G0766 - Sounds

[Roger Chandler]

On one of the other threads I read last night and this morning, there were questions regarding the "sounds" or "noises" that come from the new G0766.

I began my third project this morning since receiving my unit. [life has just been too busy! I wish I could have done at least a dozen by now! ] This mornings project was the biggest blank I have put on the lathe so far, and probably weighed about 25 lbs to start with and was not balanced, as it had a flat on one side and one end of the blank was bigger than the other end as well.

This G0766 handled that unbalanced blank with such smoothness, that I was impressed all over again! Now my shop building has wooden floors and it is a utility building and the joists underneath that 3/4" plywood are just 2x4's so my setup is far from optimal as far as vibration resonating from anything unbalanced.

As to the sounds coming from the 0766.........I took the time to make sure my air cleaner, and any other machine was off, and I listened carefully to the sounds made during the rough out. What I noticed is what I have stated before........the more I use this machine, the quieter is seems to run.......it was the same with my former G0698. This mornings blank had the most weight so far on this lathe, and while running, there was just the motor fan......[totally enclosed fan cooled- TEFC] and a small hum from the inverter, which I think is totally normal and designed that way.

You may recall, I have had opportunity to turn on a Robust American Beauty that belongs to a friend and have turned to date on 9 different 3520b lathes [some more than once as they are owned by the respective clubs I belong to] and several Jet 1642 evs units. To me.........this G0766 puts off about the same sounds as most of the 3520b's I have turned on.

I think there is a definite break in period with any machine as it settles into its own patterns of wear and also like a car, gets used to the main driver......call it settling or whatever you want, but it is true. What I do know is that my unit is quieter than the first day I got it, and seems to be running smoother as I turn new projects on it.

For those who have just gotten their units, and wonder about the sounds you hear.........give it a little time and I think you will see that the same pattern of settling in occurs and your lathe will likely give you more confidence every time you do a new project!

[Roger Chandler]

I forgot to mention the belt getting broken in as well as the lathe gets used.......that will also lend itself to more smoothness and quiet.

[Jim Norell MN]

Roger, I see now you have responded to my questions about the sounds I'm hearing, I appreciate your help. I'm just curious if my lathe sounds normal, it seems to run very smooth, just a high pitch squeal and chirping. Not real loud, a little annoying though. I hope your right and it will quiet down as it breaks in. I posted a link on another thread, I'll copy it here also. Thanks again.

https://youtu.be/5rcUi9HOHdg

[Mark Greenbaum]

That sounds pretty darned quiet to me. I've only used a couple larger lathes, and this sounds normal to what I've heard from PM 3520b's and Jet-1642-EVS-2's. My old Greenie Shopsmith would drown that puppy right out like Blue Cheer and the Wall of Sound (Rock 'n' Roll reference).

[earl timmons]

Jim I sent you a message I have both a 3520 and the 18 inch version of your lathe in my shop in Mn contact if your within a reasonable drive

[Mike Goetzke]

Roger, I see now you have responded to my questions about the sounds I'm hearing, I appreciate your help. I'm just curious if my lathe sounds normal, it seems to run very smooth, just a high pitch squeal and chirping. Not real loud, a little annoying though. I hope your right and it will quiet down as it breaks in. I posted a link on another thread, I'll copy it here also. Thanks again.

https://youtu.be/5rcUi9HOHdg

Is it just me - that don't sound right.

I would send a link of the video to Grizz.

mike

[Cary Falk]

That sounds like what my Jet 1642 used to sound like.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Sounds to me like the fan may be hitting something...while it doesn't sound serious, it doesn't sound right either. I'd send this off to Grizzley, too.

[James Conrad]

It doesn't sound right, same feedback whine in the motor/lathe I sent back. All the other sounds of the fan and spindle winding up sound ok, but that distinctive whine that changes pitch at about 450rpm is off.

[david privett]

I hate to bring this up but.... I had a noise on my g0766 I used a mech stethoscope and isolated it to the spindle I called griz. and they said they have no records of noises in the machines, ok I was thinking, so I started to pull the spindle and seen in the bearing housing had quite a bit of casting sand it there. I had to use more force than I would have liked to get the shaft out. Removed the bearings and one nsk 6206z bearings was noisy. I called griz. and explained that I needed 2 new bearings which they sent quickly. I installed the new bearings into a clean housing and using a lubricant in the housing and bearing surfaces that touch which made installation much easier. So I do not know was the bearing failure due to sand, beating them in dry or a bad bearing from the nsk factory. Anyway it runs very smooth and very quite now . now issue two. Before I got the new bearings I was talking to tech. help and asked them what was the factory gap between the rpm pick-up and the pulley with the trigger magnets. He said use a business card to set the gap. ok I was thinking again. I measured the gap before I pulled the sensor and it was .050 inches, but I set it with a business card thinking someone knew what they were talking about. All I read was 0000 no matter what speed it ran quietly at. So I reset it to .050 inches now it reads only about 1/3 of the what I believe it is turning . Could some of you get your feelers and read what your factory gap is please post .Thanks Dave

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, I see now you have responded to my questions about the sounds I'm hearing, I appreciate your help. I'm just curious if my lathe sounds normal, it seems to run very smooth, just a high pitch squeal and chirping. Not real loud, a little annoying though. I hope your right and it will quiet down as it breaks in. I posted a link on another thread, I'll copy it here also. Thanks again.

https://youtu.be/5rcUi9HOHdg

If you are concerned about the fan, just remove the screws holding the fan cover in place on the end of the motor and check to see if the fan is tight on the shaft and check the fins on the fan to see if they are rubbing on anything. If the set screw is loose, it could have allowed the fan to slip one way or another and rub on something........otherwise, yours sounds okay to me................

That being said, it is extremely difficult to tell something with a phone picking up the sound or even a video camera. If I were concerned, I would check the above out, and if all is well in that area, the inverter sounds pretty much to me like mine and most of the 3520b's I have turned on.

I did turn on one 3520b that was one of the first to come out, and I think was before they started producing them over in Taiwan..........it belonged to a member of our club [Dr. Glick] His was unusually quiet, and the only one I have been around that was absolutely whisper quiet. The 3520b has been out for a number of years now, and I have turned on one that was really noisy.......much more so than my G0766, but most of them sound pretty similar to my G0766!

[Mike Peace]

I knew a turner that bought a new Jet 1642 and was very concerned about it being what he judged as "loud and noisy". I suggested he come to a hands on turning session at another club I belong to which has a Jet 1642 so he could listen and compare. He did and said it sounds about the same. I never noticed the Jet sounding much different than my PM3520. I guess the point is that we all have a different expectation for what a new lathe should sound like. Sometimes it just takes getting used to.

[Roger Chandler]

I just went out to the shop and took the fan shroud off the end of the motor on my 0766.........just to check it out. It seems the fan is held in place by a bolt on the end of the motor shaft, and not by a set screw as I had thought and spoke to in the earlier post in this thread.

The bolt has sort of a flat head on it, but one can get a wrench on it and see if it is tight........I would not put too much pressure on the hub of the fan because it is made of nylon, and you do not want to over-tighten! Just in case you suspect your fan may be loose......mine is tight.

One additional thing........the fan shroud has some room for adjusting in the screw slots......I would encourage you to maximize your clearance on the fan by pulling outward just a little .......no need to take the screws all the way out to do that, just loosen them, and make sure one side of the shroud is not pushed in a wee bit......if anything is rubbing that might solve a problem if it is that one.

[Jim Norell MN]

I appreciate everyone's input, I'm not too concerned with the sound, it's not that loud. I removed the belt and isolated the sound to motor or vsd. I removed the fan cover, everything looked good back there, sounded the same with cover removed. By hand the motor spins free and quiet. I did send Grizzly another message and included the link. They have a replacement tool rest on the way, I'm just going to start turning and see how it goes.

[Roger Chandler]

I knew a turner that bought a new Jet 1642 and was very concerned about it being what he judged as "loud and noisy". I suggested he come to a hands on turning session at another club I belong to which has a Jet 1642 so he could listen and compare. He did and said it sounds about the same. I never noticed the Jet sounding much different than my PM3520. I guess the point is that we all have a different expectation for what a new lathe should sound like. Sometimes it just takes getting used to.

Good point Mike! I think most of what is being described is inverter/motor sounds. There is definitely a little belt noise as well as it travels over the pulleys............while I was out checking a minute ago, I also took the belt off the pulleys and just listened to the motor and inverter without the belt noise..........it sounds normal to me!

I am not saying that a unit could not have issues.....obviously James's unit did and they are replacing it, but from what I can tell from everyone else's posts, the units are performing well so far.