Lathe and mill question

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FCJimmy

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Since my last inquiry brought such great answers, I decided to prevail upon you all again, and ask another favor. I just acquired two machines that are a few years old (don't know how many), but they were never used, and have many accessories and attachments still wrapped in wax paper or coated with preservative wax. Neither one came with any info. or instructions, and I can't seem to find anything with Google searches, either. The lathe is a "Star", model 1236-G, and the Mill/drill is a Nantong model ZX-30. They are from an estate, and the books have not been found by the family. If anyone has any info on these, could you please let me know. I wouldn't want to crash them through ignorance of proper operation of all those bells and whistles on them!
 
Does your mill look like this?
201046171046675.jpg

If so, here is a link to the product page that has basic specifications. Also there is contact link on the page so you might be able to get more info from there.
http://www.ntwj.com/en/productShow.asp?Id=442

It might be helpful if you post a photo of the lathe. "Star" was a popular name for both manufacturers and models from the beginning of the industrial revolution and continues today.
Gail in NM
 
Gail posted a photo, if your mill looks like that, then the machine was produced by a company in Taiwain, Rong Fu. Good machine for the hobby machine shop. With care it can last a long while. Many accessorues can be had. Check with Shars.com(discount tools on Ebay). Check the back lash on the table lead screws. Tram out the head, check the table for flat, if it all checks, make chips.

Good Luck
 
Most of the imports out there were sold under many different labels and brand names. One of the largest US importers of machine tools is grizzly.
I expect grizzly had at least a close cousin of what you have. can you post pictures someone may recognize what you have under a different name.

A long shot guess but if the 1236 means a 12 x 36 lathe and the g is geared head or Gap bed hear is a grizzly manual that may help .
https://d27ewrs9ow50op.cloudfront.net/manuals/g4003_m.pdf
Tin
 
Once again I am in your debt everyone! The picture Gail posted looks almost identical to my machine, except mine is mounted on a stand. it came with a full set of collets, end mills, two sets of hold downs, a large machinists vise, a rotary table with extra set of indexing disk attachments, an adjustable tailstock, and many other small tools and attachments. The lathe is very similar to the one in the manual that Tin Falcon linked me to. It came with a three-jaw chuck, a face plate, and a steady rest and tailstock, and quick-change tool post, but no four jaw chuck. I may just try to adapt the four-jaw from the Craftsman to fit it so I can use it on either machine as desired or needed. I've had so little time with both that I didn't even realize that the lathe had oil in the headstock! My old Craftsman 12 1/4" lathe just needs a squirt of oil on the bearings and gears occasionally. I've got lots to learn and get used to on these, but I'm really looking forward to it. Thank you all, again, and may the chips fly soon ;).
 
Well, I went out to the shop after work tonight and made a cord for the lathe so I could plug it into my 220V welder outlet. I checked the circuit diagram in the manual that Tin Falcon hooked me up with, and found out it doesn't exactly match my lathe terminal box. It showed hooking the hot wires to terminals "N" and "L", but my lathe doesn't have an "L" terminal. It has the ground "PE", then the "N", then a "U". Those were the only ones I could see that looked like they had a wire removed from them by someone, so I thought that might be where to connect my wires. No smoke or explosion, but as soon as I plugged it in a contactor clicked. Still no smoke, so I went over to the machine and pushed the "start" button. The motor started right up, but as soon as I let go of the button, it quit. Anyone know what I did wrong? :wall:
 
I know you're right, Shop Shoe. That would probably help someone to help me, but that's another problem for me :wall: I have had trouble getting a photo resizing program to work so I can download pictures to the forum. I have a lot to do today, but I'll try later to download another resizer and see if that will work, then I'll get some pictures posted tonight or tomorrow morning maybe. Thanks again for the reply.
 
well the manual link I posted, if the latest 2014 revision you probably need an older version of the manual. I did find a 1987 12 x 37 manual but the pic of the lathe looked too old to match yours.
Tin
 
Is there a handle on the side of the carriage for forward/reverse? I have an Enco, similar, but not quite identical and the push button under the Estop is a power on, and the spindle run is a lever on the right side of the carriage. The button you are pushing may be an "inching" button that will jog the spindle as long as it is pushed. Most useful at low spindle speeds.
 
kf2qd, there is a forward/reverse lever on the front panel just under the two top levers. I tried moving it both ways, and it just clicks a switch, but doesn't make the lathe start. If I go to the back of the machine and push on the buttons that protrude from the white boxes (presumably they are contactors for the motor) the lathe starts up in one or the other directions and runs as long as I hold the button down. This is SOOOO frustrating...If only the manufacturer had just put a simple diagram in the box showing which 3 terminals on which to hook up the 220V. The ground terminal was easy, but the other 2 are a mystery to me.
 
NEWS FLASH! If at first you don't succeed, read directions :rolleyes: I went back and studied the manual and all your replies to my question and the answer jumped out and bit me...I missed the part about the control lever down on the bottom front of the carriage. When I tried that, the lathe worked perfectly, and runs in either direction, as it is supposed to do. The wiring was correct the way I did it, so I guess "operator error" is the key word here ;)
 

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