Grizzly G0800 and McNaughton Coring System

[Edward Weingarden]

Roger:
I would think that many who purchase a lathe with a 24" swing are upgrading from a smaller lathe. I don't think it's a stretch for a company to have some foresight and consider that their banjo should be able to accommodate accessories from the smaller lathes that people are upgrading from. I agree that the banjo is well built, but the height is not in proportion to the swing.

[Brice Rogers]

My first lathe was a 9" craftsman and it used a short 5/8" shaft on the tool post. Over a few years I had fabricated a half dozen specialty tool posts - - outside curve, inside curve, narrow, etc. Then I got a Griz G0766 22" lathe. I didn't want to throw away my old tool posts or fabricate a whole new set of longer tool posts.

So I fabricated an extension adapter to go from 1" to 5/8". It also adds about 6 or 7" to the length. The collar or coupler section is bigger than it needs to be but I fabricated it out of stuff that I had in my shop. The forces are essentially all in compression, so there isn't any issue with strength.

So if a person wanted to add an inch or two or three, or seven, etc. it would be possible to make an extension adapter w/o modifying the banjo. But for the smaller length extensions, a person might have to take a saw and cut off part of the tool post. For some people that could be a psychologically painful thing to do.

BTW, although I don't think that it shows on the picture, there is a threaded locking hole for a knob to secure the smaller diameter tool rest.

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[Roger Chandler]

Roger:
I would think that many who purchase a lathe with a 24" swing are upgrading from a smaller lathe. I don't think it's a stretch for a company to have some foresight and consider that their banjo should be able to accommodate accessories from the smaller lathes that people are upgrading from. I agree that the banjo is well built, but the height is not in proportion to the swing.

I fully understand every turners desire to not have to upgrade everything when they want to upgrade lathes. In my mind I think it is unfair to any manufacturer to be expected to try and forsee any particular turner with any particular previous lathe model, that might possibly purchase their larger lathe sometime in the future, to not be able to somehow just pull a rabbit out of the hat and figure out exactly what they are supposed to manufacture well in advance of whatever the particular scenario might possibly involve.

I would challenge any person to be required to manufacture a unit that could possibly meet any possible upgrade at any possible time in the future.........and not have to charge 25 times the price it is actually worth.

I'm not being critical of folks who wish everything would just line up for their particular situation, but a couple of things do stand out......first off, there is very little standardized in lathes....no rules actually exist, other than the manufacturers and accessories makers have figured out that some spindle sizes are a good thing so there aren't 50 different sizes, and that goes for accessories.

Second, the size class of the lathes......not everyone wants a big lathe.......they only want to turn a few pens and maybe a bottle stopper once in a while. Some want the biggest thing on the market because they have room and want to turn big items. Upgrade in class from a midi class lathe to a 24" class lathe will of necessity require bigger, beefier, and yes, sometimes longer support for accessories like a toolrest.

"Consideration" for someone's possible upgrade, not knowing who, when, or what possible adjustment might be needed to accommodate those particular parameters is simply not the way manufacturing works.......manufacturing has a set of blueprints, specs/tolerances to meet and design to be met in the process, which cannot in my mind possibly be anywhere near cost effective if every possible desire of every possible machine owner, who could possibly sometime in the future consider one of their machines.

Manufacturers do seem to try to meet what they see as demand developing in the market place, and their offerings have gotten better over the years, but I seriously doubt any could forsee what might be every possible upgrade necessity from any possible turner.

I don't expect GM to make a universal muffler for my Ram truck, even though I have a GMC SUV. I cannot expect Honda to make parts for my Dodge. Not trying to be unkind, but reasonable.

[Alex Zeller]

By this logic would you expect every band of lathe use the same pitch thread on the head stock? It would be nice so every chuck would work without an adapter. In the case of a tool rest why aren't they offered with a 1" shaft extra long so the buyer can cut it to the exact length they want? When the maker of the Grizzly G0766 made the banjo 25mm they got push back and changed it to the standard 1". So if enough people feel something is wrong at least Grizzly will ask for a change. I'm guessing that if enough Grizzly owners have a problem with the banjo Grizzly will change it.

[Bill Boehme]

I recently obtained a G0800 and went to use my McNaughton coring system for the first time with this lathe. To my dismay, I found that the banjo for the G0800 does not allow the McNaughton post to be placed high enough so that the cutter is at the center height of the spindle; it's about 1.5" low. Any ideas of how to resolve this issue without having to replace the banjo? Thanks.

Was Craft Supplies able to scratch your itch?

[Edward Weingarden]

Bill:
The only one that Craft Supplies has with a 1" diameter post is 6" long, which is the one I have. Nathan at Craft Supplies offered to contact McNaughton to have one made, but it sounded like it would take a long time, and be pricey. I'll have to get a piece of 1" bar and take it to a local machine shop.

[Bill Boehme]

Bill:
The only one that Craft Supplies has with a 1" diameter post is 6" long, which is the one I have. Nathan at Craft Supplies offered to contact McNaughton to have one made, but it sounded like it would take a long time, and be pricey. I'll have to get a piece of 1" bar and take it to a local machine shop.

I would ask the shop first if they already have or can turn a one inch bar with the dimensions that you want. Take your six inch post to them to show what you need. It might be cheaper than buying the bar stock yourself.

[Edward Weingarden]

Good idea Bill.