Hi, now this is both interesting and useful. I have a similar but one size larger lathe and I really need to look into it more closely. Thank you for posting. I had the very devil of a job getting my original tool post out. I converted an engine strip down bench as a stand - added cross bracing and a lathe levelling frame of 50 x 50 x 5 mm steel tube on top. Liked and sub'd
Hi, looks like we are on the same journey. I bought an VM32 Mill and a WBL250F both with Sino brand DRO’s from UK supplier Amadeal. After 3 months I’ve almost finished rebuilding the mill and have striped the lathe for currently cleaning and working through what needs to be done. Your videos are very informative and the issues you have encountered mirror my own. I liked the way you did the carriage lock, very neat! I was going to do the same but I’m thinking that I may re position the scale to the front of the carriage instead. Having the scale at the back not only gets in the way of the gib and carriage locks but reduces the carriage travel and means you have to wind the tail stock out further. I think the only reason that they put the scale on the back side of the carriage is that, because they fit the DRO’s after the machine is built, its just easier! I don’t know how far you have got with the electronics but people who had had these machines for a while say that if you running them a low speed for extended periods the motors can get quite hot. Also on my machine the main electronics module is fixed to the wall against the heat sink, which is a bad idea. I am probably going to make a new rear panel for the electronics box and re position the module with the heat sink facing out and then put a fan in the bottom to cool the motor. Happy to share the details when I’ve got it drawn up.
Hi! Thanks! When I got my mill I also stripped it down for cleaning. Having done both the mill and the lathe, I'd say I went through the mill much faster than the lathe. I think I found the mill "easier", but I didn't do any paint work or rebuild the spindle. I remember I had some issues with the head nodding and that took me most of the time. Then I found the sweet spot shimming each side of the head (between head and column) and the "correct" gib adjustment. Apart from that I think I was lucky with my mill, which is also from Amadeal, but the 25 model (smaller machine). The lathe was much more time consuming and I think it's less forgiving. I wouldn't put it down to quality, just being a different machine (this was my experience). I spent a lot of time levelling the lathe. Everytime I added some weight (headstock, carriage) the bed un/twisted. Constant checking was needed before moving on to the next step. Also, I have the lathe on a cheap non-reinforced stand with an mdf top. That didn't help levelling, I was always unsure if the wood was compressing. Then I got the steel base plate and it helped a lot making sense of what I was doing and keeping the alignments right for a longer period of time. I will definitely make a new stand for the lathe, I've been think about the size, design, etc. Regarding the carriage lock, I see exactly what you mean. I'd like to have an easier way to lock the cross slide - so far I've been using a cut down hex key. I think I'll try to fix that in the future. My scale doesn't limit the cross slide travel - maybe it's a bit longer? However the tail stock reach was a problem. I've been using an MT2-MT2 extension which resolves that. I can have a live center with the tail stock at minimum stick out and still have some room to start turning on the tail stock end. So far I didn't notice any downside (I don't notice any particular flexing) but of course, I'd rather not use the extension. If you reposition the scales to the front you might want to cover them really well. I considered that as a possibility as well, but I didn't have the time to do all at once, so I had to pick my fights🙂 Regarding electronics, I think you might have a brushless motor and different modules (according to Amadeal website spec). Mine has a brushed motor. I didn't notice any particular issue so far, be it lack of power or overheating, but I'm keeping my eye on that. What is a bit annoying is the buzzing noise from the motor. I thought it was the contactor so I had a look at that and it's 100% the motor. If/when it starts to give problems, I might go VFD/AC motor. I just hope to have the lathe stand made by then😅 (if you post your design for the electronics, let me know) Thanks!
@@nbrworks Hi, the mill was a real pain as all the carriages had to be scraped in and the everything is so much heavier. I had to get help every time I needed to move stuff! I got the dedicated stands and while the finish is grim, with some good quality feet, they are very stable. I agree that the lathe will be more of a challenge. Re the motor, yes I have a brushless motor and I believe they are more susceptible to getting hot at slow speed because they are smaller they also have a smaller fan, so less cooling. I have lots of videos and pictures but I’m relatively new to UA-cam and so far my videos have been made to help me remember what I did, they are not as ‘polished’ as yours which are well presented and easy to watch. I will ‘go live’ at some point, if I ever finish frigging with these machines…….
@@thisthatotherstuff1203 That's how I started. When I took the lathe apart I wasn't thinking about doing youtube. Even during the rebuild, I was recording with my phone, sometimes out of focus (other times not even recording) and I wasn't sure about posting any of that... but then, why not? At least I get a chance to try my English 😅and you, as a viewer, get to see some details of this type of lathe that you don't see in reviews. I think you should try it 🙂
@@nbrworks Hi, I will release my vids but need to go through them and remove all the swear words first! I’ve now got lathe bed ready for painting and looking at the saddle. The machined finish on the underside of the bed (where the saddle keeper plate runs) was very rough so I cleaned it up and polished it. Now I will need to ‘adjust’ the keeper plate, or make a new one. And now I’m thinking ‘why is there no adjustment for this, like the gibs on the slide ways?’ so I am looking at making a new keeper plate, deeper, so I can fit a bar of say 5mm thick phosphor bronze with screws & locknuts underneath so I can adjust when the saddle is on the bed. I haven't seen this done before and would appreciate your thoughts on this.
@@thisthatotherstuff1203 what you are describing reminded me of this (slightly) tapered gibs with adjustment: ua-cam.com/video/NkLtLUbPvzA/v-deo.html I'm trying to visualize the forces envolved when we're using the lathe and I think that most of the load should be taken by the saddle against the bed. The retaining plates are there just to avoid any lift and keep things together. I don't expect them to wear fast and my concern when I did mine was just to provide better support for the saddle. I made them longer and with a tighter tolerance - also because this helped me to reshape the ways and make them consistent. If for any reason they wear, I can take a skim cut to compensate for the wear. If you want to make this modification, my advice would be to start from raw pieces of stock. If for any reason you decide to go back, you have the original parts. (that's what I did as well)
in case you still have the original video, maybe you could publish an non-accelerated version of the disassemboy and the reassembly ? besides your storytellong and entertaining capacity, which are obvious and appreciated, the actual work is of much interest, as its uncertainty and unknown that is what prevents most newcomers to clean and enhance their machines. and that is why i watched the apron reassemblu about 6 times in 0.25 speed 😅 Thanks in advance
Hi Nicolas, that's an interesting request and I see your point. That short section was a couple of hours squeezed into just a few seconds. Let me think of how I could come up with a longer version of those videos without killing the channel 😅 and I will get back to this. It might take a couple of months, as now I'm prioritizing the next videos and there's a bigger project coming up, but I will get back to this. Thanks
Thanks for the video. I do like the idea of adding a magnet to the plug to catch some of the junk that will come off over the years. The smaller really cheap Chinese lathes take the OXA size tool post holder and that is a straight bolt on. But in review, it might be a good idea to fit up a pivot point such as you have on your tool post.
Best option, remove the compound and make a mount for the tool post directly to the cross slide. Way more rigid and you almost never use the compound anyway. You can always put it back if you do need it.
Hi Chris. Thanks for the comment. Yes, I refer that in the video, that's one of the things I might do in the future. I need to get a piece of stock big enough for that 🤔
In the video the very last thing shown was installing the "shear" pin. If it is like the one my lathe came with it probably isn't very shearable. What I did was drive a bamboo chopstick from the local Chinese restaurant through the hole. It is self-sizing and won't fall out. The one in my lathe has been there for ten years.
Hi, I didn't get to fix it. It doesn't affect functionality (other than maybe wear), so I used the gears and shafts as they were. If that ever comes to be a problem, I'll handle it then.
Mike, do you mean the spring covers on both sides of the apron? Those are made of thin spring steel and came with the lathe. If you make a search on Google for 'telescopic lathe lead screw covers' you will find some links selling, including 'the little machine shop' (if you are in the US). If you buy a set measure the diameter and length to make sure you buy the correct ones for your lathe.
Maybe I should clarify the "cheap" part. The plate was 30 euros (around 30 USD) at a local industrial fabrication place (heavy duty stuff). Then I paid 70 euros to have it ground on both sides. Total 100 euros, I think that was cheap, but you might feel differently. Either way, it was one of the best things I did for the lathe. Thanks
Good evening, I would like to know where I can buy an apron like this complete to adapt it to the lathe you have, could you tell me a store website, the address I'm from Brazil, that would be serious
Hi Christo. I made a quick search and I was only able to find the 7x14 apron version (sold on aliexpress). I don't know what type of you have, but start with a look on ebay. Make a search by "lathe gearbox" and you'll find other gearboxes for sale, including the white one shown on this video. If those sellers are selling that gearbox, chances are they might be able to sell you the apron. Another option is to reach out Precision Matthews in the US, I don't know if they can help you, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Just be careful to check the if the half nut will engage your lead screw and the hand crank gear matches the gear rack. Also, mine has power cross feed and that requires meshing with the cross feed leadscrew gear. Don't rush it and make a good research before you buy anything. Good luck!
I don't think that's the case. There are many examples of lathes with metal gears that I wouldn't recommend anyone buying. Have a look at some reviews of the 210 models on UA-cam, I don't think there's many people happy with them in the long term (and they are shipped with metal gears).
I'm not familiar with the HBM 210 lathe (or other branded ones). My first lathe was a gray 210 from ebay and was unusable and very tricky to repair. It looked like it was put together with faulty parts. That was the main reason why I took the HBM lathe apart as soon as I got it. I wanted to check every part to know what my money got me. So, the lathes I wouldn't recommend are the unbranded ones from ebay, vevor, aliexpress, etc. HBM and other brands, I simply never seen one first hand to recommend or advise against (I just don't know). As for my HBM specifically, I think the quality is good considering the price. The rebuild just made it better, but I don't advise everyone doing it as it will take time and probably bring some frustration to understand how things should work (especially if the person doesn't have experience with lathes).
These chinese lathes models are normally called after their swing. For instance the 180 models have 7 inches of swing (~180mm), the 210 models have 8 inches (~210mm), 250 models have 10 inches (250mm), and so on. The 210 models I mentioned and do not recommend are the 8 inch swing lathes you see from vevor, ebay, etc. Make a search on Google, you'll find them. Sometimes they're called mx-210, others wm-210.
Thanks Simon. I'm working on the 3rd and last part of the rebuild. I think there will be other improvements over time, but I actually want to get the rebuild series complete, so I can start sharing other projects. I think those will be more interesting, both for me and for all the viewers 😃
Hi, now this is both interesting and useful. I have a similar but one size larger lathe and I really need to look into it more closely. Thank you for posting. I had the very devil of a job getting my original tool post out. I converted an engine strip down bench as a stand - added cross bracing and a lathe levelling frame of 50 x 50 x 5 mm steel tube on top. Liked and sub'd
Thanks Bob. Glad to help 🙂
Hi, looks like we are on the same journey. I bought an VM32 Mill and a WBL250F both with Sino brand DRO’s from UK supplier Amadeal. After 3 months I’ve almost finished rebuilding the mill and have striped the lathe for currently cleaning and working through what needs to be done.
Your videos are very informative and the issues you have encountered mirror my own. I liked the way you did the carriage lock, very neat! I was going to do the same but I’m thinking that I may re position the scale to the front of the carriage instead. Having the scale at the back not only gets in the way of the gib and carriage locks but reduces the carriage travel and means you have to wind the tail stock out further. I think the only reason that they put the scale on the back side of the carriage is that, because they fit the DRO’s after the machine is built, its just easier!
I don’t know how far you have got with the electronics but people who had had these machines for a while say that if you running them a low speed for extended periods the motors can get quite hot. Also on my machine the main electronics module is fixed to the wall against the heat sink, which is a bad idea. I am probably going to make a new rear panel for the electronics box and re position the module with the heat sink facing out and then put a fan in the bottom to cool the motor. Happy to share the details when I’ve got it drawn up.
Hi! Thanks!
When I got my mill I also stripped it down for cleaning. Having done both the mill and the lathe, I'd say I went through the mill much faster than the lathe. I think I found the mill "easier", but I didn't do any paint work or rebuild the spindle.
I remember I had some issues with the head nodding and that took me most of the time. Then I found the sweet spot shimming each side of the head (between head and column) and the "correct" gib adjustment. Apart from that I think I was lucky with my mill, which is also from Amadeal, but the 25 model (smaller machine).
The lathe was much more time consuming and I think it's less forgiving. I wouldn't put it down to quality, just being a different machine (this was my experience).
I spent a lot of time levelling the lathe. Everytime I added some weight (headstock, carriage) the bed un/twisted. Constant checking was needed before moving on to the next step. Also, I have the lathe on a cheap non-reinforced stand with an mdf top. That didn't help levelling, I was always unsure if the wood was compressing. Then I got the steel base plate and it helped a lot making sense of what I was doing and keeping the alignments right for a longer period of time.
I will definitely make a new stand for the lathe, I've been think about the size, design, etc.
Regarding the carriage lock, I see exactly what you mean. I'd like to have an easier way to lock the cross slide - so far I've been using a cut down hex key. I think I'll try to fix that in the future.
My scale doesn't limit the cross slide travel - maybe it's a bit longer?
However the tail stock reach was a problem. I've been using an MT2-MT2 extension which resolves that.
I can have a live center with the tail stock at minimum stick out and still have some room to start turning on the tail stock end. So far I didn't notice any downside (I don't notice any particular flexing) but of course, I'd rather not use the extension.
If you reposition the scales to the front you might want to cover them really well. I considered that as a possibility as well, but I didn't have the time to do all at once, so I had to pick my fights🙂
Regarding electronics, I think you might have a brushless motor and different modules (according to Amadeal website spec). Mine has a brushed motor. I didn't notice any particular issue so far, be it lack of power or overheating, but I'm keeping my eye on that.
What is a bit annoying is the buzzing noise from the motor. I thought it was the contactor so I had a look at that and it's 100% the motor. If/when it starts to give problems, I might go VFD/AC motor. I just hope to have the lathe stand made by then😅
(if you post your design for the electronics, let me know)
Thanks!
@@nbrworks Hi, the mill was a real pain as all the carriages had to be scraped in and the everything is so much heavier. I had to get help every time I needed to move stuff! I got the dedicated stands and while the finish is grim, with some good quality feet, they are very stable. I agree that the lathe will be more of a challenge.
Re the motor, yes I have a brushless motor and I believe they are more susceptible to getting hot at slow speed because they are smaller they also have a smaller fan, so less cooling.
I have lots of videos and pictures but I’m relatively new to UA-cam and so far my videos have been made to help me remember what I did, they are not as ‘polished’ as yours which are well presented and easy to watch. I will ‘go live’ at some point, if I ever finish frigging with these machines…….
@@thisthatotherstuff1203 That's how I started. When I took the lathe apart I wasn't thinking about doing youtube. Even during the rebuild, I was recording with my phone, sometimes out of focus (other times not even recording) and I wasn't sure about posting any of that... but then, why not? At least I get a chance to try my English 😅and you, as a viewer, get to see some details of this type of lathe that you don't see in reviews. I think you should try it 🙂
@@nbrworks Hi, I will release my vids but need to go through them and remove all the swear words first!
I’ve now got lathe bed ready for painting and looking at the saddle. The machined finish on the underside of the bed (where the saddle keeper plate runs) was very rough so I cleaned it up and polished it. Now I will need to ‘adjust’ the keeper plate, or make a new one. And now I’m thinking ‘why is there no adjustment for this, like the gibs on the slide ways?’ so I am looking at making a new keeper plate, deeper, so I can fit a bar of say 5mm thick phosphor bronze with screws & locknuts underneath so I can adjust when the saddle is on the bed. I haven't seen this done before and would appreciate your thoughts on this.
@@thisthatotherstuff1203 what you are describing reminded me of this (slightly) tapered gibs with adjustment: ua-cam.com/video/NkLtLUbPvzA/v-deo.html
I'm trying to visualize the forces envolved when we're using the lathe and I think that most of the load should be taken by the saddle against the bed. The retaining plates are there just to avoid any lift and keep things together.
I don't expect them to wear fast and my concern when I did mine was just to provide better support for the saddle.
I made them longer and with a tighter tolerance - also because this helped me to reshape the ways and make them consistent. If for any reason they wear, I can take a skim cut to compensate for the wear.
If you want to make this modification, my advice would be to start from raw pieces of stock. If for any reason you decide to go back, you have the original parts. (that's what I did as well)
That steel plate would cost half the price of my lathe here.
I do wonder how much it cost
Good upgrades and improvements paint looks great. Additional bed weight will improve quality of finish parts.
in case you still have the original video, maybe you could publish an non-accelerated version of the disassemboy and the reassembly ?
besides your storytellong and entertaining capacity, which are obvious and appreciated, the actual work is of much interest, as its uncertainty and unknown that is what prevents most newcomers to clean and enhance their machines.
and that is why i watched the apron reassemblu about 6 times in 0.25 speed 😅
Thanks in advance
Hi Nicolas, that's an interesting request and I see your point. That short section was a couple of hours squeezed into just a few seconds. Let me think of how I could come up with a longer version of those videos without killing the channel 😅 and I will get back to this. It might take a couple of months, as now I'm prioritizing the next videos and there's a bigger project coming up, but I will get back to this. Thanks
Thanks for the video. I do like the idea of adding a magnet to the plug to catch some of the junk that will come off over the years.
The smaller really cheap Chinese lathes take the OXA size tool post holder and that is a straight bolt on. But in review, it might be a good idea to fit up a pivot point such as you have on your tool post.
Great work dude, thank for sharing with us 😉😉
Best option, remove the compound and make a mount for the tool post directly to the cross slide. Way more rigid and you almost never use the compound anyway. You can always put it back if you do need it.
Hi Chris. Thanks for the comment. Yes, I refer that in the video, that's one of the things I might do in the future. I need to get a piece of stock big enough for that 🤔
In the video the very last thing shown was installing the "shear" pin. If it is like the one my lathe came with it probably isn't very shearable. What I did was drive a bamboo chopstick from the local Chinese restaurant through the hole. It is self-sizing and won't fall out. The one in my lathe has been there for ten years.
Thanks, that's something helpful. I also thought the pin could have a groove or 2. I'll replace it in the next days. Thanks for pointing that out 🙂
Now the whole cart is stuck and I can't move it
Did i misss how the wobble was fixed?
Hi, I didn't get to fix it. It doesn't affect functionality (other than maybe wear), so I used the gears and shafts as they were. If that ever comes to be a problem, I'll handle it then.
that plastic cover for the lead screw, did you make it? i need that!
Mike, do you mean the spring covers on both sides of the apron? Those are made of thin spring steel and came with the lathe. If you make a search on Google for 'telescopic lathe lead screw covers' you will find some links selling, including 'the little machine shop' (if you are in the US). If you buy a set measure the diameter and length to make sure you buy the correct ones for your lathe.
Where the hell do you find such a large 15mm steel plate for cheap? o_o
Maybe I should clarify the "cheap" part. The plate was 30 euros (around 30 USD) at a local industrial fabrication place (heavy duty stuff). Then I paid 70 euros to have it ground on both sides. Total 100 euros, I think that was cheap, but you might feel differently. Either way, it was one of the best things I did for the lathe. Thanks
@@nbrworks No I agree, that's definitely cheap! I need to find a better local place lol
Good evening, I would like to know where I can buy an apron like this complete to adapt it to the lathe you have, could you tell me a store website, the address I'm from Brazil, that would be serious
Hi Christo. I made a quick search and I was only able to find the 7x14 apron version (sold on aliexpress). I don't know what type of you have, but start with a look on ebay. Make a search by "lathe gearbox" and you'll find other gearboxes for sale, including the white one shown on this video. If those sellers are selling that gearbox, chances are they might be able to sell you the apron. Another option is to reach out Precision Matthews in the US, I don't know if they can help you, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Just be careful to check the if the half nut will engage your lead screw and the hand crank gear matches the gear rack. Also, mine has power cross feed and that requires meshing with the cross feed leadscrew gear. Don't rush it and make a good research before you buy anything. Good luck!
You can always do a Pee Wee tools quick change tool post.
I'm starting to think any chinese lathe with metal driving gears is of the same tuer and the only worse tier is the ones with plastic gear.
I don't think that's the case. There are many examples of lathes with metal gears that I wouldn't recommend anyone buying. Have a look at some reviews of the 210 models on UA-cam, I don't think there's many people happy with them in the long term (and they are shipped with metal gears).
@@nbrworks I see. Well, here goes my simple explanation then. Straight to trash :) By 210 you mean also from HBM?
I'm not familiar with the HBM 210 lathe (or other branded ones). My first lathe was a gray 210 from ebay and was unusable and very tricky to repair. It looked like it was put together with faulty parts. That was the main reason why I took the HBM lathe apart as soon as I got it. I wanted to check every part to know what my money got me. So, the lathes I wouldn't recommend are the unbranded ones from ebay, vevor, aliexpress, etc. HBM and other brands, I simply never seen one first hand to recommend or advise against (I just don't know).
As for my HBM specifically, I think the quality is good considering the price. The rebuild just made it better, but I don't advise everyone doing it as it will take time and probably bring some frustration to understand how things should work (especially if the person doesn't have experience with lathes).
@@nbrworks It is me who's asking which lathe you mean by "210" :)
These chinese lathes models are normally called after their swing. For instance the 180 models have 7 inches of swing (~180mm), the 210 models have 8 inches (~210mm), 250 models have 10 inches (250mm), and so on.
The 210 models I mentioned and do not recommend are the 8 inch swing lathes you see from vevor, ebay, etc. Make a search on Google, you'll find them. Sometimes they're called mx-210, others wm-210.
Very nice work.
Thanks for sharing.
I have been looking forward to this video. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Simon. I'm working on the 3rd and last part of the rebuild. I think there will be other improvements over time, but I actually want to get the rebuild series complete, so I can start sharing other projects. I think those will be more interesting, both for me and for all the viewers 😃