Fixing Everything Wrong With My Mini Lathe

[@drsemiauto4215]

oh how convenient i was almost about to go to bed a half hour early

[@3cups920]

Me too

[@5APPH_13]

Fr same

[@Lilac757]

Still got 17 minutes. Not that bad of an early start to sleep.

[@Pilotfox123]

Yep, perfect time to go to sleep two hours late

[@pineappleslicezz]

Exactly me rn

[@kwaaaa]

I have a mini mill and mini lathe. Whenever somebody asks me if they should buy these tools, I tell them: they're awesome, but you're not buying a tool, you're buying a project!

[@richardmeyer418]

Yes, somebody on another channel has said that they are basically a starter kit for a lathe and mill. But, I want ....

[@LeBoomStudios]

You get what you pay for. And after all, you're learning how to use it at the same time. No textbook can replace experience. Besides, one of the great things about these machines is that you can make most of the replacement parts you need on them. The lathe, as a matter of fact, was probably what kickstarted the industrial revolution. Forget about the automatic loom; The manual, unpowered lathe was the first tool that, in essence, can reproduce itself.

[@GeeWillikersMan]

I’ll co-sign on that. I have a mini lathe and a mini mill I converted to cnc years ago.

[@DasIllu]

I just bought a mini drill press and a cross table to go with it. Both of them had issues out of the box. But since i was setting up my new workshop i had everything at hand to fix most show stoppers. I kinda gotten used to fix stuff that comes broken from the factory. However it is quiet the contrast to how it used to be 20 years ago.

[@Codeman785]

​​@@LeBoomStudiosthe capabilities of a lathe are only limited by the turner Wise words from an old machinist not being me of course

[@kwaaaa]

A little tip, if you look for the aluminum cutting version of the insert (generally they are chrome/silver color), they're generally much sharper than their steel cutting version. For mini lathes/mills, we need this extra sharp edge to bite into steel since we don't have the SFM capabilities of industrial machines that uses these carbide inserts. I find it gives a much nicer finish in general and doesn't wear out that much faster than the steel cutting inserts. Considering they're dirt cheap, it's worth it.

[@sjv6598]

I may give that a try. For some reason I thought being for aluminium they wouldn’t stand up to steel so well.

[@j.f.christ8421]

@@sjv6598 These lathes really don't have the power for carbide, they need all the help they can get. I use the aluminium ones, they work fine. HSS inserts as well if I want a nicer finish or I'm too lazy to sharpen a HSS bit.

[@sjv6598]

@@j.f.christ8421 thank you.

[@gwheyduke]

Uh oh😵‍💫

[@glowpon3]

Out of all the other videos I've seen where people fix cheap lathes, this is the first one that didn't need 'my other lathe' to get the job done. Might not be as accurate, but it gives me hope for my own attempts when I get there. Thanks for the video.

[@Eucadiz]

Vevor should sell these as a kit already as nobody uses them without any mod, assemble once without the inconvenience of dissasembling it. And it would make their statement of "we wont make these any better, as they sell even as crappy as they come" even more true. They dont even have to assemble them anymore! Win-win

[@ikbendusan]

sell the castings unmachined so we can use our bigger machines to make good small machines

[@conorstewart2214]

@@ikbendusan that only works if you have a large machine.

[@ikbendusan]

@@conorstewart2214 so much was implied

[@mobbel14]

As a machinist myself working on manual and CNC lathes, this was quite endearing to watch. Good job on the modifications! They certainly help.

[@CamdenBowen]

Thank you!

[@KoKoKen]

when you used the lathe to upgrade itself i was reminded of this book series called something like "home metalworking from scrap" where a guy builds up from digging a furnace, casting and melting bronze, to building a lathe and using it to make a milling machine. realistically they probably weren't instruments of extreme precision, but if you're really gonna go for building a metal engine you may find it worthwhile to dig up some scans. been watching since the algorithm randomly fed me that vtec video, probably gonna keep watching until im crusty. your editing just keeps improving. good luck!

[@HalfAssProjects]

Привет, я не умею говорить по-английски, так что буду на своём языке:) подскажи пожалуйста, как называется серия книг, о которой ты говоришь? Я бы очень хотел такое почитать. Спасибо.

[@VEC7ORlt]

Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap David J. Gingery Серия из 7 книжек, правда стоит задать себе вопрос - мне детали интереснее делать или станки.

[@HalfAssProjects]

@@VEC7ORlt спасибо! мне интересно и то и то)

[@VEC7ORlt]

@@DomWood Clickspring had a video recently on this exact topic, making a bow powered lathe with sticks and stones, what bothers me is that all this basic machining was way back when and somehow didn't take off universally, but then again bronze age ended and a lot of trade routes collapsed that led to less availability of metals that were easy to machine and slow rediscovery iron processing across europe.

[@marceloiannini8199]

Angle grinder to shorten the allen key is totally approved! Wonder why the micro-lathe I got came with tapered bearings, while most others on YT are ball bearings. Anyway, replaced them with high quality SKF taper bearings. To seat the bearing without hammering down, put them on the induction oven and heat them to 110 degree celsium. They'll beautifully slide onto the spindle. Lapping the lockrings and spindle spacers flat will improve run-out.

[@philcook9967]

The correct word is Celsius (Celsium is a company that makes temperature monitors).

[@MaxGiganteum]

-- I was going to say... I've yet to hear of 110° Celsium. That must be a part of the new DEI & inclusivity based science they're teaching! 🤔🤭😅😂🤣 Yeah, I busted up laughing at that one even though I understood what the real deal was... - Max Giganteum

[@mumblety]

Hello everyone and welcome back to This Old Camden...

[@jellybeanpowder]

I just realized I haven't watched a video by This Old Tony for a while. Thanks for the reminder!

[@jmbstudio6873]

Shars Tool Company has the best goodies, imo. The cross slide always needs attention. That was my first cleaning and mod. I replaced the round 2 bolt tool post holder with a 4 bolt square piece I made from .625 plate. There was all kinds of anti rust gunk on the ways which allowed for massive deflection. Cleaned off the crud, no more deflection and a much cleaner result while turning. Forge On!!!

[@0dirty]

Think they've got all the parts needed for these upgrades? What about little machine shop? Their stuff seems a bit expensive.

[@jeffreyhallam5517]

Okay. The ‘head stock on a rocking chair by the fire’ bit was pretty damned funny. I had a good laugh. Thank you.

[@mattglandorf9077]

This was the exact moment I hit subscribe.

[@pbdropshot5369]

I bought myself a 1978 Sears Craftsman Commercial belt drive lathe, model 101.28990 12" x 36" for 700$. The seller was asking 1000$ for it but talked him down in price lol. I even still use the old lantern styled tool post holder. Love that thing. And your right about the used lathe market, it is really expensive, I've seen an average from 3k - 10k for Clausing, SouthBend, and Logan lathes. Even though this is a beginner lathe, you will find that this will open a ton of doors for you to make those hard parts you can't find or just any custom part you need. Next comes the milling machine haha. Anyway, welcome to the lathe life friend!

[@jellybeanpowder]

I consider myself a DYI hazard. This video brought me joy as it now has equipped me with additional questionable knowledge on how to do things in a questionable way. No, but in all seriousness, this was an awesome video. I love your humor and content.

[@orange5fox]

A useful and simple mod I made to mine was to replace the socket-cap screws that attach the feed handles on the compound and cross feed with button head versions, these don't keep catching your fingers when turning the handles anywhere near as much.

[@tamiamibusch]

Inner races of bearings heated in oil make it way easier to fit on a close tolerance shaft. Similar outer races in chilled in dry ice help alot. You need fairly large temperature differential to take advantage of thermal expansion. If you try to pound out a bearing race from some old motorcycle wheel hubs its game over. There was a book written by a guy in the UK that covers tunning this sort of lathe up. Should be able to find it amazon.

[@MaxGiganteum]

-- I've got two things to mention here: - Races or bearings that go on to a shaft go into an oven at 450° F to expand them. If possible, also heat up a bore of which a race or bearing slides into. & - A shaft that bearings slide on to, races that fit into a bore or bearings that fit into a bore go into liquid nitrogen until chilled fully to shrink them. All of the parts will slide freely/easily into position where you desire them to be without damage. Allow them to normalize to room temperature and you're good to go. You are welcome! - Max Giganteum PS Edited... I screwed it up the first time because I was paying attention to the ball game. Oops!

[@joshborgfeld8057]

I’ve been actually looking at buying this lathe for a while now! This was a fantastic video, and I’d love a part two for all your other fixes you have in mind for this machine.

[@sethmccready4761]

the way this guy approaches his projects is literally me and I find it hilarious; you got my sub dude

[@CamdenBowen]

Glad to know I'm not the only one aha

[@gwheyduke]

Every video I've watched on these "mini lathes" the person has to adjust, repair, modify and or fix it to get it to cut decently. A good used South Bend 9A can be purchased for about a grand and can do almost anything. Determine the thread of the spindle then buy or make a face plate. With a face plate you can accurately machine awkward parts because you can just bolt them to the face plate and/or mount them to a 90-degree steel angle piece.

[@therealswarvey]

Haha I'd already done everything you see here plus levelling. Great to see someone else taking the exact same steps.

[@ProjectLMZ]

This will be awesome! I’m super excited to see what you do with the lathe! The mini lathe I got is a grizzly g0765 mini lathe, and I am really liking it! My “3d printed engine” is not really “3d printed” any more, besides the crank case, but a lathe is such a versatile piece of equipment! Good luck with your lathe!

[@208Concepts]

I picked up a full size toolroom lathe for $1000... For a 70+ year old machine it still runs like a dream too.

[@erik_dk842]

Talk about the elephant in the room. It's the same size and weight. A cat or dog like this is much more manageable

[@208Concepts]

@@erik_dk842 oh for sure, it's big, heavy and noisy 🤣. Took up a good majority of my pickup bed too

[@davidkennedy2555]

The electrical cable being a 1/2" short is so me, and made me literally LOL.

[@Polkem1]

watching you hammering those bearing hurt me anyways nice video!

[@littlebacchus216]

I remember This Old Tony got one of these 'Minila The' and they look fun but do require the upgrades to move them into "Tool" category.

[@rocketappliantist4969]

Drill a hole in the table so the power cable doesn't have to travel as far. C < A+B! Loving the lathe related content, keep at it!

[@henrikstenlund5385]

I have this same lathe but with another brand name. It has been working fairly good but requires oiling and cleanup regularly. I also bought fourjaws of two sizes for it. Those make life much easier if something needs to be turned from both ends.

[@alex4alexn]

would love to see all the next upgrades, cheers

[@noelswedzinski4498]

I scraped the ways on my cross slide and carriage, it make the preload on the gibs more consistent and make the cutter more ridged for sure, but it just takes a long time to do.

[@rpm2dayg648]

Thank you for the vid, and the humor. I am a retired tool and die maker from the drawing board and hand cranking days. I'm looking at a small lathe for my small home shop. P.S. Carbide loves rpm, and also not a following approach angle unless you are just finishing with a bevel.

[@CamdenBowen]

Thanks! I've heard HSS works best for these machines, I just need to improve my grinds first aha

[@rpm2dayg648]

@@CamdenBowen That in itself is an art. Cheers.

[@christopherlacasse7798]

Excellent video. I’m going to use your video to help me dial in my mini lathe. Thank you for making this.

[@Alleroc]

Vevor stuff terrifies me, yet I have more than a few of their products. I also like to live dangerously.

[@1kreature]

I did a group-buy when I got my Lathe and I paid 1/4 of you. My machine also came directly from Sieg and was very well finished. I needed to do some tuning of the ways etc but it performs quite well. I did do the same toolpost upgrade though as the exchangeable holders and adjustable heights are so convenient!

[@pieterveenders9793]

How many people did you do the group buy with? And which model Sieg lathe did you buy?

[@1kreature]

@@pieterveenders9793I think we ended up 13 or 14 lathes, and one mini-mill. The lathes were Sieg C3 (7x14" lathes). It was however MANY years ago so price is probably relatively good although quality has maybe declined? For my market the machines were red btw.

[@stevesfascinations1516]

Good video! I have a 9x30 and a RF-30 mill, and they are work in progress as well. I am not sure if it ever ends, but it is fun upgrading! Thumbs up and subscribed.

[@oswynfaux]

Yes leveling is important, you can induce a torsional twist in the lathe that causes your cuts to be tapered. Also would be interesting to fit it for CNC work

[@midwestmotorbikes2696]

Artisan makes KZbin channel has everything you could possibly learn about this damn lathe

[@nikjakotic8032]

Great video, I got one did the mods, and a couple of others but I still have a problem with taper across the length of a work piece, tapers in (smaller diameter) close to the chuck, larger diameter at the tailstock end. More to fix.

[@GoPaintman]

I loved my little 7x lathe. Best upgrades I did were upgrading to a sewing machine motor (1HP) and put on an electronic lead screw.

[@dustinbrueggemann1875]

It's normal for carbide inserts to have a spacer between the and the toolholder. It's a piece of soft shim stock so that the set screw doesn't crack the carbide and can comply down for a stronger fit!

[@reamer1363]

Not sure if you'll ever read this or it's been said before but try using the dcmt 07 style insert they work incredible and are really cheap. I've tried a lot of different styles of inserts and tools and on a small lathe they are a game changer, definitely for me anyway. Plus the tool holders come in some really nice and affordable prices. Good luck on your machining journey.

[@mdl_reviews3607]

For the next upgrade look for a solid toolpost conversion. It gets rid of the shitty compound slide (the thing on the top that you rotate to cut at different angles) and allows you to bolt your toolholder directly to the crosslide. The compound is a major source of chatter so this really helps, and if you need to cut an angle you can always just put the compound back on

[@seppomontaalasmaaman1339]

Here are some rules of thumb for lathing. 1. How to set the spindle speed of the lathe. (As a rule of thumb so this is kept simple) Measure the diameter of your workpiece (in millimeters). Then divide 30 000 with that diameter. As an example, if the diameter is 50mm then dividing 30 000 / 50 = 600. Set your spindle speed to 600 rpm. If you are cutting with HSS steel blades just like the usual drill bits we use when making holes. Then calculate as above but use the number of 6000 instead of the 30 000. (6000/50 = 120) also with HSS you need to always use cutting fluid, grease or oil for not ruining the blades or drill bits. 2. Determine the cutting depth. Those carbide inserts can all have different sized cutting corners and the radius of those corners is something you should know before starting. For example if I have a carbide insert which has 0,8mm cutting corner radius, then that is basically the smallest depth you can cut with while lathing. For 0,8mm radius the cutting depth is usually from 0,9mm to 2mm. If you cut less than what the radius is then the finish on the surface is going to be dog shit. If you cut more than the blade can handle it breaks of course. ---- When cutting with those carbide inserts you don't need to use oil or cutting fluid but if you choose to use it, then there should be generous amount applied all the time. ----- So basically you don't want to use that unless you have professional equipment with cutting fluid pumps that consistently spits it at the workpiece with pressure. 3. Then there is table feed. (mm/r) meaning mm per revolution. Note to self. This is way easier if your lathe has automated feed. Your maximum feed can be 80% of your carbide insert cutting corner radius. If it is 0,8mm then the feed can be 0,64mm at it's most. Feed (f) goes hand in hand with the cutting depth (cd) and there is a ratio between f and cd. f : cd = 1 : 6 - 1 : 10 Again with an example... If your cutting depth is 3mm then your feed can be 0,5 - 0,3mm. 4. Setting the blade height to the middle of the spindle. Use the tailstock with a cone or a drillbit attached on it while doing this. Set the blade height to the dead center of the cone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you get these things right the surface finish is going to be pretty good but as I said these are meant to be simple rules of thumb. Also if you want to delve deeper then I'd recommend an app called Camcut which calculates everything for you but it requires a bit more knowledge of the theory behind this kind of work.

[@tobiwonkanogy2975]

Way to combine the engineering of both countries. From good enough to just good. Always interesting concepts in the videos, similar to other content but wholly unique .

[@redmimic5532]

You're a great patriot and people should tell you that every day

[@6Sally5]

This very lathe is due to me tomorrow. You have filled me both with dread and confidence! 😂😂😂

[@Roboticgladiator]

My cheapo Chinese lathe arrives tomorrow. I already have the new bearings on order. That seems to be the first thing everyone does. While I'm waiting for the bearings to arrive, I guess I'll try to get the head stock and tail stock to sit on the bed squarely which is another typical problem with these. As questionable as the quality is, it's going to be a lot easier to work with than the tiny Unimat DB-200 I'm using now.

[@TWmOrfar]

removing the compound and using a solid block in its place is a good improvement for rigidity. Remaking the clamping for the saddle is a good idea, i have two brass pieces shimmed to the right clamping pressure.

[@CamdenBowen]

I was thinking of getting a solid riser block, I don't cut many tapers anyways

[@robina.jensen6114]

You can also change the nylon gears. Vevor sells a complete package with steel gears. especially if you change the engine, you will need it.

[@bullitanaconda]

i recommend you to install the late closer to the edge clear the handles from the table and its much more comfortable to work with

[@northwesttiger2060]

I used to be a machinist. All inserts should be identical such as with your CCMT to conform with standards. However the screw holes in them can be made differently. I was told change the insert screw for the same make as the inserts and it should fix the issue of it not sitting in the holder.

[@Suzuki_Hiakura]

One thing I saw for a workshop upgrade was replace a workbench top with a type of holes surface to bolt things to. Another really important addition to the workshop would be an old popular mechanics design for a drill press using one of those 30-60 dollar hydrolic jacks, scrap metal, and a welder; it works like that cheap harbor freight press while also being homemade :D. My father had to buy a press for installing bearings on his transmission shaft, as he was damaging the bearings trying to hammer them. Didnt know about quenching metal in vegtable oil, and will definitely use that technique in the future. Loved the video :D

[@CamdenBowen]

Thanks! I really need to get a real press one day aha, as for the oil, used motor oil also works very well because of the high carbon content of it

[@Suzuki_Hiakura]

@@CamdenBowen good to know. The oil tip reminded me of some of the stuff in popular mechanics encyclopedias, like improving vice grip strength by putting a shingle in the middle of the grip and the thing your holding, which is why I think its super cool :D

[@Mtaalas]

You're overheating the HSS when you grind aggressively, that destroys the temper and cutting edge becomes soft. Dunk it in water every few SECONDS when you're grinding to keep it cool... HSS is not magic :)

[@TheRocketSurgeon_11]

Hehe, the gun falling out of the wallet was top notch how-europeans-see-americans.

[@isaacstemple2480]

We gotta get you some feeds and speeds my man

[@matz4k]

Great project! I really appreciate the cost breakdown at the end.

[@thingthingsss]

I really loved the editing on this one, had me laughing a fair bit!

[@namelesshero434]

We need to see how it looks when it's upgraded, WE NEED IT!!!

[@bytesandbikes]

Looks pretty good! 😁 I've never used one of these mini-tools; but I've restored a few second hand lathes (Colchester Student & Master types) and getting an 'ok' 2nd hand one into fully running state is probably more cost AND more time.

[@OneSmallFavour]

I have the same lathe and for some reason the auto feed never worked right it would skip teeth or something and be just awful. Maybe one day I’ll follow your guide to improve that bad boy sitting under my workbench.

[@frrapp2366]

you needed to put electricity over on that other table anyway! :) might pick up an arbor press at hf they arent too bad ,even the full 12 ton press is under 300 with an add on air over hydraulic jack on it. cool upgrades i picked up an OLD Montgomery Ward 04TLC-700A Logan lathe at auction ! it too needs lots of work (just starting on it ) and it takes up about 3 times the room as yours not counting the stand got a qc tool holder for it but not on yet , side tracked by plumbing issues at home LOL . good work and have FUN with it!!!!!

[@PaltroHos]

I love the way you make your videos, the tf2 sound effects definitely were a nice addition for me.

[@CamdenBowen]

Thank you!

[@yankeedoodle7693]

Welcome to the club my dude. I have the same lathe- few points. The tailstock is a disaster. The motor isn't that bad as long as you don't try 50 thousandths cuts in 4140. Keep the gibs adjusted. When you have the money, buy a better one.

[@robconcep644]

Congratulations on your new lathe!

[@makebetterfurniture]

Cool lathe! I just got exactly the same one. But mine has a small lever behind with Right/Stop/Left feed selection. Putting it into Stop kinda holds the carriage.

[@noelgrandin]

That wooden surface is going to vibrate nicely underneath the lathe because wood has some flex. Buy a 1 to 2 inch thick slab of something heavy to go between the lathe and the table surface, and the extra mass will nicely damp vibrations.

[@DH-xw6jp]

Repurposing a 2.5 inch thick granite tombstone gets the job of "immovable object" done nicely.

[@dontnubblemebro]

​@@DH-xw6jpSink cutouts from countertops are a solid (literally) option and can be had for between free and a 6 pack of beer

[@Paksusuoli95]

I will watch anything this man puts out.

[@Not_mera]

The whiplash I feel coming from (recently) mostly inheritance machining is... It It's something. Nah but fr, you're where i see myself in a while. Mr IM is where i see myself on a dream

[@staviq]

Pro tip: hot/cold bearing installation method works significantly better, if you hold the bearing stationary, and drop the shaft into it, from the top. Yes, this doesn't seem to make much sense when you think about it, but it makes all the difference in practice, like night and day difference. A bearing is to small to position it perfectly perpendicular to the shaft, it always goes on crooked and jams, and the heat instantly starts to equalize at the point of contact, the bearing instantly shrinks the shaft expands, while the bearing is still crooked, and when you try to fix it, the heat is already uneven and it's too late, plus you are very likely to make it even more crooked by "helping" it go down. But If you hold the bearing stationary, I usually open my vise, and put the bearing on top of the jaws (not in the jaws, on top) and secure it with couple of small magnets, and you drop the shaft through, and I literally mean drop it, the shaft will somewhat "self center" while falling down, and even if it gets stuck, a good whack with a rubber mallet will push it forward easily, because it won't be stuck crooked, it will be semi-stuck but straight. Also, lubrication seems to have widely inconsistent impact, sometimes it helps, but sometimes, it acts as a thermal bridge, equalizing the temperature way too fast. I found that only silicone based lubricants seems to be working, any other oils or lubricants have way to high thermal conductivity. Alternatively, if you don't have a silicone lubricant, just don't use any, it counterintuitively works better without it (no thermal bridge), or, only lubricate the actual part of the shaft the bearing is supposed to sit on (not the bearing, only the shaft), so nothing gets lubricated along the way until the bearing reaches its designated spot. I've been doing bearing replacements on my two stroke crankshaft this way, and it almost always goes perfectly straight in one go, without even having to use mallet, just gravity, and in the rare case it doesn't, a whack with a fist is sufficient, in fact, using a fist is much much faster than using a mallet, because toyr brain doesn't have to think about aiming, and you save precious seconds while both parts are still at different temperature. Also, the bearing, provided it's not a sealed bearing and it has no lubricant at the time of installation, should be quite hot, I usually check by flicking some water droplets on it with my fingers, if the water instantly evaporates it's the right temp, but if the water sizzles, it's a bit too high.

[@CenReaperYT.]

Happy snow time. Try to make a multi speed snow cleaner with a compressed air engine (either a piston design,Vankel, that new spinning thing or a turbine.

[@WayneCook306]

Angular contact bearings are the way to go for these lathes and they are the same thickness as the roller bearings and work in the same way as tapered bearings do.

[@Sphendrana]

Mario 64 teleport SFX used very well. 10/10, watched that bit again.

[@davidpatterson4496]

No clue why you don’t have more subscribers. You made my day!!

[@CamdenBowen]

Thank you so much!

[@carlroy1865]

i got the same one!, it worked way better after a little work. ive done things you shouldnt on it.

[@nathan584]

Just went on Facebook marketplace and found a Graziano Sag14 Lathe for $3k and it's in good working condition for reference it's about 4x the size of yours😂😂 not meant to be an insult or anything I just find it funny I found a lathe 4x bigger with a 2x price comparatively

[@JSmith19858]

Inserts have different relief angles. If the holder is for CC inserts and you try fitting a CN insert then you'll get that issue. Don't worry so much about the bashlash on the crossfeed. You will always have some backlash and if you're not attacking brass with deep cuts you'll be fine. People get too obcessed with trying to eliminate things that don't matter. Also, try setting the float on the bearings with the spindle warm. I've seen a newly overhauled machine have it's spindle lock up because the end float was set cold. It was too tight so as the bearings warmed up they put a large amount of preload on the bearings, enough to stop the spindle.

[@DualorProductions]

The headstock on a rocking chair was master class 🤣

[@jaredkennedy6576]

Nice. I have an ancient Harbor Freight three in one, that is minimally functional. I actually am going to start making some parts on it next month, so quite the timely video.

[@paradiselost9946]

run angular contact bearings instead, theyre directly interchangeable with the stock bearing... replace the 6 with a 7... ie, 6202 is a 7202... taper rollers dont deal with speed, and are pretty noisy...

[@azarellediaz4892]

I’m a machinist and a retired industrial mechanic I think those were great upgrades to a chinisium lathe, I do have a question and a suggestion. Did you check or realign the headstock to the tailstock? If so, how? Whenever you replace bearings on a lathe don’t use cone bearings, not only will ball bearings allow for faster speeds they do come in a “sealed for life” type that you never need to re-grease while cone bearings are designed to either be in a oil bath or in a small cavity that pushes the grease back into the bearing. Also, cone bearings require a preload to function most efficiently while ball bearings don’t. I suspect your grandkids will enjoy this lathe for years to come.

[@MaxGiganteum]

-- I disagree... conical shaped bearings allow for precision adjustment as well as future adjustment due to their design. Speaking of precision adjustment, you get far less than with ball bearings or none at all. Ball bearings also wear out faster on average when comparing apples to apples in the realm of bearings. Conical shaped bearings are also more stable which is critical when you're trying to hold a tolerance of say... .0002-.0003 of an inch while experiencing zero chatter. If you're concerned with bearing life due to a lack of lubrication and you don't feel that greasing the bearings is going to do it for you, you can set up a slow drip oiling system. It's very easy to do with a small mechanical pump that operates from the gears, motor or even the spindle. Yes, you may have to modify for the oil with a catch basin of sorts but that's also easy to do most of the time. Best wishes! - Max Giganteum

[@azarellediaz4892]

@@MaxGiganteum .0002-.0003 on this lathe? Are you for real? Yes, an oil drip would do, a heck of a mess when sealed bearings will do very well. As to adjusting for wear, if ever, all he needs to do in this setup is tighten the nut. This isn’t a CNC lathe, this is a chinisium economic lathe that’s made with little to no quality control

[@MaxGiganteum]

-- Yes... I'm for real because I've seen it - all the way back in the 1990s. I will concede however, that the mini-lathe did require quite a number of hours of re-working to facilitate that level of precision including the regrinding of certain parts in a full-blown machine shop with the appropriate equipment. I'll also concede that a certain number of parts (mostly gears) were duplicated or modified using various grades of tool steels or stainless steel simply because they had to be. Example? The uber cheaply cast metal gears that were supplied were absolute garbage. Yeah, they weren't even using plastics back then - YET. Anyway, it probably can be done if you're hardcore serious about it. Anything that has been done can be again. I suppose these days it would also depend on the machine that you got to start with and I know the quality can vary radically... but even so, I look at it as only requiring talent, knowledge and the will to get it done. So. Why was it done? Partly due to a challenge laid down that it couldn't be, as well as just to see if it actually could be done. I'm pretty sure by the time about half the project was finished, every single guy in the plant had laid down at least one bet with somebody else as to the success or failure of the project. It was worse than the football pool every week! No, the whole process wasn't done in a few hours over a day or two. The whole process was done here and there piecemeal over about 3 to 4 months. As I recall around 6 to 7 guys total put in at least a little effort into doing something as a part of the project. The guy that owned it put in the most time by far. Total time? I have no idea because they didn't keep track but I have no doubt that it was the equivalent of at least a 40-hour work week if you combined all the hours. Yes, that's a lot and if you equate that into earnings in cash based on the hourly wages plus combined it with the cost of the lathe in the first place, obviously a more superior lathe could have been purchased but that wasn't a part of the deal. It was the challenge... which equates to another fine example of men, their tools or toys, challenges and PRIDE. Pride? Yeah, pride. Depending on how it is lived, it can provide life or death. The best of men and the worst of men. All driven by their pride! I'll finish up by saying that it actually was a fun thing and it did provide for an enormous amount of hilarity in the shop. In the end, it turned into a project that was good and the worst anyone suffered was a small amount of money when they lost whatever bet or bets they had placed. It's too bad none of that nonsense was videotaped way back in the day... I transfer it to digital and slap it up on KZbin. It would also be weird seeing myself as a much younger man - far less wrinkles and far more hair! As for the ball bearings... you only get so much in the way of adjustment due to wear before you lose precision no matter what you do for adjustment - when there's too much wear, you can't avoid the slop and that is a problem which will occur long before conical bearings. Some folks will argue that it doesn't matter on a lathe like this simply because of the lack of a need for precision in the home setting. My answer to that is that it all depends on what you're doing at home! For the average guy, .002 - .003 either way is probably far more precise than they'll ever need but it's up to each of us to utilize the equipment that meets our needs. Some guys need the precision because they are building miniature engines and it's critical. As for me? I'm sure I'm a lot different than your average guy at home just because I spent decades as a machinist as a part of my profession. Almost everything I've done at home has required .002 or less... though I'm doing things that your average hobbyist doesn't or never will. To each our own. Best wishes! - Max Giganteum PS Interestingly, I always thought that a similar challenge would be a good challenge to take on. What's that? What? Challenge 3, 4, 5 or 6 guys from KZbin to all buy the same mini-lathe and then see how precise they can make it to be based on a small number of criteria. Criteria such as... modifications less than X total number of hours worked or less than X number of total dollars spent, no outside help, etc-etc-etc.

[@kayboku7281]

thanks for the extensive video! I have been contemplating an old machine or maybe a vevor, i think i will stick with looking for an old machine! Cheers

[@CamdenBowen]

Fair aha, sooner or later I'll probably sell it and put it towards a better machine

[@kayboku7281]

@@CamdenBowen in terms of getting good surface finish, do all your roughing cuts at the correct feed and speed, then for the finishing crank up the rpm to 2000 or something, it will be extra shiny! (with a minimum 0.8 nose radius if possible). And Centre height for tooling is extremely important! Always have the tooling on centre height! It changes everything! (as you figured out)

[@bendikvestrheim411]

Delicious editing you did here! ❤

[@MrLandslide84]

Maybe you can drill grease holes to/and thru the bearing races in the head stock then outfit them with fittings? Bet it'd work.

[@Regal4555]

Great walkthrough!

[@smashyrashy]

I think the tool height is part of your problem. The tip of the tool should be exactly in the moddle of the centerline of your lathe

[@antennaist]

Yes , it looked to be"above" center.

[@johnkunze5362]

😁🤣😂🤣😂🥰🥰🤗, same lathe (except bigger motor) same problems. Thanks for some answers. Mine has an unresolvable(?) tick in it too. Needed the carriage lock. I want to use the feed screw for prime y though so I want bearings on it too...best clean accurate y, no align needed. Need better feed screw...locked it has a 2mm play....I'll need a horsewhip for that back-lash...thanks!

[@NerfMozambique]

Your problem with the inserts has to do with the clearance angle underneath the cutting edge. Most common clearance angles are 7 and 11 degrees. Basically a tool holder with a 7 degree clearance will hold both 7 and 11 degree inserts while an 11 degree holder will only hold an 11 degree insert. The 7 holder/ insert has a steeper angle while the 11 is sharper. The 11 insert will fit the 7 holder but it won't be fully engaged with the shoulders.

[@patateyoutubeuse]

I am definetly exited for the engine with parts from the lathe

[@selfhealing1047]

I bought this exact vevor lathe off-amazon for $500 Mine came with metal gears and fairly precise out the box I had to file and shim here and there but after 3years its still a great mini machine

[@CamdenBowen]

Good to know it'll run for 3 years aha, I was a bit worried when I read some horror stories from other people saying after ~20 lathe hours the speed controller gets smoked, though it seems parts are easy to find

[@Potatogambit]

“I did the only rational thing….” Same moment I thought he’s gonna chop a tool down. That sir is comedy!

[@IncendiaryMedia]

Have you considered cross-bracing the table instead of ( or as an interim solution toward ) bolting the table to the wall? it looks like the legs only need a stretcher or diagonal brace to stop that movement

[@D10plarailvids]

Bruh a chipmunk is gonna get dragged in to that💀

[@davynolan182]

Recommend to anyone who wants a great small affordable lathe with crazy versatility in terms of accessories and tools is sherline lathes. Don’t bother with these. I started with a lathe like this, you very quickly run into problems with these lathes. You’ll spend more time wrestling with these Chinese lathes then you will cutting chips. I’d even recommend sherline lathes over robust second hand lathes due to the fact that it’s so easy to get a lathe and accessories that just work, even though they’ll never compete with the robustness of a large, heavy lathe, they’re way better for hobbyists or small scale manufacturing. And the they’re so easy to move around if you end up moving yourself.

[@MaxGiganteum]

-- Aside from buying chinesium crap and supporting the communists in China... as opposed to Americans in America... think carefully about buying one of these mini lathes from a total cost perspective. Why? Because by the time you add up the initial cost of the lathe itself plus all the time modifying it and possibly chasing around all over for parts plus the cost of the parts themselves... you may very well find that you should have just spent the same amount of money on a far superior lathe while not wasting the time! In my 56 years of experience, I've seen far too many individuals go down the road of trying to get away as cheaply as possible and they almost all ended up getting burned. Caveat emptor! - Max Giganteum

[@Gnomebitten]

It's often a good idea for cheap imports like this to tear them down and clean them anyways. one of the ways they keep the prices low are in assembly and fitment; there's grinding dust, casting sand, etc left behind that ruin the tolerances and will mar up the machines surfaces so you will want to clean them and get rid of any burrs. same goes for any tooling you get for it

[@rackbites]

Brilliant! Thank you, love your videos and the style.

[@CamdenBowen]

Thanks!

[@ShadowSkillUp]

For installing your brearings you schould make the parts much more cold/warm. Then they just flip over. Put the parts in die ice zone and warm the other with has torch

[@firbolg]

I was thinking of buying and restoring an old Schaublin 102 lathe but the mini lathe might be an alternative

[@ForgedEggs]

From cheap toy to Oh boy? Mister, you're speaking my lingo.

[@homeonegreen9]

The lathe, only machine that can make itself.

[@blade4flame]

This Old Tony did an extenstive upgrade on his where he replaced the plastic gears and that made a huge difference.

[@CamdenBowen]

for 60$ or so you can order a set of metal replacements, but for my case since I'm not cutting threads very often (if at all) I'll just rock the plastic gears until one of them strips a tooth or something

[@raderallen1]

Next time you have to install bearings like that, just go to a welding supply store and get some liquid nitrogen. Its really cheap and theyll usually rent you a container to get the LN2 to your shop. Putting the shaft outside in "the cold" does nothing, if you can survive in the temperature then it will not cause metal to expand or contract by an amount to matter.

[@vittorioballeriocastoldi6171]

I kinda want one of those, but i can find old industrial ones for less than half the price near my house. I don’t have the space so far, but if i can figure out the space one day i will come home with a cheap lathe, or maybe a free one