Grizzly G0766 - Dilemma

[Scott Brandstetter]

Congrats Mark on finally getting the lathe. It's funny to read your posts and with the last one I can see you have the same feelings of excitement that I did when the beast was finally set up. You are going to love this lathe in every possible way. I still am at awe when I turn on it. Looking forward to see some of your work off the lathe but would love to see your shop come together in your new house also. Happy Days!

[Mark Greenbaum]

..."shop come together in your new house..." Ha Ha - It's a huge congested mess right now. The only neat thing about it is the tidy crate in the middle of the floor. Since moving in 3 weeks ago, I have installed 2 new garage doors (removed and disposed of the old ones), a new entry door, and built 3 separate 2'x8' x 6' tall wooden shelving units. And gone to work everyday. I cannot wait to get time to turn and enjoy that grand prize, and try out the new 5.5" diameter chuck system to see if it's worth keeping or returning to Grizzly. I do have a few pieces of wood to test out the lathe on, but that's probably a few days away. It's going to a fun experience for sure. I will measure up the base legs for making a mobile base, and post pdf's when I have it drawn up. A guy here at work has a good welder and has welding experience, so I see some bartering in my future. It will all come together eventually.

Congrats Mark on finally getting the lathe. It's funny to read your posts and with the last one I can see you have the same feelings of excitement that I did when the beast was finally set up. You are going to love this lathe in every possible way. I still am at awe when I turn on it. Looking forward to see some of your work off the lathe but would love to see your shop come together in your new house also. Happy Days!

[Mark Greenbaum]

What about using my lapidary (diamond wheel) grinding unit? They're 6" diameter, and should really have water coolant, but I can modify it so it won't splash or run down the grooves of the gouges.

+1 on David's advice..........a SLOW speed grinder [1725 rpm] is what you want and preferably in the 8" wheel size......trust us Mark, this will save you having to replace it in a few months as the standard most turners use is the 8" wheel and that is what most grinding jigs are made for..........this is the voice of experience, trying to help you avoid costly newbie mistakes!

Also get a grinder with at lest one white aluminum oxide wheel, preferably at least 120 grit to start......that will be plenty aggressive, and once you get some sharpening experience under your belt, then you may want to go CBN wheels or perhaps the much better 3X blue wheels from Norton.

[Roger Chandler]

What about using my lapidary (diamond wheel) grinding unit? They're 6" diameter, and should really have water coolant, but I can modify it so it won't splash or run down the grooves of the gouges.

Might work for a temporary set up till you can get the time and $$$ together for a better set up. I have a friend who is a gemologist and lapidary, and I have made a couple of cabachons on his wheels, so I know what you are talking about.

You also probably would benefit greatly from finding a club in your neck of the woods and be able to see what and how more experienced turners do it. It will cut your learning curve by leaps and bounds!

[Mark Greenbaum]

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/158...d-Grinder.aspx
Like this one?

[Roger Chandler]

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/158...d-Grinder.aspx
Like this one?

Yep, that grinder is in a lot of turners shops! Pretty decent grinder & decent price also.

[Mark Greenbaum]

OK, Going by Woodcraft tonight. I can make the Cap'n Eddie jigs to hold me over for a while.

Yep, that grinder is in a lot of turners shops! Pretty decent grinder & decent price also.

[daryl moses]

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/158...d-Grinder.aspx
Like this one?

Mark, I have that same grinder and it's been a good one. I don't think you'll find a better one for the price.
BTW, congrats on your new lathe. A friend of mine has one and from what I've seen it's a great machine.

[Jeramie Johnson]

That grinder is in my shop, works great. I have the Wolverine sharpening system with a CBM wheel on it, and is that ever a $$$ saver in tools lasting.

[Mark Greenbaum]

Sorry, no pics tonight. I had a late start (I got a new microwave/oven combination to offload for the house), and I barely got the crate opened up. I have to give them credit - this was buttoned up nicely. Every bolt is tight, and all of the packing cushions are in place. No scratches or dings, yet. I might have to wait for a friend to come by to help tomorrow evening, as I don't want to get hurt, or have an accident trying to get the legs on it. The packing crate will make a nice under lathe storage cabinet, and I'll probably include a drawer for sand weight (although I don't think this beast needs it).

[Dok Yager]

Help is Good Mark! I had some putting my legs on the ways and it certainly wasn`t easy even then. Glad to hear you received it in good order. Sounds like you are a Very busy man between work, the "new" house and your shop! Here`s to getting time to turn .

[david privett]

Has anyone communicated with grizzly and asked if the reengineered banjos will be for the g0766 be out this year?

[Klaus Waldeck]

I just bought that exact same Rikon grinder. I agree, it seems to be the best deal for a slow-speed grinder out there. I'm going to try learning to free-hand grind my chisels using the Robo Rest. I figure when I wear out these stones, I'll buy a CBN wheel.

Oh, Mark, I can commiserate with you about having the "prize" but not being able to use it. I've had my G0766 set up for weeks now and I still can't get a minute in edge-wise to turn something on it. Oh, well. It'll be waiting there when I do.

It is possible to set up the lathe yourself, though if you can get help I would highly suggest it. I put the legs on by leaning one end of the bed against the first leg in a sort of triangle fashion while I bolted the leg on, then raising the other end of the bed and setting it on top of the second leg. To get the headstock on, I had to remove the motor first. It is simply too heavy to pick up all at once.

[Mark Greenbaum]

My little son & I took the nuts off of the crate base last night. I could not even get the light end off of the pallet. If help does not come over tonight, I will attempt to remove the power head/motor, and get the bed on the legs by myself. I have the clone of the mobile base designed and metal will be about $90, and a friend said he'd weld it. I also measured the center-to-center of the PM 3520B and Jet 1642 feet (front to back) and the Jet is wider by 3/8", so the Lift Lock & Roll for it would be a good match by widening the slots by 1/4" (but that $400 I don't have right now). Then the BIOS flash on my Dell laptop crashed the computer, and I have to get a new Mobo to get the data off for the mobile base design. YIKES - will it ever end? I did see a stack of cherry logs about a half mile away in someone's driveway, and I will be brave enough to see if a piece can be donated to me for a test run. I hope he's not going to burn it as firewood!

[Mark Greenbaum]

A few weeks ago I did manage to get the lathe on its feet and wired up. For the past 2 nights I have turned a small bowl and I have to say this is a great lathe. Once I figured out that L-O-R means LH - OFF - RH (not reverse), I was able to get wood removal to occur (DUH). The tool rest is too high, and too large for my meager little bowl turning, and the E-Stop button is not familiar like the PM type. But the lathe is solid, quiet and very powerful. I have not yet tried the 5.5" diameter Grizzly Chuck Set I purchased, and had to shave the straight section of the shaft down to accommodate the NOVA G3 adapter. But there does not appear to be very much runout on the chuck. Maybe 0.005" TIR. I'll put a gauge on it later. Mobile Base and under storage cabinet are next projects, after cleaning out a safe place to turn. Too much move-in clutter, still.