Novice New To Machining

It is a China 420V, 1390 RPM, 3PHASE, 1HP type Y 802-4 induction motor.
 
Hi Rezwan,

So it sound like you have paid for a lathe and they offered you this one.
If you turn it on, then you own it.
If you refuse it (due to surface rust and lack of manuals), then they will replace it with something else.
Is that right?

That's a tough choice not being able to turn a lathe on before buying.

That one looks fairly new (other than surface rust) so I doubt the wear is very bad.
Here's a few things you can do without power:
My favourite test for bed wear is to simply to move the carriage to near the headstock, tighten down the carriage locks so the carriage just moves, then try to move the carriage from one end to the other. Typically bed wear is worst near the headstock. However, surface rust may prevent this test from being useful....
For headstock bearing wear try lifting the spindle nose and listen then try moving it in a circle.
Ideally a dial indicator on a magnetic base can be used to measure spindle movement.

Here's a couple link to evaluating lathes:
http://www.mermac.com/advicenew.html
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/a-guide-for-selecting-the-right-lathe-for-beginners.25915/

I wish you all the best luck in this!
Please let us know how it goes.
-brino
 
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As soon as I am able to get to my lathe, I will clean it properly (I hope I can) and as there is no expert around me I will post picture of every part to determine the quality of it.

Let me clear this out, I have paid for a new lathe which comes with few accessories (steady,follow,dead and live centre,a tool bit,a very low quality varnier calliper,some wrenches,forward reverse switch of very low quality), no manual, no chuck and no motor.
I do test/run the lathe after confirming purchase and surprisingly it runs very well and quiet.

How bad is the rust/damage? (it was fresh and shiney when I purchase 6 months ago no rust)
I put my lathe in a place which a little far away from my home due to electricity and accommodation.

just because it is belt driven, does it mean I have less worry determining proper cutting speed?

Correct me if I am wrong.
Thanks

Edit: is it alright to edit previous post? Am I posting correctly?
 
It is likely just surface rust & can be wiped off. However it will stain but other then that it shouldn't effect it. Kerosene works well with a rag to wipe surface rust off.

The company seems quite rude. I wouldn't suggest them. Seems they would want to supply a manual.

With that long belt I wouldn't leave it tight & not run it for months at a time. It will cause vibrations.
 
Hi Rezwan,

I hope things are going well.

You have accidentally discovered some surfaces on your lathe that need to be protected. There are a few threads here on preparing machines for storage:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/storing-machines-outside.37892/
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/protecting-infrequently-used-tools-from-rusting.35534/

You'll need to figure out what makes sense for you in terms of storage length, being able to use it occasionally, weather conditions and product availability.

In case you have not found it there are some good references in the downloads section here. One of my favourites is the South Bend "How to Run a Lathe". Many different editions have been published. Don't worry most of it is NOT specific to South Bend lathes, it covers measuring, marking, tool bit types, sharpening, accessories, boring, cutting tapers, cutting threads, etc. I have found it very useful.

You can find a copy here:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/resources/how-to-run-a-lathe.4/

Rezwan said:
just because it is belt driven, does it mean I have less worry determining proper cutting speed?
Click to expand...

Belt slippage can be a good thing to save you when you make a mistake (a "crash" like feeding the tool-post or carriage into the chuck), but I try not to rely on it. I do sometimes loosen the belt if I'm doing something a little scary. Too much belt slippage and you will not get the power you need to make the cut, and you will wear-out the belt faster.

See page 50 of the South Bend book linked above for help determining cutting speeds.

-brino
 
it has vee'd ways ? thats somewhat of a good thing. as been said, get a small stick of plastic water drain pipe, put it in the chuck and even a sharp screwdriver in the tool holder would give you an idea if it would work. you do need to get the lathe book copy that has also been offered by someone above. this is not rocket science, you just need to use common sense. what country / continent are you on ??? your english is quite good.
i forgot to say, the blue paint inside the castings usually means they are trying carefully to contain the dust that usually appears after machining all the holes for shafts and bearings. Mercedees Benz does the same thing to their diesel engine blocks inside. . . its a good practice from a manufacturer
 
Dear all, thank you very much for your reply. Specially, @brino , @Steve Shannon , @TommyD I cannot thank you enough.

I am afraid I may have to keep this machine (still wants to replace it and the local shop suggest me a new Chinese gear head lathe which is around $4000. They also convince me that the lathe which I have purchase is genuine Pakistani and it is far better than similar local $1200 or Indian $1000-$2000 new machines.

I believe a gear head lathe will be difficult (and expensive as well) for me.
How about a Indian lathe?
I do not wish to buy a used branded lathe (I know they are thousandth times better) because I will end up with a branded faulty machine. (Trust me the local shop will con me. and here they sell used machine 'as it is condition' so it is not always possible to check/verify everything even if I have an expert with me).
Feel free to tell me anything.

Currently, as I am not able to get to my lathe; I have downloaded every machining/metalworking PDF book available (freely) through internet. I find it very helpful for me. And I intend to share those documents here.

Thanks,Rezwan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
 
Not all bad Rezwan. Hopefully you are able to use this lathe to earn the money to upgrade to the Chinese lathe.
 
Rezwan,
I still believe that you really don't know how good or bad the lathe you now own is. The absence of a serial number might not be meaningful. Some machine tool manufacturers build the same machine under contract to several companies. If the specifications requires a serial number, one is added, but otherwise it's just added expense. Pakistan is known for cottage industries involving machine tools. In an earlier post you attached several pictures of lathes of different names, that appeared to be clones of the one you have, so it's obvious that it's a common design. That may mean easy access to parts. Find a dealer for some of those and see if you can get a manual. In any case, until you know how to run a lathe you probably shouldn't go shopping for another.
What do you intend to do with a lathe? What level of precision does that require? Can you find someone in Bangladesh who can mentor you? Are there trade schools or machine shops where you could apprentice?


Steve Shannon, P.E.
 
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