7x14 lathe

AkWildman

AkWildman

Well-Known Member
Well I pulled the trigger last night on a Grizzly 7x14 lathe.There are a number of things I know I will have to change on this little machine to make me happy such as metal gears and better bearings but it should suit my purposes just fine.
 
I was going to go with a smaller 7x12 but once you add a drill chuck and a drill there isn't a lit of room between centers so I spent a couple more bucks .
 
Probably corbys, custom screws,finials .Also there are some tools I want to make and a lathe would be a asset in those projects.At some point the wife and I will move full time out to our homestead and it will also be a plus out there,sometimes you need a screw you dont have or a bushing and your 63 miles from the nearest road.Ive had to cobble up stuff for the river boat or snowmachine to get back to town and had I had my mill and a lathe it wouldn't have been a issue.
 
I've heard other people mention changing out gears and bearings on Grizzly lathes. Why is that? Are those parts sub-standard but easy to change out? I have a Grizzly drill press and it's solid as a rock.
 
I just bought one of their G0704 mills. Looks like a decent machine! I know belt drive and bearings on this machine are big upgrades?
 
Sean Jones said:
I've heard other people mention changing out gears and bearings on Grizzly lathes. Why is that? Are those parts sub-standard but easy to change out? I have a Grizzly drill press and it's solid as a rock.
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The head stock comes with ball bearings in it and a simple upgrade to tapered bearings will make it run smoother and quieter. I may leave the nylon change gears as they provide a weak point should something go wrong and just upgrade to a metal drive gear.
 
AkWildman said:
The head stock comes with ball bearings in it and a simple upgrade to tapered bearings will make it run smoother and quieter. I may leave the nylon change gears as they provide a weak point should something go wrong and just upgrade to a metal drive gear.
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OK that makes sense. After I posed my question I read the reviews on Grizzly and have a clearer understanding now.
Thanks for the information!
 
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