Looking for a lathe...
- Thread starter Tekno_Cowboy
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Tekno_Cowboy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Well as it turns out I've been a licensed electrician for almost 20 years now, so I'll give you the quick answer.
You need a 20A breaker, connected with 12 gauge wire, connected to an receptacle that is rated for 20A. You'll know for sure that the receptacle is rated for twenty amps if the "neutral slot" looks like a sideways "T". Here:
http://www.fruitridgetools.com/stor...aspx?sfid=136763&i=244370776&mpid=8171&dfid=1
The receptacle will only be rated for 15A if the outlet looks like this:
http://www.fruitridgetools.com/stor...temDetail.aspx?sfid=136763&i=192687956&c=7735
Longer version.... The nameplate rating on my lathe says that it draws 16A. For the lathe to operate at "continuous duty", (which means that it might run at full load 100% of the time for three hours straight) you need to de-rate the circuit ampacity (20A) by 80%. 20A*.8=16A which works out perfect. In other words, a dedicated 20A breaker is exactly what you want to hook the lathe up to, no more, no less.
Craig
EDIT: I just saw that precisionworks beat me to it. He is right on the money. The only thing I added of any value is to make sure you buy a receptacle rated for 20 Amps to hook up to the new circuit.
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That's a perfect example of how a well meaning person thinking, more power is better, can cost themselves a bunch of money. It's a good thing the repairman pointed that out for you guys.
Craig
Tekno_Cowboy
Flashlight Enthusiast
This was exactly the piece of info I needed :Happy14:
My grandpa has been an electrician for over 40 years now. He's been teaching me the basics since I was about 5 😀
Thanks precisionworks and choffman!
That should be helpful info for anyone wanting to use one of these lathes.
precisionworks
Flashaholic
There are lots of people who think a fuse (or a MCCB) is designed for motor protection. NOT!
Conductor protection is the only function of a fuse or MCCB. This is well covered in the NEC (National Electrical Code), as it has been for close to 100 years. Motor protection is a separate function that can be handled many different ways:
Fuses in the motor wiring circuit (inexpensive)
Magnetic motor starter with heaters sized for the motor load (seen often in commercial machinery)
Solid state overloads, which replace the heaters & bimetal switches with current sensing devices, so they are longer lasting.
Here's one source I've used for small fuses & fuse holders, and for machine mounted MCCBs:
http://www.factorymation.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.17070/.f
They also have a nice selection of overloads at decent prices:
http://www.factorymation.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.11600/.f
You really need to consider adding some type of motor protection. Motors can & will kill themselves long before a 20a breaker even knows there's a
problem🙁
Conductor protection is the only function of a fuse or MCCB. This is well covered in the NEC (National Electrical Code), as it has been for close to 100 years. Motor protection is a separate function that can be handled many different ways:
Fuses in the motor wiring circuit (inexpensive)
Magnetic motor starter with heaters sized for the motor load (seen often in commercial machinery)
Solid state overloads, which replace the heaters & bimetal switches with current sensing devices, so they are longer lasting.
Here's one source I've used for small fuses & fuse holders, and for machine mounted MCCBs:
http://www.factorymation.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.17070/.f
They also have a nice selection of overloads at decent prices:
http://www.factorymation.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.11600/.f
You really need to consider adding some type of motor protection. Motors can & will kill themselves long before a 20a breaker even knows there's a
problem🙁
LLCoolBeans
Flashlight Enthusiast
Question...
Today's project is getting the 8x12 mounted, cleaned and lubed.
Any tips on this? What exactly needs to be cleaned? Everything? How far do I need to dissasemble it to clean it properly? Completely disassembled?
What solvent or degreaser do you recommend for removing the ChiComsmoline? Break cleaner? Alcohol? Soap and water? Simple green?
And lube? What sort of oil and grease should I be using?
Today's project is getting the 8x12 mounted, cleaned and lubed.
Any tips on this? What exactly needs to be cleaned? Everything? How far do I need to dissasemble it to clean it properly? Completely disassembled?
What solvent or degreaser do you recommend for removing the ChiComsmoline? Break cleaner? Alcohol? Soap and water? Simple green?
And lube? What sort of oil and grease should I be using?
precisionworks
Flashaholic
Brake cleaner is always a good choice for unknown grease, but be careful around painted surfaces as some paints will dissolve easily. Castrol Super Clean is a good 'soaking' cleaner, but is caustic & will eat away or dissolve aluminum parts.
I would suggest being very careful with brake clean--it is very toxic and will strip paint of pretty quickly too!! I have a friend who was partially paralysed from the waist down after over use of brake clean-it took months for him to recover!!
The much maligned WD40 seems to work well at cleaning my 8x14 off.
The much maligned WD40 seems to work well at cleaning my 8x14 off.
The best description I have found for dismantling these lathes is this:
http://www.fignoggle.com/machines/8x12lathe/howTo.htm
http://www.fignoggle.com/machines/8x12lathe/howTo.htm
LLCoolBeans
Flashlight Enthusiast
Got it all mounted, cleaned and lubed.
I ended up using Greased Lightning, which is a water based degreaser similar to simple green or super clean. I found it works better than Simple Green, maybe not quite as good as Super Clean, but it's not nearly as fumy so I like it better.
The manual is terrible. I thought the manual for my mini mill was bad, this one takes the suck to a whole new level. Does lathemaster offer manuals for the 8x14? I wonder if theirs is any better. I eventually figured out how to switch gears for different feed rates.
Stock tool holder is a joke. Man am I glad I ordered the quick change tool post. I thought the quick change tool post was a luxury, as it turns out it's an absolute necessity. The stock tool holder has no mechanism for centering the tool bit. You have to actually stack shims underneath the tool bit to achieve center.
There was a problem with my threading indicator. The dial was not concentric with it's shaft and it was rubbing badly on the housing. This was causing the gear to slip threads on the lead screw, among other problems. Luckily that was easy to fix, now that I have a lathe.
Chucked it up in the 4-Jaw, centered off the shaft and shaved about 5-10 thou off the OD of the dial, just until there was no more interrupted cut and both shaft and dial were concentric. Works perfectly now.
I ended up using Greased Lightning, which is a water based degreaser similar to simple green or super clean. I found it works better than Simple Green, maybe not quite as good as Super Clean, but it's not nearly as fumy so I like it better.
The manual is terrible. I thought the manual for my mini mill was bad, this one takes the suck to a whole new level. Does lathemaster offer manuals for the 8x14? I wonder if theirs is any better. I eventually figured out how to switch gears for different feed rates.
Stock tool holder is a joke. Man am I glad I ordered the quick change tool post. I thought the quick change tool post was a luxury, as it turns out it's an absolute necessity. The stock tool holder has no mechanism for centering the tool bit. You have to actually stack shims underneath the tool bit to achieve center.
There was a problem with my threading indicator. The dial was not concentric with it's shaft and it was rubbing badly on the housing. This was causing the gear to slip threads on the lead screw, among other problems. Luckily that was easy to fix, now that I have a lathe.
Chucked it up in the 4-Jaw, centered off the shaft and shaved about 5-10 thou off the OD of the dial, just until there was no more interrupted cut and both shaft and dial were concentric. Works perfectly now.
StrikerDown
Enlightened
Make sure you wipe down the bare metal with a light coat of oil right away after cleaning up your new toy!
The only problem using a water based degreaser is that you are putting water on bare metal (Cast Iron) and since water based degreasers are often quite effective at, well, degreasing, you will be leaving the metal wet and exposed to the air. Air and water on iron = rust if you do not oil the surface pretty soon after degreasing.
Some iron if damp with no oil or grease protecting them will begin to oxidize immediately and over night they will be quite orange with rust (oxidation):devil:
Where are the pictures? 🙂
The only problem using a water based degreaser is that you are putting water on bare metal (Cast Iron) and since water based degreasers are often quite effective at, well, degreasing, you will be leaving the metal wet and exposed to the air. Air and water on iron = rust if you do not oil the surface pretty soon after degreasing.
Some iron if damp with no oil or grease protecting them will begin to oxidize immediately and over night they will be quite orange with rust (oxidation):devil:
Where are the pictures? 🙂
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Be careful with Greased Lightning - It will remove the anodize on any aluminum. Simple Green will not.
I use a small paint brush and brush on Kerosene to clean up - that leaves a thin oil covering.
If the machine is similar to a Grizzly machine, you can go to their web site and download their manual ( PDF File )
I use a small paint brush and brush on Kerosene to clean up - that leaves a thin oil covering.
If the machine is similar to a Grizzly machine, you can go to their web site and download their manual ( PDF File )
65535
Flashlight Enthusiast
I would degrease then hit the area with alcohol or acetone, then grease immediately, mineral oil works well for a quick and dirty anti rust coat. But for use a stronger lube is better.
Luckily that was easy to fix, now that I have a lathe.
+1 - It is cool to have a tool that can help with fixing things, even if it is the lathe itself 😉
Will
LLCoolBeans
Flashlight Enthusiast
I rinsed and oiled everything the greased lightning touched. Relax.
LLCoolBeans
Flashlight Enthusiast
I can't find my 60degree center gauge. I'm sure I have one and it's somewhere in this house, but I'm not finding it. Dang, I could have easily ordered one last week. If I had realized it was missing yesterday, I could have even procured one in town. Now that it's Sunday, I'm sort of dead in the water. Dang. Where is that thing?!
LLCoolBeans
Flashlight Enthusiast
Striker, here's the photos...
StrikerDown
Enlightened
That looks Cool Beans!
The QCTP is so much nicer than the turret. Mine was a PITA to get the tool shimmed to center.
Looks like the chip pan is perfect also!
Have fun!
The QCTP is so much nicer than the turret. Mine was a PITA to get the tool shimmed to center.
Looks like the chip pan is perfect also!
Have fun!
