA Wedge Type Quick Change Tool Post Set 250-111 from Amazon... should be here tomorrow... I think that will be it in terms of buying stuff for it... Anything else, I will give it a try making it myself...

 

[Aukai]

My first lathe sat for 2 years after break in running, I could not stand next to it comfortably, now I'm OK...

 

[Bi11Hudson]

My machine (the small one) is a Grizzly G-1550. Identical to your's with a 1-1/2X8 spindle nose. A big issue is the drive belts. I use Dixie Bearing as a source, they were all over the country when I was in the service. 5M710 or 5M730, depending on where/when it was built. You need at least one spare, two or three would be better. They're cheap enough and quite useful. . . I ended up acquiring an assortment, the 5M series pulleys are easy to make with a threading tool at a 60 deg V.

I eventually went with an Atlas/Craftsman 12X36 because I was cutting down brake disks to make railroad wheels. (7-1/2 Ga) The Griz was too small to swing the rotors. Other than a full Norton threading gear box and the larger swing, the Griz actually fits what I do better. One adaptation I made was a planetary gear head to fit the power end of the spindle. The ~3:1 gear ratio gives me ~40 RPM on the chuck. My web site is down, the host changed software and many(most) of my pages didn't survive. The article is posted in several locations, I lost the links in a crash a couple-three years back. (My last stroke(6) left my mind a little fuzzy, I couldn't rebuild the site) The only parts acquired were from an old (GM?) automatic transmission.

The HF version is a little more rough than the Grizzly, but makes a very good machine in itself once tuned. Being used, your's may have the tuning done. The only advantages to a larger machine is the larger swing and a couple of powered features. But for smaller work it actually is easier to use. There are a couple of ZAMAK fittings that you would do well to replace with steel or brass. ZAMAK is sensitive to an industrial solvent that still shows up occasionally. CRC Brake Clean being most likely. The base chemical has been outlawed in the States, but derivitives are still used in some applications. Making the threading lever isn't that hard.

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