My own Grizzly DF-1237G setup/restoration thread

[Bamban]

The first projects I made when I got my lathe were a half a dozen fridge magnets for the wife. They were easy, but a good start to turn, bore, and face the workpiece to the sketched dimension. Plus, got a few point with the boss.

 

[TonyBen]

I spent some more time on it this evening. I tore down the cross slide and the compound and scrubbed off the decades old petrified oil.

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Lubed it all up with some way oil and topped off the bearing reservoirs.

I chopped off a smaller section of the bar I turned yesterday and started turning and facing the part. I'll work on turning it down to the tailstock diameter.

Everything except the compound is running real smooth now. Everything is pretty effortless. Everything runs quiet.

The compound is stiff throughout the travel. I adjusted the gibb and it doesn't matter where I put it, it's always stiff at least the last 1/4 of travel. If I get it as smooth as it can be, there's too much slop. I adjusted until I just had no slop at all. I think the gibb insert is warped.

Tony.

 

[BGHansen]

I spent some more time on it this evening. I tore down the cross slide and the compound and scrubbed off the decades old petrified oil.

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Lubed it all up with some way oil and topped off the bearing reservoirs.

I chopped off a smaller section of the bar I turned yesterday and started turning and facing the part. I'll work on turning it down to the tailstock diameter.

Everything except the compound is running real smooth now. Everything is pretty effortless. Everything runs quiet.

The compound is stiff throughout the travel. I adjusted the gibb and it doesn't matter where I put it, it's always stiff at least the last 1/4 of travel. If I get it as smooth as it can be, there's too much slop. I adjusted until I just had no slop at all. I think the gibb insert is warped.

Tony.

Nice job Tony,

Are you thinking of setting the gib on a reference straightedge to check flatness?

Bruce

 

[TonyBen]

Nice job Tony,

Are you thinking of setting the gib on a reference straightedge to check flatness?

Bruce

I think I recall when I put it back together it didn’t sit flush in the dovetail. But yes, I’ll put it on a granite slab.

I turned the piece down to 1.575” just like the tailstock diameter and the chuck sits about 0.020” lower than the tailstock quill. I have to shim the headstock.

Tony.

 

[Dabbler]

Sorry Tony, it doesn't work that way. It might in automobiles, but here's the scoop:

Your headstock is mounted on an area machined to be parallel to the bed and has the greatest contact area possible. this is essential to keeping the bits in rotation (chuck spindle and bearings) as stable and vibration free as possible.. Take it from me, if your head is already in line you just don't want to mess with it... (unless your long term hobby is aligning the headstock - it is pretty tricky on this lathe. experience.)

A little story: when my lathe came from the factory with the factory 3 jaw chuck in it, I grabbed a piece of 2" round Superior Shafting in it. this peice was measured on good equipment and known to be within .0002 from end to end. My runout at 10" was under .0005. After moving my lathe where I foolishly removed the head, using the same bar and toolmaker that had done this dozens of times before, the BEST we could do was to get the 3 Jaw to .012 runout. On the 4 jaw, ;006 runout. This was after dozens of hours of work on it.

If you quill is .020 high (which is way higher than mine) then you have one fairly easy remedy... If you have a mill.be SURE of all you dimensions because there is no easy way of going back... You have to disassemble your tailstock and modify the LOWER portion. This involves stripping it right down, and removing everything that sticks up. You then take it to a mill that is running true, and make cuts on the bottom of the plate that will allow you to put it on parallels, topside up. You then take off the excess but for the last .002 or so. (If your are feeling VERY lucky, you can leave .0015).

Now you have to get out the scraper, and use the surface plate and indicators to get it exact.

If you do it this way, you headstock and tailstock will have full contact and everything will run tight. I know 3 others with this model through forums, and one other in person. None of us is over .004 high, so I worried there might be a measurement error (I make them all the time). Best to check 6 ways past Sunday before proceeding. Mo measurement is foolproof.

 

[TonyBen]

Okay. I’ll get some more measurements. I like your idea better. The method I mentioned was from the factory installation manual.

 

[TonyBen]

So I already have a drop of oil at the chuck side bearing seal. If I replace the bearings and seals, will that throw out any alignment I do now?

How much should I expect to spend on bearings and seals? Anyone have a tutorial on this?

Tony.

 

[Dabbler]

Unless your seals leak, there's no reason to change them... Replacing the bearings with the correct preload will not change the alignment on this lathe... Several guys are waiting for one! Including me!

 

[TonyBen]

Checked it with a height gauge on the cross slide. The tailstock is 0.013” higher than the headstock.

 

[Dabbler]

wow. just wow.

Things to try:
o check again with the tailstock barrel all the way in.
o remove the tailstock and reclean the veeway and the flatway..
o Dissassemble the tailstock and make sure the last guy didn't reassemble it with swarf between the two plates. Also check for a burr in the mating surfaces. Lightly stone the mating surfaces with a flat stone. Reassemble and try again.

Very nice height gauge! envy!