They said go big!
They said go big!
Hey all, new here, been browsing and seems like this forum has a lot of great information.
So I’ve been watching videos for years just dreaming about being able to pick up a lathe and right when I was about to grab a cheap Chinese one, this killer deal came up. It’s a Carroll Jamieson 16”x9’ I took a little bit of a risk buying it because I didn’t get a chance to see it running in person but the guy seemed trustworthy and had videos of him operating it before he took it out of the shop. Snagged it on a trade for an ar10 plus a couple hundred bucks. For all that came with it I feel like I made out great. Not sure what all I have yet still, haven’t had a chance to inventory it all and some stuff I just don’t even know what it is. Maybe I can get some help from ya’ll identifying some of the attachments at some point, came with 3 full tubs of parts and jaws, a full toolbox of tool steel, and a big chip container and a cabinet to organize everything.
Anyway, got it all powered up, but I don’t have a machinist level, looking at getting a decent one, most likely a 8-12” starrett. Think used is a bad idea? I have a buddy who calibrates tools for the air-force and told me he could bring it in to the shop and check it out for me if I went that route. Any suggestions for what to look for when buying on eBay?
Aside from leveling it I plan on cleaning it up really well and going through the service manual to perform all the “maintenance” items it mentions, think there’s anything else I should plan to do to it before I dive on in to making some parts?
So I’ve been watching videos for years just dreaming about being able to pick up a lathe and right when I was about to grab a cheap Chinese one, this killer deal came up. It’s a Carroll Jamieson 16”x9’ I took a little bit of a risk buying it because I didn’t get a chance to see it running in person but the guy seemed trustworthy and had videos of him operating it before he took it out of the shop. Snagged it on a trade for an ar10 plus a couple hundred bucks. For all that came with it I feel like I made out great. Not sure what all I have yet still, haven’t had a chance to inventory it all and some stuff I just don’t even know what it is. Maybe I can get some help from ya’ll identifying some of the attachments at some point, came with 3 full tubs of parts and jaws, a full toolbox of tool steel, and a big chip container and a cabinet to organize everything.
Anyway, got it all powered up, but I don’t have a machinist level, looking at getting a decent one, most likely a 8-12” starrett. Think used is a bad idea? I have a buddy who calibrates tools for the air-force and told me he could bring it in to the shop and check it out for me if I went that route. Any suggestions for what to look for when buying on eBay?
Aside from leveling it I plan on cleaning it up really well and going through the service manual to perform all the “maintenance” items it mentions, think there’s anything else I should plan to do to it before I dive on in to making some parts?
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Re: They said go big!
Hey Vair8,
Welcome to the forum. Looks like you scored an impressive bit of machinery! One thing that impresses me, right off the bat, is the well oiled and carried for tooling and ways. No rust in sight. And no dried crud anywhere - particularly on the chuck and live centers. That suggests the prior owners and operators knew their business and took good care of their equipment. All of which should benefit your ownership.
You’ll need a decent Machinist level for sure. Leveling the lathe probably is as important is cleaning it up. One old trick is to level the lathe, then go back in two weeks and do it again. These big, heavy lathes will relax their position and change their level over time. So think of leveling as a two step process. First to do what you can do. Second time when the bed flexes and lays according to the floor, and the leveling stresses you applied, first time around.
We’d all probably enjoy seeing a little more photo detail around the headstock and saddle. And hearing about what it’s like to make some chips. Once you run it, the lathe will tell you if it needs any work. If not, go make stuff!
PS, we always encourage members to list their town or location under your name. Your location encourages other members local and distant to you, to offer location specific assistance due to where you, or they, maybe.
Glenn
Welcome to the forum. Looks like you scored an impressive bit of machinery! One thing that impresses me, right off the bat, is the well oiled and carried for tooling and ways. No rust in sight. And no dried crud anywhere - particularly on the chuck and live centers. That suggests the prior owners and operators knew their business and took good care of their equipment. All of which should benefit your ownership.
You’ll need a decent Machinist level for sure. Leveling the lathe probably is as important is cleaning it up. One old trick is to level the lathe, then go back in two weeks and do it again. These big, heavy lathes will relax their position and change their level over time. So think of leveling as a two step process. First to do what you can do. Second time when the bed flexes and lays according to the floor, and the leveling stresses you applied, first time around.
We’d all probably enjoy seeing a little more photo detail around the headstock and saddle. And hearing about what it’s like to make some chips. Once you run it, the lathe will tell you if it needs any work. If not, go make stuff!
PS, we always encourage members to list their town or location under your name. Your location encourages other members local and distant to you, to offer location specific assistance due to where you, or they, maybe.
Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum
Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge
Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge
Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Re: They said go big!
I recently levelled my lathe with a Plumb bob and a digital microscope.
It is slower than but by my calculations with a 6-7 foot riser precision is as good as as most machinist levels.
Search under my name I detailed what I did here just a couple months ago.
My take is that I would rather spend the money on tooling than a machinist level which I will use once a year.
EDIT - here is the link to my post https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vi ... p?t=109951
Question about lathe levelling
Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk
It is slower than but by my calculations with a 6-7 foot riser precision is as good as as most machinist levels.
Search under my name I detailed what I did here just a couple months ago.
My take is that I would rather spend the money on tooling than a machinist level which I will use once a year.
EDIT - here is the link to my post https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vi ... p?t=109951
Question about lathe levelling
Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk
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Re: They said go big!
Wow; that's pretty big for a home shop!
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
Re: They said go big!
Looks pretty clean already. Good find! P.S. How did you get it off of the trailer?
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Re: They said go big!
Hope you have a good, thick, stiff floor. Not so much to support the weight as to not flex.
Re: They said go big!
Imagine trying to get that beast downstairs into the basement. Looks like a real find.
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Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
Re: They said go big!
Wow! Nice machine, with an A type spindle. A giant leap past a threaded one.
You would be best served by using a level in keeping with a Starrett 199. Similar levels are made by others. The long, slender casting that constitutes the bed will be difficult to level properly with a lower level of resolution.
Such levels are not inexpensive, but, with patience, you can procure one at a reasonable price by pursuing Ebay.
H
You would be best served by using a level in keeping with a Starrett 199. Similar levels are made by others. The long, slender casting that constitutes the bed will be difficult to level properly with a lower level of resolution.
Such levels are not inexpensive, but, with patience, you can procure one at a reasonable price by pursuing Ebay.
H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
Re: They said go big!
Thanks everyone, the more I look at it the better of a deal it seems! So I did see the post about the plumb bob leveling how well did it end up working out for you? I was looking at the 98 series level, but I’m wondering if I should just try and get someone to come in who has a good level and have them help me out.
As far as getting it off the trailer that was the easy part, I have a fork lift probably built not long after the lathe but it still runs like a champ. It’s a 3 car garage with 2 small doors though and I had to go in length ways and rotate it once it was in the garage. Fork lift just barely is short enough to go through the door.
The concrete is a 6” slab, I drilled through it in a few places throwing in a ground rod for my Cnc plasma table. I was going to cut out some square steel plates to throw under the leveling bolts they probably wouldn’t need to be any thicker than 1/4” right? Looks like that’s the thickness they used in the example in the manual.
I’ll keep updating, but I’m back to school and a full time student right now, so between work and school I only get an hour or two here and there.
edit:attempt to fix photos
As far as getting it off the trailer that was the easy part, I have a fork lift probably built not long after the lathe but it still runs like a champ. It’s a 3 car garage with 2 small doors though and I had to go in length ways and rotate it once it was in the garage. Fork lift just barely is short enough to go through the door.
The concrete is a 6” slab, I drilled through it in a few places throwing in a ground rod for my Cnc plasma table. I was going to cut out some square steel plates to throw under the leveling bolts they probably wouldn’t need to be any thicker than 1/4” right? Looks like that’s the thickness they used in the example in the manual.
I’ll keep updating, but I’m back to school and a full time student right now, so between work and school I only get an hour or two here and there.
edit:attempt to fix photos
Last edited by vair8 on Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: They said go big!
Does anyone know why the thumbnail photos are correctly oriented but when enlarged will invert 180 degrees? The first post by vair8 works correctly.
Re: They said go big!
Could have to do with me posting on my phone, I posted the first ones from my computer I believe. When I get home I’ll see if I can fix it.
Re: They said go big!
Photos are not inverted when I enlarge them.
So it goes...
RussN
So it goes...
RussN