I Finally Bought A New Lathe - Hafco Al 250G
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 19 май 2024
- G'day everyone,
I finally bought a new lathe to replace the old 7x14 mini lathe (Sieg C3). I wasn't planning on replacing the old lathe for another 1 or 2 years, especially after adding the big 3HP motor to it. But it still struggled to machine large diameter bar stock, which is something that I needed to do for an upcoming project. With that in mind, I decided to replace the lathe.
I've bought a Hafco Al250 G. The total cost was just under $2700 Aud. It was on sale due to end of financial year sales, but it normally retails close to $3000.
It is marginally bigger than the old Sieg, its a 250 x 500 lathe, but it is much heavier and solid. About 4 times an heavy. It is comparable to a Sieg SC6 or a Precision Matthews PM1022v. However this has the advantage of having a geared headstock spindle and a proper gearbox for the headstock and leadscrew. Which means no gear changes. This also gives the added benefit of giving the spindle a mechanical advantage when running speeds lower than 1400 rpm.
The lathe also has hardened ways, which is an improvement over the old lathe. It has a much larger chuck and carriage, which should help increase rigidity when doing large work. I also think that at this size its no longer a mini lathe, rather it is a bench lathe.
Timestamps
0:00 - Intro
2:04 - Unboxing and getting the lathe up onto the workbench
5:04 - General Overview & Power feed
10:08 - Power feed and Spindle Gearbox
13:18 - Chuck, Electronics and Backsplash
17:09 - First Test Cuts
19:59 - Run Out and Chuck Cleaning
22:11 - Test Cuts in 42mm Steel
#machining #lathe #newmachineday
New Lathe Day
Hafco Al 250g - Наука
A tip for anyone who needs to move pallets over grass: if you lay a ladder on the ground and grease up the stiles, you can easily slide a several hundred kilo pallet across it by hand. With two ladders, you can build a kind of crude railway, sliding the pallet from one to the other in a leapfrog fashion.
Thanks for sharing that
Yep, that certainly works and works well.
Awesome tip! Thanks a lot.
Great Tip!
As grease you can use soft soap [1] ... if you want to reuse your ladder or wooden beams:)
[1] potassium soaps, "green soap", in German "Schmierseife", I am not sure if "soft soap" is the correct term, as it seems it is also used for hand-washing soaps and the like. I mean the soap with a very viscous consistency, often used to grease rubber when mounting car-windows f.e.
@@dieSpinnt yea, I have used "dish soap for cleaning eating and cookware" before, not on a ladder but just some boards acting as runners, most of it is harmless to yards and washes off easily enough with a hose. Fun side note for lawncare, there was a fad of "liquid aeration" a few years ago... it was a very mild dish soap in a hose end spray bottle
It’s so awesome getting to watch you grow in your machining capabilities! I remember starting out I had a little grizzly lathe and an angle grinder in my parents garage, and now I’ve got 4 full size manual lathes, 2 CNC lathes, 3 manual mills, 4 CNC mills (one of which is horizontal), several surface grinders, heat treat equipment, and much more. It’s just so cool watching others get to expand their machines and abilities as well.
Yeah sure you do. And I have a bridge for sale, 2 high rises, and a donut stand. Maybe some people will believe your BS but I can spot BS a mile away.
dude that’s awesome! how did you expand your machine collection?
@@sasukecruz2000 Hey, thanks man! And thanks for asking! I started machining in high-school with my little grizzly lathe, then joined the military. When I got out, there was a few months where I just didn’t know what the next step was, so I just started messing around with making guns on my mini lathe. A neighbor saw me and offered me a position as an aerospace machinist for the company he was working at, so I did that for about 2 years and learned a ton. The company got bought out, and they decided to outsource machining and sell a bunch of equipment for relatively cheap. So I scrambled on the opportunity, got a loan, bought the equipment and made a bid to be their outsource company. Did that for about 4 years, and made enough to purchase a shop (instead of renting) and buy several more pieces of equipment. Then the company I was doing the work for went under, so I switched to gunsmithing, and I’ve done that for over a decade. I’m very lucky with how it all happened, I was at the right place at the right time and was also willing to take on a huge risk. I know most people aren’t going to expand as rapidly as I did, but I still get excited when other people get to purchase equipment that expands their capabilities.
@@fakerfake1 That's an awesome story. It sounds like a big risk, but at the same time you had a major opportunity you were able to take advantage of. I'm glad it worked out for you. Not surprised the company went under, given they decided to outsource their machining to the person they just fired. Not that using you was bad, in fact it was probably the best deal they could have gotten. Rather their costs went up, and control went down. If you hadn't stepped in, then they'd be working with a brand new manufacturer who didn't have that personal relationship and knowledge.
It did seem to be a lot noisier than what I would have expected. Yes it needs a quick change tool oost and DRO. I'd love to have an upgraded size.
Turning between centers can be a very useful method. You don't need to switch the chuck out for the faceplate and M4 center. Just put a piece of round stock in the chuck and turn a 60° point, and drive the dog with a chuck jaw. I keep such a shop made center and give it a skim cut to true it up every time I use it, so it's always perfect. I made a parallel clamp style dog that fits anything from tiny to about 70mm so I don't need a whole set of dogs.
Yeah, I do the same, been doing that since my apprenticeship days in the 50's.
that intro had such This Old Tony energy, I love it
Consider some neodymium magnets in the gear sump to catch chips. It doesn't take much to take out the spindle bearings. If you have a oil drip channel going to the bearings put a few very small magnets in it.
The paint on the gear was probably used to check gear mesh. I used paint to check the mesh on the ring and pinion on my truck when I rebuilt it. I want this lathe and will be getting one once I get my shop set up. Looks to be easier to set up and get going then the mini lathe which works for me. Looking forward to seeing you useing this to make some cool stuff.
Nice purchase and hardened ways this time. There was a multi part article by a guy that had bought a Chinese gear head lathe much like this new one in Model Engineer or similar and he detailed the stripping fettling and re-assembly. He was impressed by the quality and accuracy of the machining but not the assembly, likening the assemblers to monkeys IIRC. One main thing he brought up and I've seen it elsewhere as well, there was still casting sand in the headstock which he thoroughly removed and repainted with oil resistant paint inside. No magnets are going to do anything about loose sand in the headstock if any were to break free.
these beds while induction hardened are actually still just soft enough to scrape, the standard Sandvik scraper inserts hold up better than my Biax blades but you simply need to lap your blades more frequently. the fitting work on these al-250's specifically is hit and miss, one of my students who did a fantastic job scraping in his lathe found the leadscrew support bracket was so severely undersize that engaging the half nuts would cause the motor to fail. hafco replaced the motor under warranty at least twice from memory but when shown the root issue they simply swapped brackets with those on the showroom floor/their stock until they found a slightly thicker bracket. upon measuring it back at the shop it still needed a fairly thick brass shim to get it perfect.
I love the way this channel is moving forward, have been watching (on and off to be honest) since you bought that little bugger lathe, then came the mill, and soo on. Over those years I have bought different equipment for my shop, I am in Europe soo most off it was big used old stuff, but I still found these videos helpful. Keep up the good work!
Wow, congratulations on your new lathe! What a step up in capabilities vs. the mini-lathe. You have to still have respect for the little lathe too. It really treated you well even with it's limitations. I'm looking forward to what you make on this new lathe in your upcoming videos!
Great video, I cried when you cut those wires to the safety switch. I would have loosened both terminals and moved the one wire to the other and tightened the screws again and put it back in. BASICALLY BOTH WIRES ON 1 TERMINAL.This way if you needed to return it back it would only take a few seconds and nothing gets cut. I’m sorry, it’s my OCD KICKING IN. GREAT VIDEO.ENJOY THE NEW TOY.
My thoughts exactly. I always prefer to make any modifications reversible.
Yeah I had the same reaction plus you can return it to factory if needed
Me too. It’s a problem with a deliberate disregard for safety.
@@melgrossA deliberate disregard for safety?
No offense meant but hes an adult he can make his own arrangments around safety.
@@simonharris8817 well, good luck to you. The reason why we have safety rules is because people are bad at “making their own arrangements around safety.”
So glad you bought this, I've been mulling over this purchase for weeks and you've really helped. Thanks!
I too used to have a mini lathe and it drove me crazy due to almost everything I wanted to do would fit and required so much mucking around to complete anything. I then purchased an old Emco V10p which is a similar size to yours and my life has changed. I was so impressed I then went out and bought a separate mill and that was pure luxury. I'll bet you wont regret your new lathe
15 years after selling my old Colchester Student, i went a similar route, small lathe very much like your old one, kept working on it to overcome limitations and finally realised a new, larger lathe was called for. Much the same as yours but with DRO and variable drive (actually the same lathe as Blonihacks uses). never regretted it!! I have a Sanou 160mm 6 jaw chuck with around 10-micron runout on a gauge pin - i tapped it in with DTI and soft blow mallet with the huk mount nuts just tight. Be interested to see the runout on yours after tapping in and the cleaning
I cannot think of anyone that is more deserving, well done Sir and I look forwards to the upgrades and the new parts/tools you will be fabricating.
I didn't expect it so soon either :o . Or the last video.
Kudos and cheers on the future projects you'll be able to do !
Congratulations on the new lathe. Looking forward to follow this step up (I'm coming from a Vevor MX210V wich has been a dissap...a challenge so far). However I had semi-good experience with their costumer service, which was a surprise.
Nice upgrade. Looking forward to seeing what improvements you make for it.
Honestly I'd check out one of the electronic lead screw packages from some of the other youtubers. Being able to set things like stops, metric/imperial threading through a couple of button presses, is extremely powerful.
If I didn't have the gearbox I would
@@artisanmakes You still can - I did on my al250 and it’s great! It was a lot of work of course but the end result has been one hell of an upgrade! Thanks.
Sure but is it really necessary?
@@artisanmakes hes not wrong and its one of those type of improvements thatll have you woondering how the heck you ever lived without it.
Yeah but I already have the gearbox to the lead screw. I don’t see why you’d need to add the ELS
Finally a bigger lathe, but please change the oil. You already saw the condition of the chuck. Also give all oil points a good service.
As a mini lathe user myself, I'll watch your progress with the new machine with interest. Looks to be much more substantial, yet still small enough for the small workshop 👍 🇬🇧
Thankyou so much ! Am looking at buying this lathe. Your review was fantastic ! Cheers
Congrats buddy! Those darn mini lathes are a gateway drug. Looking forward to your projects with this extra pep to really flex your skills.
congrats on the new lathe. I took the plunge 2 yrs ago and got a new AL336D. great unit
As Mike suggested, run the lathe in as directed in the manual. Then change the headstock oil and drop in a magnet or two to collect swarf. Make sure the headstock lubrication system is working as it is supposed to.
The main reason small lathes have variable spindle speeds is because they are cheaper to build. Look in an old text like "Advanced Machine Work" (which is available on-line) and it gives formulas for generating the intermediate spindle speeds given the lowest and highest speeds desired. It is a logarithmic progression.
The only people who have a need to have the "absolute best" speeds and feeds are tooling and production engineers who are making a quarter-million part run where every second counts and tooling costs must be minimized. In the home shop you have the time to make several lighter cuts and save your tooling and wear on your lathe.
Oil is the elixir of life to your lathe. Clean and wet the bed ways with way oil (or chain saw bar oil which is also sticky and won't run off ways and gears) every day you use the lathe. If the ways look dry... they are. Stop and reach over for the oil can.
Often omitted from the lube charts is the worm gear for the carriage power feed. Disconnect the power from the lathe and feel under the bottom backside of the carriage for the worm. Make sure it is clean and then smear it liberally with grease. If the lathe power feed is used daily, lube the worm monthly. Normal hobby use, lube once every six months.
Hey, thanks for the information. I recently purchased my first lathe and am dealing with rust and other fun things from the previous owner. So, knowing how to keep from having to do this much work again is really helpful. Though re-building the thing is teaching me quite a bit...
Does that thing sound exceptionally loud?
@@n.b.p.davenport7066 No
Looks like a sweet upgrade. The QC gearbox makes getting a nice finish so much easier.
i can’t wait to see the upgrades. love the channel. great info and awesome explanations. can’t wait till you get a four jaw independent chuck. your run out will be nil. awesome new lathe.
Congratulations on your purchase! Looks like a *solid* little lathe!
I like that your videos are crossing into This Old Tony territory
thanks, its hard to find competent reviews on this lathe, very useful info
So cool that you got a bigger lathe! You've done amazing things with that little one, beyond what most could have. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do with this one!
A tip- I recently picked up a 9x32 to extend my turning capabilities much like you have, and after reviewing a lot of video advice and tearing into mine I can say this- the best advice I found was to do a full teardown and clean and set it up before even first cuts. There is so much grinding dust and casting sand left in these that the spindle bearings and other components (just as you found in your chuck) will wear prematurely. Mine is resting gently on it's new bench until I complete the rebuild. 😆
Thankyou Artisan. I have a Seig Micro lathe and needed to upgrade to something bigger. I got it cheap at the time and wanted something to hold clock barrel's because I only had a watch making lathe. I've not been too crazy about some of the Chinese lathes due to the low quality and therefore accuracy that you get. I have been considering getting a Myford lathe as they come up on Gumtree from time to time. Seeing your new lathe now has me rethinking which way to go, as I like doing things for motorbikes as well. Really enjoy watching your channel and look forward to the next episode.😁
Very, very nice.
Congratulations.
I can't wait to see what you can do with it, you have a lot of talent that can be unleashed now.
I love how you over time, slowly shifted your style of content to be similar to This Old Tony, but you manage to deliver those dry, dad jokes the same amazing way, as Tony does. And in the mean time you retain your own charisma, that makes me love your videos
Found you a while back and love your posts. Keep them coming.
Awesome thank you!
Love to see an imitation of This old Tony
Awesome bud, nice to see you progressing. Keep up the good work and great videos.
I am certain you will LOVE all the features! I also just upgraded from my SIEG C3 to one from Little Machine Shop (7550 Deluxe) and it is a whole different world.
Excellent points about an old-school geared head vs new-fangled variable DC motor.
Regarding the head "loosening up a little bit", the manufacturer recommended running under no load for 20 minutes. I did that in both directions; 20 minutes each way. But mine's a new-fangled variable DC.
You didnt need to cut and solder the wires for that switch, just move one over and it would have completed the circuit, or put both terminals on one screw.
Yeah. I dunno when your in the moment and the camera is rolling sometimes you gloss over the small stuff.
I was thinking the exact same thing, but then being in front of the camera I can also understand artisanmakes blonde moment too.
@@artisanmakesnot only was it unnecessary because you could have just moved one terminal, but soldering and then tape is by far the crappiest (and least reliable) method. Solder is generally a bad idea anywhere near vibrations. Another option are screw terminals, but then you need wire ferrules. Which brings us to simply using WAGOs.
yeah I know
@@artisanmakes You'll remember me in five years when the solder joint breaks and the glue on the tape will have turned back into dinosaur juice
Awesome purchase. Congratulations, well deserved
I just picked up a Lodge and Shipley AVS 2013 lathe a week or two ago and I just got it into my shop today. I have a Monarch 10ee and a Clausing 4913. I love my Monarch and Clausing but I get needing something bigger, that's why my new L&S is a 20-1/2" swing with 54" between centers 😁. My machine shop has ceased to be a hobby and is now my near full time employment. Keep up the great work I love the videos seeing you squeeze every last bit of efficiency of those small lathes and making super professional parts is always cool.
Congrats on the new machine!
Love to see it! Something about smol industrial equipment (or, almost-industrial) is just so fun and interesting. I work on Haas CNC Mills but a lathe like this is somehow more alluring to my crafty tendancies. Cheers!
The blue paint on the back of the scroll is to check backlash. It doesn't hurt the gearing in any way. It's common to see this in differential gears in cars too for the same reason..
Awesome review. I've had one on my wish list for years. Tempting now while they are having the sales on
Congrats! That's a beautiful machine!!!
A Video with a HINT of This Old Tony :) *love it*
Wishing you many safe and happy hours on your new lathe!
Congrats on the new lathe mate! Looking forward to all the videos of you upgrading it :D Cheers.
Congratulations!! On the new lathe
best wishes with new purchase. I have same model but different label. done heaps of mods to suit me. I too found fitting chuck quite awkward but notched flange bigger which helps. latest purchase was a full set of change gears ex China.
I'm happy with my set up
Woooo! Nice upgrade. That’s a dapper lathe. I’m a tad jealous. I doubt you’ll regret the lack of continuous variability. Between the gear head on my mill and the variac electronic control on my lathe I much prefer the gear up or down option. Less fuss in the torque range. I’m super excited to see what you do with this machine.
Interesting, didn't see that coming, since you just did the motor upgrade, but it'll be interesting to see you use the new capabilities👍👍👍
Great addition to the shop enjoy.
Congrats on the new lathe. It looks like a pretty decent machine. Looking forward to seeing you making some chips with it!
Cheers from Canada
Awesome! Congrats on the machine!
I invested in a Engine hoist for getting my equipment in my garage. Such a handy tool to have. I also made a DIY pallet mover out of some boards and trolley wheels.
Congratulations on the lathe many good chips to come.
Awesome I have the same lathe with a few upgraded looking forward to see what you get out of it.
Nice, looking forward to some new projects on the channel
Looking forward to seeing more vids with this lathe, I'm planning on getting something similar soon
A gear head in that size!? That’s freaking awesome! Congrats, you are gonna love that gear head.
Congratulations on your new acquisition.
really pleased for you..i am sure you will make some amazing stuff on it
Very happy to see those carbide tools working as hard as they're supposed to.
I bout one strait off the bat, so happy with mine, as will you with yours, keep your crosslide angle at 30 deg I've found it to be the most rigid, it prevented me from breaking parting Inserts lol, went through about $150 worth of inserts lol.
Have fun and enjoy, hope to see more videos on the new machine.
Can't wait for the future upgrade and improvements!
I am very jealous! hope it does everything you want
DRO was the best upgrade I did for my lathe after a QCTP speeds up lot. 😀 nice to have a brand new lathe.
Congrats on the new toy!!
Congratulations on the new lathe
I am a complete newbie to machining, having bought my first ever lathe about a month ago.... and it is a used Hafco AL-250G! I will definitely be taking a keen interest in your exploits with your new AL-260G from here on in. 👍
That is awesome. Pretty good lathe eh :)
I love seeing people increase the size of their machinery. I learned my lesson with aquariums, the bigger, the better. So my first lathe, and likely the last, is a Pratt & Whitney 16x30 with a 7.5 Hp motor!
Excellent video. I have an AL350B, B for belt drive, and it’s served me well. It had wear and play in it when I purchased it from a mechanical workshop years ago but I’ve learnt to account for that. It was made in 1989 so it doesn’t have all the safety features but honestly they’re a bit of a pain in the arse. Like you, I would remove the chuck guard. The first thing we were taught back in high school, 1976, was to always remove the chuck key and that rule has served me well, touch wood. Nothing like a high velocity chuck key hitting you in the face to remind you. A couple of years ago the motor on my lathe let the smoke out, literally. After chasing around for a replacement (eBay) I couldn’t find another one that would fit so I rang Hare & Forbes / Machinery Warehouse. They explained that the motor has a non standard mount and the output shaft was longer. They also said they had a replacement for mine but it was slightly different, my motor was 1hp but the replacement was 2hp otherwise it was identical. I think it was around $450 delivered and I couldn’t get my credit card out quick enough. I figured that if I get another 30 years out of the new motor then I’m getting excellent value for money and it will see me out.
I also felt the backup service from Hare & Forbes was pretty amazing too.
Cheers, Stuart. Canberra.
i love the TOT energy this video has
Great to see the new lathe. Regarding the leadscrew: the keyway is for power feeding in both axis and the threads are used only for threading. (If you want to have a look, I have a video showing the internals of a similar gearbox).
Then I’d have to wonder what the worm of for, because I can feel it engaging
The worm rides on the leadscrew (constantly). What you feel engaging should be a gear in the apron. Have a look at my gearbox 😊
Just watched and it’s a great break down. I’ll have so open mine up and see if it’s similar. Still doesn’t explain the third worm wheel. I know for sure that’s not driven by the keyway
@@artisanmakes humm, maybe have a look in the manual, the response might be there!
The manual is a bit vague. Ill have to find out once I find the time to get the apron pulled apart
Nice machine. Can't wait to see you make some magic with it.
Congrats on the New Tool Day!
Nice. The 10x20 size lathe feels like the transition between hobby and a "real" machine. My lathe is similar but older vintage. I recently scraped the cross slide and tightly fitted gib. When you get tired of making things, you can level up by "taking your lathe to bits" and investing 80 hours in scraping and making gages, and re-fitting the cross slide. But hopefully you'll finish lots of projects before you embark on this side quest.
I had one of this sort of lathe decades ago. I put a 1/2" (12mm) piece of metal under the left end so that coolant will flow away to the right for recycling. I also made a chuck cradle out of scrap timber to aid on/off. On another matter, I put a dab of grease on the tailstock centre to reduce heat stretch problems.
Congrats! Definitely do a dro, I thought for years that it was not needed on a lathe until I got one. Makes everything so much easier. Also drop a magnet on a stick into the gear box, theres usually a ton of metal down there from the factory
Can’t wait to see what you make with this thing! I’m just starting to get back into turning on my 13x28” southbend
Thanks for the review mate cheers
I'm kinda sad that you're giving up the old lathe. It was a joy watching you come up with new ingenious ways to eke out more performance from it and get it to do things it was never meant to do. I hope we get to see you make more improvements to this new lathe too!
Same. I now that's what brought me to the channel, and helped convince me to get my lathe.
If he continues upgrading this one to the extent he did the other, pretty soon he'll be turning train wheels.
With the chuck using three bolts try moving the chuck into 3 different positions rotating the chuck. Also when you find the best setting try backing of the nuts a little and tapping the chuck in as good as you can. If you are happy with the chuck and it is running as true as you can get don't forget to centre punch the chuck to the back plate so you will always know the best position when removing and reconnecting the chuck!
You probably know this already but it saves a lot of headaches. numbering the jaws to their slots on the chuck will help with removing and reinserting them as well!
Enjoy the clean lathe because it will be the last time it is that clean!
That just ate the 4140 like it was alluminum. I'm very impressed.
Got a lotta "This Old Tony" vibes from this video. Love it
Mate, compared to most of the machining videos on youtube, yours are really good and no BS. Coming from a qualified machinist.
Oh congratulations, looks like a great machine.
I can’t wait to see the first project 😊
Its like in cars, you repair, tune optimize your old junker to its full potential, but just a week later you trade it in for the new ride you should have gotten in the first place. The old lathe did great, I really enjoyed watching you do all the improvements on it :)
When you see a thumbnail end get happy you know it's a good channel... great you have a new lathe dude!
Greetings from the Netherlands.
Great to see the upgrade. Love watching your grass roots approach and the amount of work you do by hand. I have had my HF AL-330 for 25 years and I recently fitted a DRO to it...I should have done that 20 years ago. Best thing I have ever done to it. I too recently upgraded my motor to a 3 phase but used a inverter so I have speed control plus the gearbox this has also made a great difference. The next upgrade is I have here the Clough 42 electronic leadscrew here which I will fit. The only thing I hate about the lathe is the threading side of the gearing and steps. Love your channel and look forward to many more great videos
Is that the Mark Kyle, just up the road from me (several streets and a creek), that used to live across from the Wooloowin state school?
@@graemetho9805 yes it is
@@SimjetAU It's a small world, do you watch Mark Presling if so, the Ronald D Sivyer that he named his bridge after was my next-door neighbour back at Gordon Park
Congrats mate big step up!
This Old Tony would be proud of you for this one.
Ha I knew it, after the last video I knew you were getting a new lathe lol. Congrats! With a few upgrades like a DRO & quick change tool post along with a few others you're going to have a capable little lathe on your hands. 👍👍
Btw the blue paint was for checking the mesh of the gear, looks like they left it on so the owner could see that it was meshed properly from the factory.
Those chucks need a lot of deburring and edge easing to make them touch safe, you could see most of the edges were sharp. I cringed in horror when you ran your finger along the Chuck jaw a lot of times that edge is sharp AF. Looking forward to see what you have planned. 👍
I got for years a BV20 lathe (8x15), with a gear head. I changed all the spindle and gearbox bearings and it changed it completely. Runout down to 0.002 from 0.01 (SKF standard taper roller), and originally the lathe was with angular bearing.
It was meant to be mounted with either angular or taper, went for taper instead.
You can probably cut imperial thread by modifying the gear box input with a 127 gear somewhere, same for changing the thread list.
Since the rebuild, I got myself a 1 ton lathe, 360x610 from 1950/60. definitely another level.
Yeah for sure, I’m sure there is a ratio that I could find using a 57 or 127 tooth gear. Fingers crossed I can avoid having to :)
Wow, very exciting! I was expecting you’d replace your hacksaw with a band saw by now lol. I really enjoy your channel. Keep it up.
There’s a few advantages to not having ground in surfaces on all non essentials, such as knowing non essential/ low tolerance for upgrades. Second the blue is to check engagement as those chucks have the engagement stack tolerance and if you’re getting good ridged contact, the drop of paint will swish and cover the teeth. Hope that helps
congrats on the new machine!
Thanks!!