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Tool rest tightening screw on various 18-47 lathes

Mike Brazeau

Mike Brazeau

Joined
Jun 1, 2006
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Location
Freelton, ON
Over at Canadian Woodworking there is a recent thread about problems with either the thread in the banjo casting or the fastener stripping on the Busy Bee CT 128. http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?37408-CT128-Tool-Rest-Tightening-Screw
Are others finding the same isues on Laguna, Grizzly etc? These are people that only have been using the lathe as a hobby tool for a year to less than two years. Seems to be a serious issue on an otherwise decent value lathe.
 
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slam & bang, reach and wrench

Mike Brazeau said:
Over at Canadian Woodworking there is a recent thread about problems with either the thread in the banjo casting or the fastener stripping on the Busy Bee CT 128. http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?37408-CT128-Tool-Rest-Tightening-Screw
Are others finding the same isues on Laguna, Grizzly etc? These are people that only have been using the lathe as a hobby tool for a year to less than two years. Seems to be a serious issue on an otherwise decent value lathe.
Click to expand...

Mike,

I have the Grizzly G0698, and have not had the first issue at all with my banjo, or the locking screw that locks the toolrest in the banjo. I have not personally seen the machining on the CT 128, but on my G0698, it is fine.

I am not saying that everyone does this........but........some guys are of the "slam & bang" technique 😱 in their handling of their machinery. For example, I heard about a couple of guys who stripped out their ratchet handles on the banjo, and I know that once in a while, an inspection should be done to make sure the screw is tight on the head, so as to not strip the teeth inside, and a feel for the teeth being seated inside the socket, as well.
One can tell if they are engage correctly if they will pay attention and not just "grab and jerk' on the handle.

Some just "reach and wrench" 😱 without regard to any "feel" for what is happening in the motion. An extra second of thought and feel can avoid strip-outs and replacement and repair.

All that being said, again, I have not had a single problem with my G0698 to date, and that is over a year. 🙂
 
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Gibson makes a good Banjo also 🙂

It's my impression from reading all the different news groups and my experiences working on other peoples lathes that the biggest difference in the brand name lathes and then no name lathes is the little things. The switches go bad, the bearings wear out sooner. threads strip easily and casting break. I know we all try to save money and work on a budget. I hate the term you get what you pay for because there are things that are overpriced. However when it comes to lathes I think it applies.
 
It may be the screw threads rather than the tapped hole in the cast iron -- or both. There are several different clearance sizes for each screw diameter and pitch depending on how snug a fit is desired. It sounds like the manufacturer went for the loosest fit (which also means the cheapest screw because of looser tolerances). The simple solution to this problem is to install Helicoils into the toolrest post locking hole on the banjo. This requires drilling out to a slightly larger size and tapping with a special Helicoil tap. The Helicoil inserts are much more durable than the cast iron. If you have ever lubricated this threaded hole with WD-40 or anything else, that may be the cause of the failure because it allows over-torquing that puts excess load on the threads and causes them to shear off. Thoroughly remove all lubricant from the mating threaded surfaces.
 
Tool Rest Tightening Screw

With my CT128 it is not the thread in the Banjo or the thread on the tightening bolt. It is my tightening handle that gets stripped. It has happened 3 times to me now in the last 2 years. I believe that the tightening handles are not made of very good material.🙁 I have been pleased with the rest of the lathe's operation.🙂
 
handles

Dirk Hoogendoorn said:
With my CT128 it is not the thread in the Banjo or the thread on the tightening bolt. It is my tightening handle that gets stripped. It has happened 3 times to me now in the last 2 years. I believe that the tightening handles are not made of very good material.🙁 I have been pleased with the rest of the lathe's operation.🙂
Click to expand...


My G0698 has identical handles that are on the PM3520b. I have turned on both lathes. I don't know if Busy Bee uses a different handle......there was some discussion on our earlier thread on 18/47 lathes, and a couple of pics of the handles on the thread from someone in Canada...........

I have not had the first problem with mine..........it would be interesting to find out if there is a difference in the lines.
 
Both the tool rest post tightening bolt threads and the ratchet mechanism on the handle didn't last very long on my G0632. The threads in the cast stripped, and I'm not overtorqueing when tightening. Since they provided 3 threaded holes in the banjo, I've been able to work using the second one. With the ratchet, I've "temporarily" got a small vise grips as a handle. Tailstock ratchet, which is identical, also stripped.

I agree that these are the things that you can get with going economy, but they have been only minor inconveniences for me with my first lathe (now had it 5 years). I have liked the lathe a lot in general and have completed a lot of work on it.

I have kept these things staring at me every day and not fixed them to help remind and motivate me to do the upgrade. It is tempting to get another banjo, but not worth it at this point when another lathe is close at hand.

Mark
 
just a thought

Mark Levitski said:
Both the tool rest post tightening bolt threads and the ratchet mechanism on the handle didn't last very long on my G0632. The threads in the cast stripped, and I'm not overtorqueing when tightening. Since they provided 3 threaded holes in the banjo, I've been able to work using the second one. With the ratchet, I've "temporarily" got a small vise grips as a handle. Tailstock ratchet, which is identical, also stripped.
.

Mark
Click to expand...

If a second handle/bolt were used for the tool rest, a lot less torque on either would be needed to keep the rest in place, albeit a bit of a pain to remember to loosen both. That might eliminate the need to move to the last of the three locking points. Like I said just a thought.😀
 
First post - great forum for a new wood turner!

I have the Grizzly G0462 which is obviously a lower end model but the banjo on mine was quite poor. The swing arm couldn't be completely locked and after only a couple months the plastic handles for the locking bolts stripped and were useless. I ordered a Oneway banjo which just arrived this week and it is ROCK solid.

Huge difference in stability and ease of use.

Mike
 
Good thought, Jake. However, I move the toolrest around too much to dink with two tightening bolts. Besides, the one sometimes gets in the way of using tools, two would be too cumbersome in that dept.

My point was that the quality vs. economy can be compromised sometimes, whether temporarily as a stepping stone, or permanently if one has the patience or time. If one knows that this is their last lathe for quite awhile, then fixes are in order. I guess I should fix mine in case I want to turn it over in the near future, huh? Helicoil seems to be the way to go in my case.
 
I have not personally seen any Grizzly unit except my G0698, so I cannot speak to the quality of parts. I have turned on 2 different PM3520b units, and they are really nice, and a pleasure to turn on.

The handles on my G0698 18/47 are identical to the 3520b, and the toolrest is identical to the one on the Jet 16/42 evs. When I first got the lathe a year ago, the ratchet handle was loose [the screw was not seated all the way] and it slipped a little the first time or two I used the lathe. I took a moment and got a screwdriver, and tightened it down, and in the last year I have not had a single slip.

I still check for tightness, to make sure that the teeth inside the socket head always seat correctly, and mine are like new, made of steel and not pot metal.

I don't know if the G0632 or others have the same handles or not, but mine are identical to the PM3520b. There has to be some connection in manufacturing of the G0698 unit with the PM and Jet units to use the same identical parts...........I guess they are 1st cousins. 😀
 
Roger Chandler said:
I have not personally seen any Grizzly unit except my G0698, so I cannot speak to the quality of parts. I have turned on 2 different PM3520b units, and they are really nice, and a pleasure to turn on.

The handles on my G0698 18/47 are identical to the 3520b, and the toolrest is identical to the one on the Jet 16/42 evs. When I first got the lathe a year ago, the ratchet handle was loose [the screw was not seated all the way] and it slipped a little the first time or two I used the lathe. I took a moment and got a screwdriver, and tightened it down, and in the last year I have not had a single slip.

I still check for tightness, to make sure that the teeth inside the socket head always seat correctly, and mine are like new, made of steel and not pot metal.

I don't know if the G0632 or others have the same handles or not, but mine are identical to the PM3520b. There has to be some connection in manufacturing of the G0698 unit with the PM and Jet units to use the same identical parts...........I guess they are 1st cousins. 😀
Click to expand...

Roger, I have no personal knowledge of the Griz. lathes outside the comments made on the web, etc.

With that in mind, I do know that most manufactures sub-contract, parts and some assemblies to outside sources. The it is up to the manufacturer to make it plain just what quality product they will accept from the sub-contractor. Patrs may often look alike but the care and tolerances maintained in their production are anything but. Often a manufacturer will have their own quality control people on site of the sub-contractor. In other cases the entire machine is sub-contracted and the Mfg. pays more or less depending on the level of quality.

Depending on the tolerance spread, sister machines from one MFG can be very fine or sloppy, a roll of the dice so to speak.
 
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Jake Debski said:
Roger, I have no personal knowledge of the Griz. lathes outside the comments made on the web, etc.

With that in mind, I do know that most manufactures sub-contract, parts and some assemblies to outside sources. The it is up to the manufacturer to make it plain just what quality product they will accept from the sub-contractor. Patrs may often look alike but the care and tolerances maintained in their production are anything but. Often a manufacturer will have their own quality control people on site of the sub-contractor. In other cases the entire machine is sub-contracted and the Mfg. pays more or less depending on the level of quality.

Depending on the tolerance spread, sister machines from one MFG can be very fine or sloppy, a roll of the dice so to speak.
Click to expand...

Hi Jake,

I do agree with you about tolerances, etc. and the quality control standards being upheld by the manufacturer of parts. That being said, for the handles on my Grizzly G0698 and those on the 2 different PM3520b's I have turned on..........I did a careful inspection of all 3 machines, and to everything I can see the handles on my G0698 are truly identical to the PM handles. I would say that the proof is in the lack of any issues I have had with mine. After a year of heavy use, they still operate just like new.......no strip-out, no problems whatsoever.

I also know the same to be true about the tool rest and banjo........identical to the Jet 16/42 evs, and zero problems.
 
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