The Engine Lathe

Aside from already owning a drill press, this was the first piece of metalworking equipment I acquired. I considered the mini-lathes by Taig and Sherline, but decided that I really wanted the extra size, power and screw cutting ability for the projects I had in mind. During my previous life as a woodworker, I owned several Grizzly Industrial tools and had mixed experiences with them, but overall they were worth the money I paid. I hoped the same would be true with their metalworking machines.

Grizzly Industrial offers approximately 20 different models of lathe and lathe/mill combo tools, including one 7x12" model which is comparable in size and price with the Sherline 4000. I chose the Grizzly G4000 9" x 19" bench lathe because it listed a 3/4 HP motor, multiple screw pitches, both 3-jaw and 4-jaw chucks, a turret tool post and weighed under 300 lbs.

I chose Grizzly over other importers like Harbor Freight because of their committment to supporting what they sell. I had problems with the G4000 and their technical support (for the most part) has been prompt, friendly and accurate. If I have a support issue, I will first start with a picture and description sent by email. This seems to be a good way to convey your problem quickly. A picture can be worth a thousand words, right?

Things I like about the G4000

The price. ($750 + $125 shipping)
Ball clutch on slowest speed "saves" work from being overstressed
Came with live and dead centers
The 3-jaw chuck was pretty darn accurate. I don't have significant runout problems using it.
Came with steady rest and follow rest. (I wish the steady rest used ball bearings though.)
Lots of common threads in both metric and English.

Things I DON'T like about the G4000

had problems with the 2nd stage reduction pulley assembly freezing up, this really should have ball bearings and I'm investigating how to modify it. I consider not having ball bearings to be a design flaw.
the timing style drive belt doesn't track straight and is wearing quickly
tailstock travel is only 1.5", I really would like more
the chip guard was poorly designed and had to be modified to allow full carriage travel
the chip tray is too narrow and interferes with the quick-change gear lever so it can't be disengaged without physically lifting the lathe
there is no carriage lock so when I advance the compound rest, the whole carriage retreats as the cutter hits the workpiece. To compensate, I disengage the quick-change gear and lock the half nut.
missing parts. Didn't come with enough set screws so I only have two total for the 3-jaw, 4-jaw and faceplate.
even the slowest power feed setting is too fast to make a quality finish cut on some metals.

Updates and Footnotes

21-Dec-2004: While doing some basic surface milling, the gearbox suddenly started making a "clunk clunk clunk" sound. I immediately shut down and discovered that one of the 30T gears driving the lead screw had broken a tooth! I oil the gearbox daily (like the manual says) and I don't suspect contamination becuase the gearbox is kept clean and the cover closed so my guess is poor quality material used for the gear. I think the G4000 came with a spare 30T gear, haven't checked yet. If not, making one or ordering a new one shouldn't be a problem. However I now keep the lead screw gears disengaged in the gearbox UNLESS I am cutting threads. An added pain-in-the-butt for sure. (Additional note: the quick-change gearbox was disengaged at the time this happened, so there was virtually no stress on the gear at the time it broke.)
30-Dec-2004: I *really* want a quick-change toolpost for the G4000! Do you know where to find one? Neither Grizzly nor Harbor Freight sells anything of the sort. I found one at "LittleMachineShop.com" but am concerned that the aluminum material may be unsuitable for heavy duty jobs on tough materials. Still, at a cost of $100 for a full set, it may be worth the small investment to give it a try.
04-Jan-2005: Bad news, the 120T gear also broke a tooth at the same time as the 30T. Good news: Replacement cost on both gears from Grizzly was less than $10! As a machinist-in-training I should learn to make my own replacement gear and I have most of the tools and stock to do it, but I've got too many other projects at the moment.

Other Pictures

Below are a few more pictures of the lathe in use. The first picture shows the hanging accessory tray which "hovers" at a convenient height just above the tool for quick and easy access. I saw something like this in someone else's home shop tour website and thought I'd try it. It's wonderful! The tray is supported by four chains and can be fully adjusted for height and angle.

The second picture is a faceplate setup using a homemade lathe dog and mandrel. I am about to finish the outer edge of a round polycarb disc that just got cut on the milling machine.

The last picture shows some bevel gear blanks I am making with the assistance of a live center.

Accessories for the Lathe

Here is a list of accessories I have obtained so far, including some justifications and experiences.

What Where Why

Carbide cutter bits Harbor Freight, Grizzly and eBay I had great experiences with carbide as a woodworker and my readings indicated that carbide had advantage for metal as well. They hold up very well but don't have the flexibility of profile shaped high speed steel bits.

Lathe dog homemade Saw one in a Rudy Kouhoupt video and couldn't find anything like it for sale. It seemed simple to make and it was. (see picture above)

Hex T-wrenches Grizzly, $8 Color coded T-wrenches are easier to find and faster to use than L-shaped allen wrenches. The set of ten hangs above my lathe for easy access.

High-speed steel bits eBay Lots of 50-300 pcs of lathe bits by ex-machinists come up on eBay rather frequently. Although I expect to cut my own bits someday, I felt it best to acquire an assortment from someone who knew what they were doing and learn from them.

Cut-off blades and holders Grizzly and Harbor Freight I was too lazy to research other places to get these. I am not totally pleased with the quality but they work O.K. most times.

Chucking reamers Grizzly Got the 14 piece over/under size assortment. It was expensive, but I spent a lot of time looking at eBay auctions to know I wasn't going to be guaranteed a suitable variety from a random lot.

Drill chuck Grizzly I'm actually disappointed the G4000 didn't come with one, but the parts weren't expensive so I'm not complaining... too much.