GREAT Gunsmith Lather FS

R

RoyB

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Not mine, but I have one exactly like it. This is my third lathe and I've never found one better for general gunsmithing.

Short headstock for through the headstock barrel work
Large spindle hole (I think 1.5") I've never had an issue where it wasn't large enough.
Belt drive so very forgiving and great surface finish as the belts remove lots of motor vibration and 60hZ hum.

Made in Tiawan, not China like the Jet products are now. This puts it as a 1980ish lathe

This is a steal at the price asked. I've seen them going for upwards of $2000 and it looks like this one comes with a ton of stuff

Located in SE Massachusetts

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/5966460138.html
 
I have one just like it, except for the external countershaft, bought new in 1987. If it is in good shape wear wise, it is a really good deal. Put a 2HP, 3-phase motor and VFD on it and you have a wonderful machine.

RWO
 
I have the baby version, a 1024. 2HP 3P Hitachi VFD. A very capable lathe. Here is an older picture during VFD conversion
 

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I am in the process of crowning a 20 inch AR barrel right now. Here is how the 20 incher looks in there. The front spider is 4 inches long, the rear is 2 1/4

I just finished a batch of barrels for the TSRA Junior shooters Program and this baby lathe works great for the AR barrels.
 

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Nez's uppers built on Shilen blanks won the Presidents 100, 3rd place, and set records in the team match. Nez is the AR guru!
 
Roy, I started building rifles with a 1987 Taiwan 12x36 belt drive lathe. I had trouble with chatter when threading when using back gear and chatter in chambers. Installing a D.C. Motor originally with variable controller and later a 3 phase motor with VFD drive allowed chambering and threading on the high speed side of the lathe. If it hadn't have been for getting an oil leak in the spindle and not being able to get the correct seals from Jet, I would still be using the lathe. The length through the headstock would allow you to indicate just about any barrel you wanted to do regardless of length. Did you run into a problem with chatter while using back gear or was that just a quirk with mine? After I replaced the lathe, I found the seals and bearings for the headstock from Allied Bearing in Tulsa where benchrest shooter Wayne Blacketter used to work, installed them and sold the lathe. That lathe did have some quirks in the thread dial in that you couldn't hit any line on the thread dial when cutting even threads and pick up your thread. With any multiple of 8, you could hit any line. Cut a 18 tpi thread and you'd better hit the same line or opposite line on the thread dial or you'd wind up with the thread trying to cut down the center of the crown. The Kent I have now is Taiwan made and you can pick up any even thread in any line of the thread dial but the headstock is extremely long. I do miss the length of the headstock of the Jet.
 
Mike,

The oil leak with the lathe is starting to show on this one, I might look into acquiring the bearings and seals just for contingency. I hope you still have the bearing and seal part numbers, saves me time researching.

On threading with the VFD and since mostly this lathe has seen its use on AR15 barrels with thread relief on the tenon, I just use the half nut engaged the whole time. The VFD speed control is real handy, and time saver, reversing carriage at higher speed is handy.


nez
 
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Nez, I had all that written down in the owner's manual that went with the lathe when I sold it so don't have any of that. The lathe bearing numbers should be imprinted on the bearings. If you have a owners manual with parts numbers they may help some, but some of the seals were designated in metric designation but were actually US dimensions. For instance, something like 312 for the seal width which turned out to be .312" or 5/16". Product support from Jet was nonexistent due to the age of the lathe when I was trying to replace the seals. My lathe was a 13x36, not a 12. It was a 1336 PBD model. Threading 8, 16, 24, 32 pitch threads you could hit any line on the thread dial. With the Kent lathe when cutting metric threads I leave the half nut engaged until I'm at full depth and make sure to keep my hands off the half nut lever, keeping one hand on the cross feed dial to pull out of the thread, the other on the power switch and my foot positioned on the foot brake. That foot brake is pretty convenient. Of course, the Jet didn't have one.
 
My first lathe was a Jet 1024P, the other version of yours. Nice lathe but I did not know enough about lathe when I bought it. I came with the gears for metric threading installed and by the time I noticed and called the previous owner he apparently did not know where the other gears were.

I had a damn vibration constantly creating bad surface finish. I had a link belt and tried everything. One day I had the cover opened when I turned it on and I noticed one of the main shaft was bent. Called Jet cause I needed a few parts; gears, shaft, seals and a few other things. Unfortunately they were no help, it seemed like all the older lathe from the 80 were manufactured by too many different manufacturer and they could not know what part fit what lathe and that is why they did not offer support to all of them machines.

Again being pretty green at the time with lathe I ended up selling it...yes I told the new owner about all the problems, which was not an issue for him he worked in a machine shop and was going to restore it.

If I could find another one I would probably buy it, now that I know more about machinery.

Contact Jet with the serial number and model if they still support them, it might save you some headache.

Cheers
GST
 
Mike,

Thank you.

I never changed any spindle besrings, it will be an interesting project when the time comes. I really like this baby Jet, I may look into higher grade bearings provided they do not cost as much as the lathe itself.


GST,


I just happen to have a barrel stub in the 1024 that I will make a 2 inch flash hider from it. Here is a skim pass on the stub, if you blow the picture you will see the roughness. Is this the kind bad surface finish you mentioned? It was worse before I made a few mods to the lathe


Nez
 

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Hi Nez. Are you doing that in back gear? I am looking at a 12x40P. I might go to a DC motor. Not everyone has that guy to prewire all the VFD stuff.
 
sdean said:
Hi Nez. Are you doing that in back gear? I am looking at a 12x40P. I might go to a DC motor. Not everyone has that guy to prewire all the VFD stuff.
Click to expand...

SDEAN, Nez is a retired engineer from Motorola as is his wife. That part isn't his need. Not gripping at you, just clearing this part up.
 
Hi Mike,

I did two things to my Jet 12-36 BD lathe

New head bearings and converted to DC motor drive.

Zero issues with chatter. It is a fantastic machine

Added an outboard DC drive for the apron and a digital read out and digital RPM control

You can see and read about all the modifications on my web site

www.rvbprecision.com Do a search for "lathe"
 
Nez, this is not too bad. The surface finish I was getting was irregular and I had deep rings here and there. Your surface finish might just be speed, try faster speed and see if it improves.
 
NezRongero said:
Mike,

Thank you.

I never changed any spindle besrings, it will be an interesting project when the time comes. I really like this baby Jet, I may look into higher grade bearings provided they do not cost as much as the lathe itself.


GST,


I just happen to have a barrel stub in the 1024 that I will make a 2 inch flash hider from it. Here is a skim pass on the stub, if you blow the picture you will see the roughness. Is this the kind bad surface finish you mentioned? It was worse before I made a few mods to the lathe


Nez
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Nez,

I got the same looking finish on a part the other day. I too was using an insert tool and was taking light passes of a couple thou' or so. When I took deeper cuts, the surface finish improved. I think it had to do with burying the radius of the insert into the work. I rarely use an insert tool, though, so maybe somebody with more experience can opine on that.

Justin
 
Zebra13 said:
Nez,

I got the same looking finish on a part the other day. I too was using an insert tool and was taking light passes of a couple thou' or so. When I took deeper cuts, the surface finish improved. I think it had to do with burying the radius of the insert into the work. I rarely use an insert tool, though, so maybe somebody with more experience can opine on that.

Justin
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Justin,

Thank you.


I will have to figure out better set; DOC, speed and feed. Inserts are the only cutters I have, I have a grinder, but have no clue how to grind cutting bits.


nez
 
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