Channel intro and Smithy Talk - Pt 1 of 2

[@danielmorgan4445]

Awesome video! I have the 1324 Granite and want to modify the tail stock like you did. Love your sense of humor!

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Yeah, the longer TS really comes in handy. Gonna pin this as folks have pointed out that I don't have one (sense of humor) - now I have proof!

[@schsch2390]

Evanut brings back a lot of memories. Evan was a brilliant eccentric whose departure from the scene was missed.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

That's sad to hear :( I made a few just in case and still on #1.

[@Danny_trisan]

I bought the same 1220 model for $400 and you Amigo, just inspired me to throw it away,lol. I'll take some of your ideas to make it better. The thing I liked the most is the wiper motor that lift the head mill, cool.

[@CKninja69]

Eddie I can’t see where you have recent videos. Ever since I watched your first video and commented I have been thinking about your Video. Seriously dude you are talented no doubt. Ya your shop is a mess but you have a boat load of skill and knowledge. Keep going !!

[@lornie212]

Very thoughtfully remanufactured smithy.

[@Wooley689]

I'm only part way through the video and decided to comment in sections. You are talking about the milling part and getting the axis right in your head from lathe to milling, simply take some yellow model car paint and on the head paint a cross and mark your X and Z so you have a quick reference, do the same for the lathe axis. I use my Smithy - which is a little newer than your version - to make prototype parts before moving to Haas SL20. The Smithy does have rigidity problems so can't push it or hog in to much to remove material. It's great for a home shop though. You did some great mods, luv the motor for the milling head.

[@mikebryan544]

Such a great watch, some fantastic mods, i bet you learnt so much on this journey!

[@daki222000]

Me too got started by Keith Fenner, hours and hours of fabulous television. Only I bought a minilathe, which was the bulkiest machine I could fit in the toolbox I work in. It was indeed a great pleasure to say goodbye to anglegrinder machining. I saw Stefan's video on his lathe mods. that was quite impressive, but i guess i will just wait for an inheritance i.o. putting so much effort in a machine that is rather crappy in its very essence. Alltough i did quite a few improvements to my little machine, and I am still very happy with it up to 1 inch diameters. over that I have to curse the projects out of it, ever improving on my vocabulary. Looking forward to next episode. Cheers.

[@firsttimejongbuild]

Hey Eddie, I know I'm a little late to the party, but hey! So I just wanted to let you know, that the work you do is freaking awesome! I have watched your stuff for awhile but just haven't had the chance to say hi! Well your mods are awesome, and I still want to elongate my tailstock! Hope to talk again soon!

[@M-Mchannel]

Complimenti per la chiarezza di esposizione

[@jeremybrambles7992]

Love the video I have the Clarke version & yes not fantastic but not everyone can afford buy all the best machinery . I love your mods you've done improving on what you started with. Great to watch & very down to earth I certainly like your can do attitude. All the best for the future.

[@metusa666]

Nice work gets the jobs done. I have one of these lathes myself you have given me some good ideas !

[@poplarhouse]

Thanks for the information, Eddie. I bought my 1220 back in 1997 and although I didn't have a lot of time to mess with it when I was working, I used it sporadically to make repair parts for other equipment. Now that I'm retired, I have the time to get more serious with it, and your video will help a lot. I am confused about the half-nut issue, though. Mine has a brass half nut, and the engagement handle is right next to the carriage lock. You can't make threads using it, though, since there is no thread counting wheel. Smithy says to leave it engaged and use the power and feed direction switches to run the table back and forth, kind of a pain but I don't cut threads if I have the right size tap and die, anyway. I dropped nearly fifty bucks a couple of years back getting a new half nut from Smithy because I thought mine was stripped. They were very helpful giving me instructions to replace it. Come to find out, the threads were just packed with fine aluminum turnings, so now I have a spare.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Hi Charles. My CB-1220 is the older pre-Midas edition (AT-300 style) before the half-nut was added. If you have the metric version (20mm leadscrew x 2mm pitch / TR20x2) the threads are pretty narrow and can load up. I THINK the dial was only offered on the models with Imperial lead screws. I was just at the Smithy shop getting some parts. Shame that the new parts are as badly made as the originals or they just had a big supply of the parts made in the 1800's. I have to machine my new spindle pulley true before I will install it. >;(

[@poplarhouse]

Thanks for clearing that up, Eddie. It looks like Smithy did make some improvements along the way, although leaving the half nut off seems crazy. My lead screw was clean, it was the half nut itself that clogged, and it's not visible without a tear-down. The screw would drive the carriage toward the tail stock, but not toward the head, so I thought the shoulders were worn off the threads on one side. I didn't want to take it apart and leave it disassembled long enough for me to forget how to put it back together (more than a hour), and so just called for the nut. I was a bit shocked at the price.

[@clems6989]

"Squished Together" Is how I do all precision fitting of parts.....LOL....LOL Good Video my friend, reminds me of me !

[@milspecmachine]

LMFAO 😄😁😄😁😂😂😂😂😂😭😂. Man I laughed s hard at your video that I woke up my wife lol you my friend have another Subscriber . You have great channel man and your a funny guy thanks for sharing 👍👍

[@superrodder2002]

to make delrin halfnuts,you can make your own tap from mild steel and it will cut delrin no problem. provided your machine cut the appropriate thread to match the lead screw.

[@oldschool1993]

The 3 in 1 machine was invented by a company called Shoptask back in the early 80's. All of the Smithys and other names are made by various Chinese factories with minor variations and colors.

[@armdaMan]

Hi EDDY from deep down across the pond. Man, it was enjoyable and totally different from the usual somber, serious Guys, listening to Your light-hearted intro. What a pleasant change !!! Man, U really ingenious for a Noobee with all the fantastic changes You've made to Your piece of crap. And by staying with it You've learnt a stack in the process. Something I would be wary and scared to tackle on my own. We don't a Smithy but as Hobbyists we have invested a lot in individual Machines. Would be nice to see some of Your Work. Will peek at Your Channel and see what's cutting. All the best for now aRM

[@migrationfuntimes303]

Is this machine still available. I'm down under in OZ?

[@nickking8317]

Might give this a try when I get my mini lathe and mill from gasweld one day

[@johnzarollin2749]

Hey Eddie,thanks for the quick feedback. Understand what you're saying except about the Smithy back gear??? Been looking into DC motor braking via dynamic switching circuits or a mechanical brake setup as you suggest. The magnetic clutches are way too $$$ . For torque you're probably using a treadmill DC motor? Got a couple with pwr supplies. What triggers your linear braking point? I was going to use a sliding adjustable microswitch along the bed. I don't suppose Smithy has a retro-fit half-nut for the earlier machines? Still if I made a deldrin half-nut the rotational point on the cross feed would have to be known and resettable.

[@markdaniels6002]

Hi Eddie, I have the the Clarke CL500M over here in the uk. I know what you mean about these lathes/miller. It used to be pretty crap. I've had a stand made for it, and bolted it to the concrete floor of my shed. All I will say its a totally different lathe. It is solid as a rock now and it has made a big difference. Unlike when it was bolted to a solid wooden bench.

[@charles6397]

Could you put up a diagram on how you did your mill head with the window motor. I sure would like to do that to my smithy. like your channel .one of the best thanks

[@johnzarollin2749]

I hear that, I just picked up one of these with the x,y,z DRO setup. Can't find out what year or model it is within the CB-1220 line. Seems to be a lot of variation. Mine has a single dual capacitor 110VAC motor. Your video was very enlightening, good work. Adding goodies to improve stuff is at the heart of hobbying I think. If it hadn't been for a ton of accessories thrown in I might not of gotten it. Bench and tray were included too.

[@aaronjay4896]

12:25. How does that cigarello stay in his mouth?!?

[@NewLevelAuto]

Pal I gotta say I only wish my intro would've been this damn good 😂.. Awesome and thank you

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Hey Keith, thanks for stopping by. You know, it takes some acute sleep deprivation to achieve these kinds of production standards. If you have the choice I'd go with booze; you'll get the buzz from it at least. Best wishes on your channel. I know it's going to be a pain in the ass as I'm sure Ivan and Eric have told you. Don't sweat fancy presentations or waste time mentally scripting everything - that will just wear you down. Get a head-cam with a big memory card and just film everything while you get used to aiming it and being on camera. You won't forget to hit record and you can't have too much B-roll footage :) Here's a tip If you're going to use editing software. Get a an obnoxious ringtone like a loud buzz and play it for the camera when you start and stop working on a car or segment. When you load up your big continuous video file you can glance at the audio track and easily see those BUZZ markers and you won't have to scrub all over the file to get where you want to be. I want your channel to succeed and not drain you so holler if ya think I can help.

[@NewLevelAuto]

Extremely kind of you. I will look into the head cam and have some good ideas on how I can do things a bit different than what everyone else has done so far. I definitely like the buzzer idea that's brilliant. Keep up the videos , your subs seem to love your work !

[@mimlomiani6949]

What Happened to you !!? You haven't Been posting no new video's ? there are people who really like you and they like your video's too. I do hope you keep making video's and hopefully you come up to a much bigger number once people know about you. Anyways I hope to hear from you....:)

[@Johnny-jr2lq]

And you Sir are the absolute best griper I have ever seen I bet a dollar to a doughnut you Sir could show a very green apprentice machinist a thing about machining In your honest opinion what do you think this Lathe / mill is worth???? I found one on Facebook market place for 800 beans

[@EddieTheGrouch]

To me, my machine was worth about what I paid - $400. If it's a later Granite with a rack and threading dial I might go $800.

[@johnzarollin2749]

thanks a ton Eddie, what are you using as a tool post the OXA? If so what manuf. would you recommend?

[@jdirt1982]

So would you recommend a dedicated mini lathe. And a mill. Any brands you recommend. Jet???? For a poor drunk dip shit of my stature. Thanks

[@daveoatway6126]

Interesting video! I have the same machine - I'd be very interested in your threading setup (and the DRO's in general.)

[@alejandroesteves8903]

Thanks for the advice

[@powertekusa]

I really enjoy watching this nutcase. I can say that because I've known him for years. He's the guy I call when I have questions about most anything. Oh, one more thing Mr. Grouch, There is nothing wrong with duct tape and I for one am certainly thankful you didn't elaborate about your brass nuts.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

powertekusa My brass nuts require a series all their own.

[@johnzarollin2749]

hey I was supposed to get the IHop position???

[@billymorrison7919]

I have just bought one of these lathes on EBay had it for about 2 months now it is at least 30 years old , Abit sad looking when I bought it but had it looking like new in 2 days . I then set about restoring it Polished all gibs and replaced the tailstock gib that was missing while I was at it I also replaced the headstock bearings ,which by the way were the original Chinese bearings as there were no indications that the headstock has ever been apart ! The bearings showed no sign of wear ,looked good felt good but I replaced them anyway . Totally impressed by the quality and accuracy of all machining on the unit . I am not a great turner (motor mechanic to trade) but am achieving accuracy and a good finish on all the little jobs I have tackled so far, One thing I have achieved is to make a modification that catches at least 99% of the chips and swarf produced.!!You do not have a great opinion of this lathe?? You apparently want something with all the bells and whistles to make It foolproof !! ,my question is , Would that not make it hard for YOU to operate !!!!

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Your comment started out good until you ASSumed and became a jerk. I liked my machine after fixing some of the flaws. My griping is about MY particular model and serial#. It's an early model that was built badly; porous castings, bad fit and machining - like cars that are made on Friday. Many things changed in later models but the replacement parts I bought from Smithy for MY machine are of the same bad quality and were made at the time the machine was in production. No updates or better quality parts are available. If you have a later and better made machine, great, I am happy for you. Your constructive comments are welcome here but attitudes are not. s

[@billymorrison7919]

Hey you complain a bout MY attitude ??? You are aptly named Grouch you would piss off any thinking person . You come across as the ultimate know it all . You say I must have a later model ?? By the look of this lathe it has to be at least 20/25 years old , I am now at the stage of inflicting my sparse knowledge of turning to giving it a test At the moment the total run out on a test piece at 3” off the jaws is just under 3 thou not bad after only replacing the headstock bearings Have looked at some of the mods you have done , not greatly impressed ?!! At the end you disappear into the stratosphere with all sorts o f mods ,stepper motors , computer programming Your attempts at improvements do not impress me with any of The practical skills you profess to have . I can say one thing the quality of machining ,ie bearing housings ,shafts etc are accurate and a credit to the manufacturer If in your opinion the lathe is such a piece of shit Why are you spending your time doing all these primitive so called mods . In my opinion the lathe is an honest attempt to provide a cheap functional lathe Capable of light accurate turning !!!

[@markbooth6577]

My self I’ve always wanted a shop mark-5. Why because I’m a man how is disabled and having an all in one is a good idea 💡 for me.

[@bluehandsvideo]

Didn't get the ihop position......2nd set of brass nuts...LOL!!!!! Really buckin' for a Smithy sponsorship here aren't ya!!! :) Nice mods! I didn't realize you'd made that many to it.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

bluehandsvideo Yeah. Can't you just feel the love? I bet they have a "We reserve the right to refuse service." sign in their store with my picture on it. I've seen many of these on Craig's List and maybe my work will help someone in considering one to get into the hobby, get more out of them, or avoid them like the plague. After all, what better way to stimulate the economy than someone spending thousands of dollars and days worth of effort to fix import "kits" and make $10 gadgets?

[@bluehandsvideo]

Eddie the Grouch Yep...I do my part to stimulate the economy......I do my best to spend more than I make. :)

[@philliplarson8005]

Anyone have ideas on how to put a dro on the mill column? Have all the others but as the column also goes up and down , need one there also.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Glue a tape measure to the side. Seriously, having a column DRO on a small mill would lure you into a false sense of accuracy as any tiny change at the post due to sag, clamp pressure, motor/bearing/belt heat causing expansion to parts of the head casting will cause big changes at the quill end. There is also the swing or clocking around the post position that will change as you move it up an down. If you just need to measure vertical changes for a multi-step operation like fly cutting I would consider mounting a long caliper at the quill end of the head with the slide left free with maybe a magnet on the end of it. Then you could pull the caliper down to a target, like the top of your part, table, or vice - zero it out then note the change in height as or after you move the head.

[@philliplarson8005]

@@EddieTheGrouch thanks Eddie

[@CKninja69]

Eddie I love your channel you are talented and real !!! Do you have info on your carriage rapid ?

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Thanks for the comment! The carriage is connected to a stepper motor controlled by MACH3 CNC software. Also connected are 3 handwheel encoders to manually move the steppers. I prefer these over a single encoder pendant where I would have to keep switching which motor I wanted to control. My machining style is mostly manual then CNC for threading and repetitive work.

[@johnzarollin2749]

hey howdy again,Is there a quick accurate way to halt the leftward travel of the 1220 crossfeed when threading? The on/off switch still allows over 1/4" travel. The need is to prevent running the cutting tool into the work piece when cutting threads up to a shoulder. Like the external threads on a flashlight end cap. Never heard of one of those projects huh? ha Anyway I built a custom adjustable micro-switch/ solenoid attachment. It releases a spring lever to shove the powerfeed lever to neutral. This stops the travel EXACTLY where you want quickly. However I do believe this screws up the chuck/crossfeed settings. To keep the chuck/crossfeed start-stop points you need to shut off and stop the motor instead of just stopping the crossfeed. Any ideas?

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Hi John. I use Nite-Ize mini-mag switch caps so I haven't made any :P You are correct that the spindle must stay engaged with the leadscrew the entire time when you don't have a half-nut :( The accepted method, with no half-nut, is to hand rotate when close to a shoulder. Pfft. I use a DC motor with a braking controller to stop within 1/4 turn (90 degrees). If you want to go the mechanical route you could rig up a lever that would switch off the motor and apply a band or disk brake attached to the spindle. While the motor rotor has some mass, the chuck does most of the freewheeling overrun so a brake of some sort is needed. If you have or can make a strong solenoid you could make a spring loaded brake and have it hold the brake open while the motor runs and clamp down when motor is switched off. Maybe an A/C compressor clutch would work. Are you using the Smithy back-gear pulley option?

[@cristianalvarez1842]

EDDY, HOLA SOY DE CHILE, Me llama mucho la atencion la pantalla diguital que controla podrias explicar un poco mostrando en otros videos saludos.

[@timclay4421]

Hello ! Yesterday I grounded down a 1/4 inch 4x6 tube, all sides and I am in the presses of putting it on my carriage I am wondering if you have ever tried this I only have a small vice and needed way to get the vice closer to the mill head, I am going to drill and tap 7/16 holes to hold vice. and the side of the block I can use as straight edge. just wondering if you done anything like this and if it was a waist of time. I will fine more out tomorrow when I bolt it on carriage. Tim

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Are you making some sort of table extension? You can do that for a a few inches keeping in mind that the further you go from the table, the more forces from drilling and milling will act on the slides and cause the table rock and vibrate. Like a see-saw with the table as the pivot point.

[@timclay4421]

Ok, i thought about putting some supports on the inside to help that but i haven't yet. I thought about trying it out and see what happen, I was hopping that it would give my head more strength while cutting in stead of being extended out so far that every little bump would through it off.

[@impetus444]

Awesome video. The machine sounds terrible lol. Eddie reminds me of one of my old bosses, quite a character :) There has been an ad up on the local craigslist for a few months for one of these for over $2k and it looks really good (probably newer also) I'm glad I saw this video before I made a mistake and bought it.

[@madhellsing]

What is this scrapping mean?

[@timclay4421]

Hello I have the same smithy you have I am wondering if you could send me or give me more advice on holding the mill head from turning on me I have been trying to mill and all the sudden the head jumps off the piece, I am new at this and just learning any way I like what you have done with yours. I have a set of servos I am going to get back running I had them for a cnc routing table I was going to make it fell through so after seeing yours I thought it might work with the smithy. any way I need advice to help keep the head from jumping.thanks Tim

[@EddieTheGrouch]

The jumping mill head on these machines is definitely a weak point as far as usability is concerned. I also think it's a sharp reminder that it's a light hobby class machine and we often ask it to do things beyond its capabilities and treat it like a Bridgeport. If the head is kicking out then a force is overcoming the clamping friction on the column and we need to step back and look at the task and the set-up to reduce those forces. Is the tooling sharp enough? Is the spindle too slow? Is the cutter too big? So many variables are occurring to me as I type this that I can see it's going to take more than a few paragraphs to cover them. Since it's so common with Smithys (and the 12 of us that own them need all the help we can get!) I am going to dedicate a video on the subject and show what can be done along with a more in-depth look at the mill mod I did to help with it. I'll start after I finish my coffee and hopefully it will be posted in a few days.

[@timclay4421]

Thank you It will help out a lot,

[@usmcretired2112]

The old saying "If you can't say anything nice".

[@johnzarollin2749]

hey Eddie the Grouch, you look just like uncle grouchy, any relation?Seriously, what are the size parameters for replacement tool posts for the Midas 1220 lathe? The generic stock post is as you know a real pain to constantly adjust the tool height. There are AXA, BXAs etc. The AXAs appear to be closest but as I understand it, the height above the compound top to the center is the regulating factor. Any recommendations? I can't seem to find a Smithy/Midas replacement for a quick change tool post type.thanks

[@EddieTheGrouch]

I use an AXA but you might consider a 0XA (Zero-XA) tool post which is a size smaller than AXA. If your 4-way is built into the compound slide, like mine, you'll need a taller mounting bolt. You'll also want to make a plug / bushing to fill in the pocket on the slide so it doesn't warp when you tighten the tool post.

[@johnzarollin2749]

thanksI'll check the height specs on the AXA, our platforms are the same . I see there's a lot of cheap aluminum Chinese crap on the market. I try to get either US or Japanese steel as they have quality modern steel plants and products.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

I mention the 0XA as an option as the AXA cannot be used to its full range on our machines.

[@johnzarollin2749]

OK great, wasn't aware of the limitation. Thanks.

[@richardfleming5152]

Is mill head extended ?? I noticed its down a couple inches when fully in the up position.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Hi Richard. For the majority of the video it's about 2/3 up. The highest i'll go is to the point where the post spiral stops.

[@richardfleming5152]

+Eddie the Grouch Sorry I meant the spindle. Yours looks extended.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

+Richard Fleming Ahh. That's an ER40 collet chuck. I love it dearly but it sucks up some vertical space :(

[@richardfleming5152]

+Eddie the Grouch I got ya. I'd really like to see a little more detail on your cnc z axis setup. I like that a lot better then just going to the fine control thumb wheel

[@johnzarollin2749]

I hear ya on all the bs engineering or lack there of on the cb 1220. I find using a MT extension socket a simple way to span the table and tool post. Anyway currently I am discovering why you can't make decent threads on 2" dia. tubing or rods. The spindle on mine must have been made in the same grass-shack yours was, same lurching on the spindle travel. Tight - loose- tight etc. Was it worth adding the drive motors? Considering doing it since it came with the x,y,z DRO setup. How many magnetic ash trays do you use ? ha! that joke is on par with the smithy 1220 quality huh?

[@EddieTheGrouch]

+john buster I'm getting used to the jibes on my smoking and the CB quality bit me on the ass again this morning. I had to go into the gearbox (for a dumb reason) and found that the gear alignment was way off and the shaft endplay was never set. One of the sets was bouncing to and fro by 3/16 and grinding on the housing. The motors have been great especially on the long axis. With that 2mm leadscrew, cranking the table more than a few inches gets tiring. The tailstock doesn't have a roller or needle bearing - just a badly made socket bushing that binds if the bushing, screw shoulder, screw stem, and handwheel assembly are not exact. At the back by the handwheel is a slotted grub screw that holds the bushing in place (screw is on the bottom pointing down), loosen that a few hairs and see if the binding goes away. If not, the handwheel assembly is probably too tight or the stem is bent. It took me a bit of fiddling to get it smooth. Tell me about your threading issues and maybe I can help.

[@DavidKirtley]

Hey, dance with the one you brought. Any machine will have quirks and drawbacks. I can't say it is really any worse or better than my mini-mill and lathe and has a whole lot more capacity.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

David Kirtley You are right and I should be more positive. It sure beats having only a drill press and a grinder. Until I watched Marc Lecuyer yesterday, I though all round column mini mills had more room and a swivel lock . Now maybe I'm one of the few the does :()

[@blacksmith9451]

how did you machine the iron weight like for the big hole to fit the neck there? Does it have the thread?

[@EddieTheGrouch]

It's just like making a chuck plate. Once the register is done and bolted to the spindle, it's bored out for a collet chuck. I don't see any flats for a collet body wrench so I must have made the collet from a piece of 2" stock like I did in my ER40 to 5C thingy video.

[@blacksmith9451]

Eddie the Grouch My smithy looked like it was recovered after a bombing lol Just saw the collet holder you made. that was awesome work man. you should do a in deph on the cnc set up. just picked up the nema steppers just need the diver and the power source

[@EddieTheGrouch]

If you bought Asian stepper motors, they will be slow and weak due to high impedence. I advise upsizing the supplies and drivers to make them usable on a machine tool (3D printers don't need any torque). Say you got Nema 23 / 36 vdc /2A. They run better on 48-60 vdc and the drivers need to be rated to 80v or higher to be able to handle back EMF when you use the machine manually or the MOSFETs get fried (I replaced about 30 mosfets before working that out). Also get external fuse holders for the power supplies in case a driver shorts out. The built-in PS fuses are for line voltage input protection - NOT dc output.

[@blacksmith9451]

Eddie the Grouch got the bigger steppers. they came off of a big machine the smaller one is like 6 inch by 4. the other 2 are 6 by 6 and the biggest one is 15 inch by 6 inch. not sure what to use the big one for. tomorrow will attempting to make the riser collar thing like the one you made for the mill head. What's the collet holder sizes you can use on the mill and the lathe? Is it just one size or it can accept different ones?

[@EddieTheGrouch]

What model is yours? On mine the mill takes an MT3 shank and the lathe takes MT4. MT3 is pretty popular so you should be able to get most ER series. Do an eBay search for MT3 to ER.

[@michaelhale4041]

Have you had troubles with you motor controller

[@EddieTheGrouch]

The KB Electronics controllers I use for main motors have had no issues. The stepper drivers have been the opposite :(

[@michaelhale4041]

@@EddieTheGrouch I have burnt 3 controllers out of mine. Come to find out the controller supplied by smithy it is under size. For 110v it's is only good for 1/2 hp. That's why I wanted to ask.

[@michaelhale4041]

@@EddieTheGrouch I hope you plan to make some more videos when your able . Jim at sawlogs plastic hubs and Tom at Hill top machine works has been a great help. They both are close to where I live. NC. I do like your videos also

[@EddieTheGrouch]

Mine is converted from a single speed AC motor to 2HP DC. I use a KBMG-212D controller and it uses current sensing to maintain speed *without* a tach input and does a good job of it. It also has breaking so I can stop on a dime for power threading, etc. It will do 3/4HP at 120V and 1.5HP at 240 on its own. I use a heat sink to get 1HP and 2HP respectively and run mine at 180v DC on 240VAC. Oddly enough, even under full tilt hogging, I barely break 50% load. If yours has a DC motor you want to look at those. I got mine used on eBay for $50 but prices have shot up after I started spreading the word. If you don't need breaking or some of the other features I'm sure there are cheaper models to be had. BTW: DC motors and controllers typically run at 90VDC (120VAC controller) or 180VDC (240VAC controller). I prefer the higher voltage as the wires can be smaller and it puts a lighter load on my service panel. Also, I ran a cheap 90vdc treadmill motor at 180v for years without a problem and only went to a bigger motor to get more torque at very low speeds since I don't have back gears.

[@billymorrison7919]

Hey Grouch. This is a link to what is the obvious upgrade of what you consider a piece of shit , still being sold world wide today , my lathe a CQ 9330 and would be even older than I thought . Made by Huangshan Machine Tool Factory in The People’s Republic of China Note to be in production for so long their products must be of good quality and fit for purpose which is is a light duty lathe made to a price . This does not equate to your harsh assessment of what is a time proven machine!! I bet this upgraded version is still manufactured in China despite its new identity Have a look at the yYou Tube clip on the Smithy Granite 3 in 1 !!

[@idiotradar1]

Get rid of the cigarette!!

[@neiljohnson9686]

Well shit I thought Smithy was made in the US.

[@codytrehal9786]

You knew you were buying a Model T when you bought it, why beat it up. there isn't a machine made with everything. Consider it a step up on the ladder and replace it with something better in the future. I had a Smithy Granite 1324, it wasn't perfect, but certainly much better than yours, but quite adequate for my machining needs and skill level.

[@liftmech9988]

Sirs I would like to warn potential buyers of the smithy brand of machine after I got my machine not knowing how a lathe is suppose to run I could never get a smooth finish on my turnings when I finally discovered that clutch mechanisms was wrapped and would vibrate the machine I tried to get Smithy service to help me repair it it is now 1 year later after 15 e-mails and several calls that no one will answer or call you back I have started to warn people of the way this company treats its customers after they already have gotten all the money they think there going to get out of you so if you are planning to purchase one of these machines all I can say is DON'T DO IT

[@stewartfrye]

I have a smithy, POS

[@richardfarabaugh7604]

Wow unless you are a bit of a genius with modifications, it sounds like the smithy that you have is a general piece of crap. I have to wonder if the new ones are just as bad. I am thoroughly impressed with your mods though. Bravo!!

[@johnzarollin2749]

this is dated I know and your improvements are admirably done, but wouldn't it be easier to just buy a better machine? Hobbying notwithstanding.

[@EddieTheGrouch]

+john buster Easier yeah. Challenging or rewarding not so much. Being unemployed notwithstanding :P

[@ammerudgrenda]

The old Smithy’s are a piece of junk.