Lathe review - Warco GH 1330 gear head lathe
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- I've had quite a number of viewer requests to talk about my machines so in this video I review my lathe, the Warco GH1330. It's a gear head lathe capable of cutting metric, imperial, DP and module threads. I talk about what I like, what I don't like and whether of not I would buy it again knowing what I know now.
You can buy this lathe in the UK from Warco;
www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes/...
It was available in the US from Grizzly but I think it is now discontinued. Might be worth calling them if you want one to see if they would start stocking it again;
www.grizzly.com/products/griz...
Here is the manual from Grizzly, which is much better than the Warco manual;
cdn0.grizzly.com/manuals/g903...
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Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
0:15 Overview of the Warco GH1330
0:53 Spindle control
1:08 Spindle speeds
1:50 Gearbox
2:32 Feed rate selection
3:23 Power feeds
3:54 Threading
4:46 D1-4 camlock chuck
5:42 Dislikes
7:09 Accessories
8:59 Making chips! How does it perform?
11:45 Why did I buy this lathe?
13:30 Am I pleased with it?
15:00 Conclusio
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You have probably already done this, but a close inspection of the sumps for manufacturing swarf and left over casting sand should be done. Along with adding magnets to the sumps and in the lube channels under the top cover.
Thanks for the advice. I've not used the flood coolant system on this machine yet but will be sure to do as you suggest before I do so.
@@joneseymakes The Gearbox LUBE sumps.
Good shout I checked the lube channels under the top cover and removed lots of swarf.
Very interesting review of your new lathe, and I am glad that you like it overall.
I bought one of these lathes new from Warco in 2004, and still have it. Back then the new price was just under £3000, so since then they have more than doubled in price.
I agree that the 1322/1330 lathes have a slightly better quality feel than the 1224/1236 lathes, the 13 inch swing lathes also have a much deeper bed casting than the 12 inch swing machines.
It is more important than for just curiosity to remove the headstock cover to inspect the condition of the internals. Some examples of these lathes are assembled and left with swarf and foundry sand in all the gearboxes, just as mine was. It is worth draining the supplied oil from the headstock as soon as possible to check what's in the bottom and clean out if necessary, and refill with fresh oil.
My new Warco 1330 had some swarf and plenty of sand in the bottom of the heastock, and sand on the internal sidewalls which would have led to premature wear and failure. I flushed out the screwcutting gearbox with kerosene without dismantling it, and I also found lots of swarf left in the apron casting caused by the many holes that are drilled through it by the manufacturer after the apron is assembled onto the machine complete with all its internals. But the apron and screwcutting box internals are relatively slow moving so not quite as urgent to check compared to the high speeds of the headstock which picks up any particles and splashes it all over the gears and bearings.
Keep an eye on the vee guidways of the bed, particularly the front vee that guides the saddle. Early signs of wear can appear in the form of scuffing along the flanks of the vee. This is caused by the sometimes very poor rough finish of the bearing surface of the underside of the saddle, which appears as a heavy rough scraped and chiseled surface. I had to correct this on my 1330 and have had no more scuffing or wear of the bed since.
As for the bed gap piece, I did remove it from mine just once years ago, and after thorough cleaning it went back into place and lined up just fine eventually, with the aid of a rubber hammer. The rubber hammer should be used on the main bed, not the gap piece, as the bolts are gradually tightened. However, the usually very good Grizzly manual actually recommends to not attempt to refit the gap piece if I remember correctly. This is bad advise and it should be replaced as soon as possible to prevent increased wear of the bed and the saddle as the saddle rides over the end of the bed guidways into fresh air and back again.
Although my 1330 had many faults, including rust on the headstock gears, shafts and bearings, the manufacturing and assembly quality of these Chinese made lathes can vary between individual machines. So good or bad details found on some examples may not be found on another, even from the same batch.
Other irritating design features I have found are the extra chaingewheels required to be fitted to achieve fine feeds, which then have to be changed in order to cut threads. The lack of any friction dials, instead the dials use stupid grub screws drilled right through the dials division markings. Finally that tailstock has a rather spindly diameter quill for a three Morse taper bore, this tailstock with its 32mm diameter quill was originally designed as a two Morse taper.
Anyway, I must like mine a little bit, since I still have it after all these years.
Hope yours gives you many years of trouble free service and enjoyment.
Thanks for the great tips. I've already drained and re-filled the oil in all gearboxes, but I'll be sure to check for sand and swarf the next time I do it. Great tip on the guideways, I might take the saddle off and check it. I agree regarding the change wheels, would have been nice to just be able to switch between feeds and screw cutting without changing wheels. All the best.
I really loved the custom 3D-printed accessories, well done mate!
Thanks a lot! Cheers
Great video and well deserved upgrade. I can only dream of getting something like this in my garage. Im working with a 8x16 import and having a feed gearbox would be life changing!
You can still get a lot of good work done with a small lathe, the gearbox does make things much easier though!
I just bought that lathe fantastic piece of kit. Like your content keep it up
Cheers, thanks.
i've got the next size up, realy happy with it!
Glad to hear it!
Very well done video! Thanks again!
Thanks for watching!
Great review of your lathe, looks like a good investment
Thanks!
I have a gh1236 😂 rigidity and mods well Bolting down helped, i also added gibs on the front of the saddle as there was lots of play there, so far its an adequate machine. Have had it for about 6years now daily use😅
Nice review. I have one of these - I got it used, so a few of the accessories had gone missing somewhere, but I'm very pleased with how it works, and I'm glad I didn't get the much smaller models (I was buying my first lathe, and I looked at the tiny models, then got on to the geared versions, and then Ebay had a GH1330 for about the same money as one of the lesser GH machines new...).
Also, mine had a broken cover for the leadscrew when I got it. Both sides are now removed, gives you full range of travel - and if you ever break the shear-pin, you don't have to fight the covers as well while trying to replace the pin...
Thanks for that. Were the lead screw covers a pain to remove?
@@joneseymakes not too bad. You have to get the leadscrew out, which means punching out the sheer-pin, and undoing the bearing holder on the tail side. If I recall correctly - it's about 3 years back.
Thanks, I’ll give that a go.
Hello there. For a quick reply, I'm from Michigan USA. First off I was around for nearly 42 years and wanted to put my skills, and use that experience and hobby stuff. Personally I'm glad you stepped up to a higher level with a larger Lathe. Only one item I'd suggest, keep the ways clear / clean as you are sanding turned item's on your Lathe. My equipment is kept in my basement, so the temperature doesn't effect my work. Good luck now 🙂
Hi Keith, thanks for the advice. I need to fit some way covers really.
Just found your channel. Joined, your review was very helpful. Looking forward to future vids. Thanks for the look.
Thanks, glad to have you on board.
Nice vid Jonesey, a second about how much tweaking you had to do when you first received it would be interesting. I know with the mini lathe you kind of need to treat it as a kit and disassemble the whole thing, clean, deburr, tweak stuff, etc.
Thanks for sharing
Cheers
Actually with this lathe I did very little. There was some cleaning, I had to get it off the pallet which was a mission, then level it. But otherwise it was pretty much ready to go.
Looks like a pretty capable bit of kit for a home workshop, wish I had both room and money
I'm a woodworker and more specifically a woodturner, though I enjoy metal working videos very much for some reason lol. Over the years I've lived by the "buy once cry once" theory. Get a piece of equipment you can grow with. If you go the smaller and cheaper route you'll just be replacing it in the future and spending more in the long run. Do your homework, as Jonesey explained here. You'll look back and be glad you did.
I've been watching a few of your videos lately as I've only just discovered you. I think your content is top-notch, so thank you for the effort you're putting in. Your lathe looks fabulous for hobby use.. My brother and I also took a trip to the Warco show room last year and I ended up buying from their second-hand stock. As it happens the machine I bought was actually brand new. They had evaluated it and decided not to include it in their range, so they just got rid of it. I don't know if they ever had any others, so I may have the only Warco branded VS 1235 machine. Grizzly do sell this model in their range, its the Grizzly G0949G - 12" x 35" Gunsmith lathe. It was useful to hear you mention the Grizzly manual for your machine. I shall have a look to see if I can get one for mine too.
Thanks for the feedback. Interesting to hear about your lathe, are you pleased with it?
@@joneseymakes Yes I am happy with it. I got a decent £1500 discount on the machine and plan to use the savings (I had already budgeted for a full price machine) to have an electronic leadscrew or CNC setup for thread cutting. Currently I have to use change gears, which are of course evil.
@@GeoffTV2 Good man, that sounds like a good upgrade.
Hi great video very informative I bought the warco wm290v a few years ago don't have the same problem with the leed screw covers as you do however your machine seems more robust. I noticed your DRO is the same as mine having never had one before I found it a great asset but the booklet it came with is very hard to understand Some of the functions it comes with I have no idea how to use maybe a video on the DRO would be useful to myself and others. Thanks for sharing kind regards Shaun
Thanks for the comment, yes maybe a DRO video would be useful. The manual I got with mine was very difficult to understand but I've worked out most of the features now.
Try looking at 'Jon's workshop' on RUclips he is doing a series on DRO's and their functions he just did the second one of the series. The first was absolute/incremental, the second was on PCD ( pitch circle diameter) hole circle function and angular convention of start and finish angles. Very informative. I was the one who originally asked Jon to explain the abs/inc system as my dro instruction are in 'Chinglish' and unintelligible.
Great video 👍
A couple of questions...
Did it need cleaning when you got it? Mine (VM250) was filthy with cast iron filings everywhere.
Have you done any accuracy tests?
Cheers
Mark
Hi Mark, it was covered with that grease stuff that they ship machines from China with (Cosmolene?). This one wasn't too bad but most of my other machines required stripping and cleaning before use. I've not done any real testing on the accuracy front yet, although I intend to in the future.
Great Video. I have a Chester Crusader Deluxe. No far of the same spec as yours. I removed the leadscrew cover because it was effecting the finish, also restricting and changed the tool post etc. I love that turret in the tailstock you have, let me know where you got it from. Big thumbs up !
Thanks! I got the turret from here www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machines-Accessories/Lathe-Accessories/Tailstock-Accessories/Tailstock-Turrets
Hello from Sweden! Great video!
Regarding the feeds gearbox, are you sure you’re supposed to manoeuvre the gearbox with the spindle at a stand-still?
Both my lathes, and my mill, actually calls for the spindle to be rotating whilst selecting speeds.
Hey Henrik, yes I’m sure. There’s no synchromesh in these gearboxes so they need to be changed when stationary. If you try and change them whilst moving you grind the gears.
Great video. I have a GH1322 and your video is extremely helpful. Wondering if you fancy making for sale the 3d printed items you have made?
Thanks. I have the files for sale on my website for the 3D printed things if you own a 3D printer. I might make the physical objects available for sale at some point. Just need to work out how to do this economically.
This looks much like my 2003 vintage (bought used after it'd seen some hard times) JET GHB1340A but with a shorter bed and no selector for the leadscrew /feed rod rotation. I noticed on the carriage, the DRO housing covers the carriage lock bolt. If you use this feature, you can probably move the locking clamp to the right and the retainer strip to the left and put a proper locking lever on it (need to drill one hole). I intend to try this on my old beast if I can ever get a stretch where I'm not using it. It's been a good lathe to me; hope yours holds up as well.
Thanks for that, very useful.
2 points on surface finish (material aside)
1 nose radius and feed rate combination has an impact.
2 those marks you saw were not the limits of your machine (very impressive) but they are tip geometry related.
The chip groove is turning the swarf back onto the machined surface and scratching it.
Feed rate changes and tip geometrymay alter that.
Very interesting Steve, thanks for the advice. Looking back at the footage now I'm sure you are right. I will do some more experiments with feed rates and different inserts.
I agree the finish that you achieved was due to swarf curling back off the top of the tool and marking the job.
Excellent video, I like your 3D printed tool holders, which printer do you have? I am thinking about getting one.
I have a number of 3D printers but the one I use most is the Prusa Mk3
Jonesey I have a Warco GH1236 and it leaks oil too .....all i see is an oil puddle under the head stock but cant find the source. Wonder if you know where it could be coming from. I like your tool holder brackets you have on the back splash guard. I have the very same tools post/holders. Do you sell these brackets you 3D printed. I do enjoy your videos and I learn from them thankyou
Hi Colin, check the main input shaft to the gearbox. This is the one that that connects to the pulley and drive belt that comes from the motor. On mine there is an oil seal where the input shaft passes through the side of the gearbox it was this that needed replacing. Check the manual that you got with the lathe, there will be an exploded diagram of the gearbox - look for anywhere there is an oil seal listed in the parts list. These are prime candidates for failure. I'm not selling the tool holder brackets yet, but this is something I'm thinking about for the future, so keep an eye out on the channel!! Thanks for watching.
I think this is the Sieg Industries C330-1000 sold under several different names and colors. Definitely a huge step above all of their mini models
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
@@joneseymakes Sieg don't make lathes either - they're just another branded Chinese importer.
Hi
Great review of the lathe
Can I ask what model lathe you had before you bought this lathe
Thanks
Hi Colm. I had a Chester DB7VS mini lathe.
I got the grizzly G0709 about 7 years ago. I haven't used it as much as I'd like but when I need it, I have it. I've also recently bought a sherline manual/cnc small mill and lathe and haven't had time to use those, I'm to busy with my normal job lol.
Let me know how you get on with the Sherline, I'd like to get into CNC at some point.
WAIT wait wait.... 6:45 Are those your machine shop CROCS???
HERESY!!!
Haha busted!!!
Excellent channel and review and off the back of this I purchased one 👍. It’s just been delivered and I need to fit the DRO. could I ask if you could send me some close up photos of the cross slide mounting details if you would be so kind please
Kind regards Andy
Sure Andy. Send me your email address and I’ll forward some photos.
I have a Chester DB10Super LB. I have the same twist issue with the tailstock. I have a good idea what the problem is but it would be nice to see someone else rectify the issue before I go delving into mine! 😄
I'll do a lathe modifications video at some point. This is going to be an easy fix I think. There is a retaining pin that runs in a channel to stop rotation and I suspect that it's undersize.
Hello from Aus, I have the 1440B lathe with the 51mm bore, nice lathe and accurate, yep the lead screw cover drives me mad, and the gear box changes for feeds and threads is tricky to find the correct notch. I have not levelled mine yet!! should hav a year ago!! I have brought some of the level pads 160mm same as you have, how did you find them, and may I ask how you went around lifting the corners of the lathe to place them under? Thanks Gary
Hey Gary, yeah the pads are pretty good. I would have preferred the threads in them to be a little more substantial but they work. I used an engine crane to lift the lathe to fit them, but another method is to use a crow bar and wooden wedges to get it off the ground. You then gradually lever it up using ever thicker chocks under the crowbar and pushing the wedges in to hold it until your high enough to fit the feet.
@@joneseymakes Thanks Mate, I went the 160mm Dia, because they had the M16 bolts.
Good choice
I've got a very similar machine which was sold by Enco here in the US; my major complaint is how the compound affixes to the cross-slide; it leaves only a very thin web of cast iron to affix the compound and beyond, making me rather nervous. I'm working this weekend to replace the cross slide table with one I designed to alleviate this problem.
Yes, I’m none too happy with the compound on mine. I’m considering removing it in favour of a solid toolpost.
Hi there I've just bought a second hand GH 1236 and I'm wondering what size tools are uou using ?
I have a variety of tools, most have 12mm or 16mm shanks.
Have you got 3 phase power or did you have another solution for powering the lathe?
You can spec the lathe with either three phase or single phase, so I bought the single phase.
Some of this looks very like the Myford 245s which I first learned turning on. What do others think? I could be wrong, sadly the 245s is a long way gone.
It does look a bit similar yes.
hey great video. i have an old Warco GH 1224 that i saved from goin to the scrap after previous work decided to upgrade it. Like the 3d printed tool holders holder. any chance you willing to share the files for them?
Hey, thanks. I've uploaded those to my Patreon so if you become a supporter you can download them for free along with a number of other 3D models, plans etc.
I am curious why you don't fit a draw bar and get a mt5 to 5c adapter for collets? That is how the big boys do it (it is so much easier and faster than the collet chuck) although I guess the badly designed lead screw covers would be a problem working that close to the spindle. One thing about those covers, they should compress into a much shorter length than you showed, I suspect they are either defective or improperly installed. You can buy high quality coil covers if you want them, they are good enough for Schaublin but for hobby use just take them off and don't worry
I never considered the draw bar option, I like the idea. Less run out than a chuck I would imagine. Yes, I need to take another look at those covers, they are pretty useless anyway.
@@joneseymakes my Schaublins both use draw bars, and they work great (the 135 is also a mt5 but a little bigger at 40mm, I think 38mm will still work. Ideally you can find some tubing as a starting point as boring out that much from solid bar is not fun. It seems likely someone else has done this already.
Thanks for that review, most interesting. Would have been nice to have some measurements of lathe accuracy e.g. spindle runout, parallelism of a long piece of stock machined between centres, etc. No machine review is complete without accuracy measurements and is particularly important for Chinese imports, which are often feature rich but accuracy poor. Maybe a follow up video?
Good suggestion. I'll get around to a follow up video at some point.
i'm in the market for a hobby workshop lathe....question.. do Warco check the lathes and give you a accuracy report? it would be cheaper to buy from china, but if warco give quality service, it sounds worth the money.
I did get and accuracy report I think. But what I think is more valuable is the after sales service. I had a problem with an oil seal on my lathe after purchasing and was able to call them up and discus. They sent out a replacement part very quickly.
@@joneseymakes Thanks Nick, i ordered a Warco hobby lathe and mill. lots of future projects.
Best of luck with it!
@@ProfSimonHolland Best of luck Simon, if you need any help give me a shout
@@joneseymakes thank you....delivery has been a nightmare as i live in France and the post Brexit EU import rules and taxes are expensive. hope to get my wm250 lathe and mill soon.
This is nearly identical to the JET GHB-1340A. No coolant pump, spindle brake or lead screw covers though.
Interesting. I think most of these machines come out of the same factory.
Look up clough42 for his electronic lead screw series. Would be a great addition 🍻
Thanks, I’ll check that out!
I was just about to recommend Clough42 LOL
Particularly notable when you noted that your lathe is equivalent to a Grizzly model, since the ELS project was basically for his Grizzly.
I don't think it's worth modding this lathe. I'd leave it as is and modify a second smaller bench lathe if you want to add ELS.
Fwiw I have a custom 2 axis ELS in mine but it's a cheap bench lathe that I didn't mind messing with.
You are talking about the rigidity of the lathe here a lot, but i would wager a bet that if you changed out your tooling for solid carbide, or doubled up on the shank diameter(i know, square doesnt have a dia, but it kinda does, as it touches an outscribed circle in 4 places) if you want to use steel holders(price, sure, i get it)... The bed and the machine components are beefy enough, and it is a gear head, i just think you reached the extent of rigidity of your toolholders(insert holders)... Try using a solid carbide shank ground up, you can get them on ebay square and round profiled, so that of the same dia as your holders should improve the finish drastically or just go up a size in steel holders... also, check the gib/crosslide play... stefan demonstrated it nicely with the compound rebuilds and his last deckel shaper head video... you could also consider a solid toolpost or just dead-locking the compound slide with its gib... that would surely grant a reduction of vibrations from that section... but i mostly think its just that 1cm shank that has reached the end of its solid performance at that depth of cut... You even spoke of the man himself, abom, and sure, you arent taking his cuts, but this aint a monarch 3 ton lathe, but he uses 1inch shanks on his tools, not 1cm... and sure, his cuts are deeper, but i would say that you should not spit at the lathe, check out some thicker tooling... Also, the older the lathe, the simpler the electronics, my schaerer un450 has a large contactor 3 fuses beneath it and a relay at the front to actuate the contactor, thats it... the coolant pump has its own little switch and thats it, 3 switches at the front and a reset switch for the contactor in the back, 3 are relay for on/off, coolant on/off and an a switch for the lamp as the lathe has her own 220v single phase outlet on the back... My old baby lathe has a simple 25amp lever switch and thats it... Mills and such with separate motors for feeds have complex electronics and surface grinders, but lathes are generally user friendly with the electronics cabinetry...
Hi Camillo. You made some excellent points there. Yes I agree that rather than the machine itself, I think it was the tool and/or the compound setup that was at the limit there. Another viewer suggested that it may be the nose radius/geometry of the tool that may be forcing the chips back into the workpiece and marring the surface finish. Some more experimentation needed I think and I am also keen to do the solid tool post upgrade as shown by Stefan and Robin Renzetti. Thanks for the observations.
What's the spindle runout?
11:29 All those scratches are from chips flying back into the workpiece, This happens a lot with mild steel.
I measured the spindle run out to about 5 microns, so about 2 tenths. Yes, looking back at the footage I think you're right.
@@joneseymakes excellent 👍
I’ve literally just ordered the GH1230 and now tempted to change the order to the GH1330 - i was originally attracted to the GH1230 due to the larger range of speeds and the 3 axis DRO - what was it about the 1330 that stood out to you above the 1230/36 in therms of quality?
@@benjaminc1816 It was hard to put my finger on one thing. All the levers and hand wheels just seemed a little smoother and tighter, the machine seems a little more substantial. I didn't like the way the gear selectors felt on the 1236. I also wanted the 3 axis DRO but having looked at it the scale on the compound gets the in the way a little. These are all just opinions though, the 1236 I would expect to be a good machine. If possible, I would recommend going to Warco and having a look for yourself.
Next upgrade, a fully rebuilt Hardinge toolroom lathe 😜
Yes indeed!!! I would actually like to get a vintage machine and restore it now.
I'd be utterly ecstatic with a mini lathe! lol
:-)
Hi very good review I am looking to buy one like it I found one on alibaba is it the same tl360a cq6236a 1000 mm 2500 us dollars can you give an advice my best regards
It does look very similar yes, I couldn't say for sure though. I'd not like to offer an advice on machines that I've not seen in person, so probably best doing your own research.
Dónde puedo solicitar cotización de máquinas Warco.gracias.
Hi do you sell tool holder rest ?
I sell the 3D files to print at home on my website. I don’t sell the physical holders.
Those leadscrew covers don't seem very effective. I have less chips attached to my open leadscrew. Nice lathe with impressive performance. Still cheaper than a new Myford!
No they’re no good. I think I’ll end up removing them as they also restrict the travel of the carriage.
BTW, all these lathes are based on the Colchester design, in fact all Colchester (& Harrison) are made in Taiwan now, The Colchester design platform is the Mondeo of lathes, cheapish to produce, but with good performance
Interesting, thanks.
DOC? inserts? minimum nose radius amount plus whatever the machine will take