New to me Dean Smith & Grace 4AV

BPence310

Registered
Registered
Joined
Jun 2, 2022
Messages
19
I just purchased this Dean Smith & Grace 4AV lathe. I don't know much about it buy I know these are supposed to be some of the best lathes made. This one has a 12" Chuck and around 24 inches between centers. It's got a 10HP motor that was originally 480V 3-phase, but the seller had the motor rewired to 220V 3-phase. It comes with a 10HP VFD and some tooling. Everything is solid and smooth. The only issue with the lathe that I can find is that the power feed doesn't work so I'll have to figure that out. I would love to hear your opinions and any information you might have about this lathe. I only gave $1400 for it and to me it feels like a steal. I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and opinions. Thanks!
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20220609_230647983.jpg
    PXL_20220609_230647983.jpg
    590.2 KB · Views: 36
  • PXL_20220609_231030230.jpg
    PXL_20220609_231030230.jpg
    336.2 KB · Views: 30
  • PXL_20220609_231009546.jpg
    PXL_20220609_231009546.jpg
    641.7 KB · Views: 27
  • PXL_20220609_231006441.jpg
    PXL_20220609_231006441.jpg
    601.1 KB · Views: 31
  • PXL_20220609_230921745.jpg
    PXL_20220609_230921745.jpg
    408 KB · Views: 33
  • Screenshot_20220609-231637~2.png
    Screenshot_20220609-231637~2.png
    2.3 MB · Views: 30
  • Screenshot_20220609-231640~2.png
    Screenshot_20220609-231640~2.png
    2.1 MB · Views: 28
  • Screenshot_20220609-231643~2.png
    Screenshot_20220609-231643~2.png
    2.2 MB · Views: 24
  • Screenshot_20220609-231646~2.png
    Screenshot_20220609-231646~2.png
    2.2 MB · Views: 30
Looks like a really nice lathe. I've heard good things about DSGs. Having inch & metric threading is a nice feature, hopefully you got all the gears to go with that. The RPM range is fairly low, you'll want to use mostly HSS cutters. Carbide works better at higher speeds, and modern lathes have a much higher speed range to match. You may be able to use the VFD to get a little extra speed out of it, like 1.5x. 10 HP is a LOT of horsepower if you haven't used a lathe before, so proceed with some extra attention to safety.

Wouldn't hurt to change the oil in the headstock and the apron. Make sure they ways stay lubed, I would guess it has an apron pump but best to keep an eye on such things. Vintagemachinery.org may have some information/publications to match if you didn't get anything for operating/maintenance manuals.
 
Looks to have a built in relieving attachment, that is one heavy toolroom lathe.
 
Look on one of the data plates with change gearing tables for relieving different numbers of teeth, mainly used for making tapered taps and cutters of various types; it appears on the 5th picture. I think that the shaft above the lead screw is the relieving shaft, in use, the shaft would rotate, driving the mechanism in the carriage, causing the compound rest to slide in and out a certain adjustable distance in time with the number of teeth or flutes being worked on. I have personally only ever seen one of these, made by Lodge & Shipley.
 
Very nice machine- pretty much top of the line for hobby use or any kind of use
Congrats!
 
Look on one of the data plates with change gearing tables for relieving different numbers of teeth, mainly used for making tapered taps and cutters of various types; it appears on the 5th picture. I think that the shaft above the lead screw is the relieving shaft, in use, the shaft would rotate, driving the mechanism in the carriage, causing the compound rest to slide in and out a certain adjustable distance in time with the number of teeth or flutes being worked on. I have personally only ever seen one of these, made by Lodge & Shipley.
I'm very interested in this capability but I'm afraid I have a lot to learn about how to take advantage of it. I understand I think about 75% of what you're saying. Do you know of any videos that show how this would work? I'm very much a visual or tactile learner, unless it's a very detailed instruction. It seems like this is as good of a lathe as I thought it was, which I'm glad about especially for the price.
 
Another thing that could be made with the relieving attachment would be hobs.
I actually am very interested in making hobs, so I need to explore this function so I can make them even better. I know I'm going to need a lot of practice, but I want to get to the point where I can make anything, and I think between my Bridgeport and the DSG I am well on my way!
 
Back
Top