I'm getting started in gunsmithing, and I'm trying to decide what size lathe I need. Would a 14"x20" handle most jobs? I'm thinking the only job it wouldn't handle is tapering a long barrel. I found a Southbend at a good price.
Thanks for your advice.
[This message has been edited by Robgunbuilder (edited 02-15-2002).]
Right here in Michgan. I can get it with the pickup truck and bring it right home. No big shipping hassels.
I have looked a lathes for years, and they are number one for me.
Get one that is long enough to put a barrel between centers, and not have too short a working space.
They have a nice one with long Bed and a mill that sits on top of that. Two machines in one like the Midas 1239 at $3495
Just the lathe is BZ 239 at $2695
Terry B, there is nothing wrong with the smithy lathe, but don't expect too much out of the mill. They tend to be pretty cheezy. The company I work for has two of them, in our model shops, and they ARE worth their weight in gold for what they are intended for, just don't expect a lot of rigidity, you won't get it.
Grizzly is a direct importer of the little chinese machines and they pick out the good ones, and sell the rest to places like Enco. I have and old Clausing at home and Bridgeport that I bought at a local community college. They are industrial quality and if I need parts that I can't make, I can still get them. I still have less invested in those two machines than you will pay for a new Smithy Granite. By the way, I am not a gunsmith per se, although I play around at it on my own guns, but I have been a machinist/toolmaker for twenty five years. Good luck and good shooting!
you say look at the Jet/Enco 13x40 size, then you say Jet sells their junk to Grizzly and Grizzly sells their junk to Enco.
Are Jet and Enco one in the same or Enco and Smithy one in the same or neither? I'm keeping track of opinions for future referance when I can afford one and know alot more, but now I'm totally confused.
------------------
Brent
Before moving up here, I had the opportunity to spin the wheels on quite a few machines, Jet, Enco, and various private label, ie Rutland and J&L (same stuff, there label).
I've also ordered a drill press from Grizzly, and an X Y table since moving up here. I'm impressed both with Grizzlies stuff, as well as how they handle problems. The X Y table was dropped in shipment, and they mailed me a replacement, USPS shipping was over $70 on a $120 item.
Based on my experience with Grizzly, and also with their Washington wherehouse, I'd recomend Grizzly to other Alaskans. Just have them ship it to the Anchorage dock, and pick it up there. Shipping works out to ~$.30/# I'll be getting either 12X36 or 13X40 lathe, one of these days!
we get quite a bit of Grizzly freight at the dock in Anchorage at CF where I work and everyone I ask has nothing but good to say of them. Alot of it is wood working stuff though.
BTW my brother Derrick got a 7'8" black wolf up Friday Creek on this winter.
How much $$ for the 40" Grizzly lathe Paul?
Another thing Paul, I picked up an Oehler M43 from Mountain Rifles Inc's Dana Campbell estate after he past away. If you want to do some PSI testing on something let me know, the huge expensive bottle of glue I have expires in July.
------------------
Brent
[This message has been edited by Big50 (edited 02-16-2002).]
As far as getting it in the shop, I used pipe rollers under the crate and finally assembled the cabinet base and moved the lathe in with an engine hoist (the kind on wheels-rental). Worked like a champ.
[This message has been edited by savageshooter (edited 02-16-2002).]
I delivered a Jet Mill to a guy on the hillside he ordered from Amazon.com, he said they have great equipment and they paid the shipping and delivery charge all the way to his door, to Alaska. We get just as much Jet equipment on our dock but we mainly deliver the stuff, with the Grizzly equip. everone comes to the dock to pick it up thats why I get to talk to a few more of them people. Grizzly must not be paying for the liftgate delivery service. BTW they say Grizzly has a lifetime guarantee and they stand behind it too.
------------------
Brent
[This message has been edited by Big50 (edited 02-17-2002).]
------------------
Death Before Dishonor
I just bought a Jet mill with DRO and power feed from Production tool. The mill came straight from Jet to me. It was two months late in getting to me, had a big cosmetic scratch in the paint and was missing the Z axis handle, and the spacer for the draw bar.
I was very unhappy with the delivery aspect. I am however happy with the mill.
I had a Grizzly lathe a few years back. I got it new.
After about 6 hours of use the headstock bearing went out.
They sent me a new bearing, I got it in 2 1/2 weeks, but would not send anyone to replace it nor would they pay the guy I had come it to do it. It seemed that there was no oil channel milled in it for the bearing. This cost me close to $200.00
The 13x36 Grizzly I had would not even hold a candle to my new Wilton. I felt the Grizzly was pretty rough in compairison.
A friend of mine bought the same model Griz and a year later told me he wished he never bought it and was trying to sell it to so he could get a good lathe.
I would never buy another thing from them again.
FWIW
Celt