Wrong Lathe!
April 24th, 2009Life Can’t be Simple
Here’s weird news. The lathe I just received isn’t the one I ordered. The seller had two for sale; one was a Clausing 5914 with variable speed drive, and the other was a 5936 with step pulleys. For some reason, the step pulley model was more expensive. I paid the lower price, and I received the wrong lathe.
Now I can’t figure out what to do. This thing may be better than the other one for all I know. I emailed the seller.
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Here’s what someone says about this lathe on Practical Machinist:
The 5936 doesn’t have the Vari-speed, but more importantly doesn’t have the traveling clutch/brake. The metric change gear sets sell for $750 – $1,000, but remember that you can’t cut imperial threads with the metric gearset installed, and the metric banjo doesn’t have the high/low compound gear selector, so you have half the number of change gears available.
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More fun information: it has a 1 HP motor, and I just received an expensive 3 HP VFD which I can’t return without paying a restocking fee.
April 24th, 2009 at 2:06 PM
If THEY erred, and you’ve called it to their attention, and THEY don’t want to fix THEIR error without charging YOU – then screw them, you can carry on without guilt or second thought (my opinion anyway).
April 24th, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Maybe this was a blessing instead?
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If the more expensive Lathe was the lower optioned one (smaller motor, et cetera), maybe the price difference was due to wear and tear on the other one? Hence you got the better, less-worn machine (but at a better price)?
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I wasn’t sure about the comments on the metric gear set. Does that mean the gears that come with the 5936 are imperial or that the only gears available for the 5936 are the metric ones (meaning that you could never cut imperial threads)?
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I would expect that you couldn’t cut Imperial threads with Metric gears, and vice versa.
April 24th, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Dude, it’s a lathe. Go turn something. Make mahogany candlesticks. How big is the spindle hole?
April 25th, 2009 at 6:47 PM
I wouldn’t personally worry a lot about the smaller motor, my 12″ Atlas had a 1/2 Hp motor and it seemed to be plenty. At least on that lathe, yours is definitely a more-capable outfit than my Atlas. Heck, my 19″ LeBlond has only a 2Hp motor, and it’ll take a cut that’ll scare the hell outa you. Easily 1/8″ on a side.
Of most concern would be the condition of the ways, THAT’s something that can’t be repaired at any sort of reasonable cost.
Metric threading? Hmmm… I’ve never had the need for that capability.