In this short video, I carry out some basic tests to determine the run out on my Warco WM250V lather for both the spindle and the supplied 3 jaw chuck.
THANK YOU , THANK YOU , THANK YOU! - you sir are a true engineer & gentleman , I didn,t expect a video. thank you again for your time & effort . you have perfectly answered my questions . i can order one with more confidence now. I hope to speak again in the future . all the very best to you & yours.
Just a few tips here, my warco lathe I thought I'd checked every thing when I first got it, but to my surprise the spindle adjusting nuts came loose after using it, so it's a good idea to mark end of spindle & lock ring for reference, also tighten studs in back of chucks, I ran a die down mine & put a slight lead on the end down to root of thread, if you have room wider washers with a knurl on washer o/d, I found using a mag base on the cross slide can leave some nasty scratches on Warco lathes , I use a scribing type base instead, hope that helps, Coventry 🇬🇧.
The mounting face should also be tested. That is very important as well. Do not tighten from all three spots. Tighten only from the "0". Also different diameter material will have different variations. The jaws are ground at a certain diameter, and it is true at that diameter. If you go way to down, or way to big with the material diameter, it won't be true anymore. Chucks are not meant to be very accurate, that is why you have collets for.
Check the r/o on the chuck. If it is the same, as on the mandrel, then this can be reduced by slackening it slightly and tapping it to get the minimum run out. Tighten the stud nuts again in this position.
This information is invaluable to someone like myself who is considering purchasing this model. For the work I will be doing, that spindle bore runout will be fine. I've never considered any three jaw chucks to be accurate at all, better to use the four jaw. Many thanks for posting this video, subbed. 👍
I dont mean to be offtopic but does anyone know a method to get back into an instagram account..? I stupidly lost my password. I love any help you can offer me!
@Eli Bryce I really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
Hi Mark, I had similar readings on my Warco 240 lathe and 3 jaw chuck. I hugely improved mine by re-mounting the chuck by rotating it by one hole on the register to find a better position and re-marking it, and also by tightening the work piece using the 'master' chuck key hole marked with a 0 (I learned this recently from another RUclipsr) Maybe worth a try.
Move the chuck a bolt hole round at a time and recheck you may find a better placement, or run a boring tool though the jaws, or workout which jaw needs stoneing to true the chuck how do you think the top end markers do it and why they cost so much more.
Hello Mark, really helpful video thank you. I too have the same lathe and can agree the same deviations and run out. I have also had trouble with the tailstock where it can cause a taper all too freqeuntly due to some slack fore and aft of around 1.5mm. Now i have to be very careful to set the tailstock parallel with the work in the chuck to avoid a taper. Have you any thoughts on this or experincing similar issues? Cheers
Hi Andy, Yes, I've have issues with the tail stock and have not yet managed to get it 100% aligned. It's not been a problem so far, but I will need to sort it at some time. Mark
It appears to be a common problem with this lathe. Check out this guys radical solution to sorting out the tailstock alignment. Definitely beyond my skill set.!! ruclips.net/video/v6dtsHu_ljM/видео.html
Apologies if I'm way off base here, but is the machine going "clonk, clonk, etc" as the spindle turns? It sounds like it to me. If so, then I think the preload on the spindle bearings may need resetting on your machine. It's a "service item" on these machines and my new WM290V was way off as delivered. I disassembled it all and set the preload correctly. No more clonk, clonk on my machine. The measured run out was significantly better as well as surface finish on cuts. Yours may be different, but yours does sound like mine used to. It's worth noting that Warco do not check the machine at all. The crate is unopened from the time of leaving the "factory" in China all the way until you install it. It's best to treat the machine as something that needs to be checked, fettled and repaired from end to end before putting into service. As I found out!
Hi Laurence, Thank you for taking the time to comment and with an interesting observation too. The "clunking" on my machine is coming from the crude lead screw drive rather than the spindle, but I will look at this again. I did also recheck the Warco website and note the following: "Each lathe is fully run and tested by a qualified member of our team before leaving our premises, and will be supplied with an individual accuracy test report.", but as I show in one of my other videos the machine was in a dreadful (dirty) state as delivered, so I am very sceptical that anything is done here in the UK. This is the reality of buying these "cheap" chinese made machine tools. Initial problems aside, I think the machine has performed well, even though I do still struggle with getting a good finish on mild steel. As above, I'll look at this again bearing in mind your experience. Cheers Mark
Hi Ron, Now that is a good question :-) I think (but memory is a strange thing) that I got better results on the Boxford. Having a clutch on the carriage and cross slide feed was better than the sheer pin on the Warco. Changing the chuck on the Boxford was so much easier than the fiddly nuts/stud arrangement on the Warco, but then it could unscrew when running in reverse :-) There are pros and cons with each. The trouble with the Boxfords is that they are not getting quite old and subject to wear, which was my main reason for going down the import route. Cheers Mark
C'est le mandrin qui ne vaut rien il faut changer et monter des mandrins ROHM ou EMCO précision 1/100 iem et toujours serrer les mors en face du rond de la marque
THANK YOU , THANK YOU , THANK YOU! - you sir are a true engineer & gentleman , I didn,t expect a video. thank you again for your time & effort . you have perfectly answered my questions . i can order one with more confidence now. I hope to speak again in the future . all the very best to you & yours.
I needed a reason for another video Mark,. so really it was a pleasure :-)
Just a few tips here, my warco lathe I thought I'd checked every thing when I first got it, but to my surprise the spindle adjusting nuts came loose after using it, so it's a good idea to mark end of spindle & lock ring for reference, also tighten studs in back of chucks, I ran a die down mine & put a slight lead on the end down to root of thread, if you have room wider washers with a knurl on washer o/d, I found using a mag base on the cross slide can leave some nasty scratches on Warco lathes , I use a scribing type base instead, hope that helps, Coventry 🇬🇧.
The mounting face should also be tested. That is very important as well. Do not tighten from all three spots. Tighten only from the "0". Also different diameter material will have different variations. The jaws are ground at a certain diameter, and it is true at that diameter. If you go way to down, or way to big with the material diameter, it won't be true anymore. Chucks are not meant to be very accurate, that is why you have collets for.
Check the r/o on the chuck. If it is the same, as on the mandrel, then this can be reduced by slackening it slightly and tapping it to get the minimum run out. Tighten the stud nuts again in this position.
This information is invaluable to someone like myself who is considering purchasing this model.
For the work I will be doing, that spindle bore runout will be fine. I've never considered any three jaw chucks to be accurate at all, better to use the four jaw. Many thanks for posting this video, subbed. 👍
I dont mean to be offtopic but does anyone know a method to get back into an instagram account..?
I stupidly lost my password. I love any help you can offer me!
@Nikolai Johan instablaster ;)
@Eli Bryce I really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now.
Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Eli Bryce It did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thank you so much you really help me out !
@Nikolai Johan you are welcome =)
Hi Mark, I had similar readings on my Warco 240 lathe and 3 jaw chuck. I hugely improved mine by re-mounting the chuck by rotating it by one hole on the register to find a better position and re-marking it, and also by tightening the work piece using the 'master' chuck key hole marked with a 0 (I learned this recently from another RUclipsr) Maybe worth a try.
Nice tips Mark, I'll give them a go.
You can get an adjustable 3 jaw chuck which would be more accurate but they're the same price as the lathe new
Move the chuck a bolt hole round at a time and recheck you may find a better placement, or run a boring tool though the jaws, or workout which jaw needs stoneing to true the chuck how do you think the top end markers do it and why they cost so much more.
Hello Mark, really helpful video thank you. I too have the same lathe and can agree the same deviations and run out. I have also had trouble with the tailstock where it can cause a taper all too freqeuntly due to some slack fore and aft of around 1.5mm. Now i have to be very careful to set the tailstock parallel with the work in the chuck to avoid a taper. Have you any thoughts on this or experincing similar issues?
Cheers
Hi Andy,
Yes, I've have issues with the tail stock and have not yet managed to get it 100% aligned. It's not been a problem so far, but I will need to sort it at some time.
Mark
It appears to be a common problem with this lathe. Check out this guys radical solution to sorting out the tailstock alignment. Definitely beyond my skill set.!! ruclips.net/video/v6dtsHu_ljM/видео.html
Surprised that you didn't rotate the spindle by hand if not just to save wear on your dial indicator?
Apologies if I'm way off base here, but is the machine going "clonk, clonk, etc" as the spindle turns? It sounds like it to me. If so, then I think the preload on the spindle bearings may need resetting on your machine. It's a "service item" on these machines and my new WM290V was way off as delivered. I disassembled it all and set the preload correctly. No more clonk, clonk on my machine. The measured run out was significantly better as well as surface finish on cuts. Yours may be different, but yours does sound like mine used to. It's worth noting that Warco do not check the machine at all. The crate is unopened from the time of leaving the "factory" in China all the way until you install it. It's best to treat the machine as something that needs to be checked, fettled and repaired from end to end before putting into service. As I found out!
Hi Laurence,
Thank you for taking the time to comment and with an interesting observation too. The "clunking" on my machine is coming from the crude lead screw drive rather than the spindle, but I will look at this again.
I did also recheck the Warco website and note the following: "Each lathe is fully run and tested by a qualified member of our team before leaving our premises, and will be supplied with an individual accuracy test report.", but as I show in one of my other videos the machine was in a dreadful (dirty) state as delivered, so I am very sceptical that anything is done here in the UK.
This is the reality of buying these "cheap" chinese made machine tools. Initial problems aside, I think the machine has performed well, even though I do still struggle with getting a good finish on mild steel. As above, I'll look at this again bearing in mind your experience.
Cheers
Mark
Hi Mark! Good video! How does this lathe compare with your old Boxford? Stay healthy!
Hi Ron,
Now that is a good question :-) I think (but memory is a strange thing) that I got better results on the Boxford. Having a clutch on the carriage and cross slide feed was better than the sheer pin on the Warco. Changing the chuck on the Boxford was so much easier than the fiddly nuts/stud arrangement on the Warco, but then it could unscrew when running in reverse :-)
There are pros and cons with each. The trouble with the Boxfords is that they are not getting quite old and subject to wear, which was my main reason for going down the import route.
Cheers
Mark
C'est le mandrin qui ne vaut rien il faut changer et monter des mandrins ROHM ou EMCO précision 1/100 iem et toujours serrer les mors en face du rond de la marque