Jet tool help

[jamesmcumbeejr]

I was lured into taking a new job with a large international company. I was hired in before construction even started. They used key words like "world class" "top of the line", I jumped on the opportunity to come in at the ground floor, design my own shop and workspace.

Fast forward 9 months later, I was handed the jet literature and told to pick what I wanted, we can't afford any concerns stuff so it all has to manual machines. I literally turned into Sam kinnison on my manager.

Now I am stuck with a jet 1640 lathe, and here is my problem. I can't find soft jaws for it. So I called jet, lady tells me the units are dropped shipped from China and they don't really know whose components were used in the manufacturing of my lathe, Sam kinnison moment again and chick hangs up on me, lol.

I know the easy response is, just make a set, my mill is a POS jet mill that holds tolerances about as well as my 4.5" grinder. And I'm the welder, mechanic, pipe fitter, safety team and lead instructor for all mobile equipment. Time is limited, especially since we are not allowed any overtime.

So I guess the main question I have is, is there a source to buy jaws, keys etc for these Chinese made units. Oh yeah, night shift man fired up the lathe with t-handle in it and smoked it. So I'm looking for a spare to keep hidden in my toolbox.

Sent from my SM-T817V using Tapatalk

 

[Red James]

Sounds like you made a bad marriage . . . divorce now, there is no hope for a solution with the mind set of your 'world class company'

 

[Marty Feldman]

See this forum's:
Thread: Machinery Discussion Guidelines

-Marty-

 

[TeachMePlease]

Get out.

Now.

 

[btm]

Start looking for another job. I have no idea what your employer manufactures, but if they expect you to be efficient with junk equipment, just imagine how frustrating it's going to be when you're getting beat up over deadlines, and your equipment breaks down and no parts are available.

Look for a job with a company that's serious about spending the money required for you to do your job effectively.


btm

 

[alonzo83]

sorry I have very little sympathy for your company.

I am working out of a job shop/ repair shop. when our go to mill and lathe started costing us down time the owner pulled the trigger on a brand new acer mill and lathe knowing it was gonna hurt. he didn't think twice about the acer e mill and e lathe.

Do not get me wrong, there is much better equipment out there but acer is metes and bounds above jet. You got fucked son and will continue to enjoy the coitous till you leave. Best move along to the next job.

A good employer will listen to its employees on their opinions on tools and will act in their best interest especially if the said employees is a lead man or foreman.


Regards,

Alonzo

 

[redlee]

If you really like the job and company, make the best of it and be innovative. Make some jaws,show them how much it cost them, fix the machine, show them how much that costs.
I worked at a place with some real junk,got better with time. Old german machinist ran a real POS worn out 1949 monarch Lathe - he produced the best work in the shop and never once complained. All of the best men I ever worked with did the least complaining, and were happy at their work and place of employment.
A good tradesman never blames his tools, he just finds a solution.

 

[Machinery_E]

Look in the parts book. It sounds like you have a ZX series lathe. No jaws listed for the 3 jaw, but the 3 jaw wrench is in stock-
Jet Parts Store

Unfortunately, sounds like you have the wrong attitude. I've found Jet to be super nice to work with, providing free and helpful technical assistance on a ZX with a lube problem. Not sure what "Sam kinnison" is but I assume that is turning into a jerk, which I could see them hanging up on you.

Also, Jet does not sell all hobbiest machines, the ZX is a serious industrial machine. I know machine tools, and its not a Monarch, but its more machine than a mid 80's I/M 15" Leblond Regal I have here also. As painful as it was being a huge Monarch fan, looking at it objectively, the Jet is better machine if you are not taking big hogging cuts-big spindle bore, full universal I/M threading with a couple turns of the knobs (no messing with changing gears) Unless of course you're going to drop a 1/4 million on a new series 614 Monarch, but you still have a 2"ish spindle bore with the D1-6 spindle. To me it sounds like they made the right choice for what it sounds like you're doing, maintenance work.

 

[Bill D]

Why did they say all Jet equipment? Did someone get a kickback?
bil lD.

 

[winger]

Jet has been advertising as if their new line (black)is truly of industrial quality in one of the mags I get. They cite some super low spindle runout spec. Painted black to set off from their other products.

I have no idea if they should be taken seriously though.I haven't seen if they are made in Taiwan or PRC.

Dave

 

[bcstractor]

Why not just buy another D1-6 chuck that does?

 

[IronReb]

OP
Get the fuck out soon as you can and do NOT take out a mortgage on a house based income from the company...trust me.

If they are not or can not invest in "world class" machinery they damn sure are not going to invest in YOU.

I know that not the answer to your question or what you wanted to hear but it sure sounds like a shit show with only one ending...bad.
Those machines will be lucky to make it more than a year or two before they are absolute junk (like the aint now) and YOU are gonna be the one blamed
by management to their boss.

 

[77ironhead]

Unfortunately, sounds like you have the wrong attitude. I've found Jet to be super nice to work with, providing free and helpful technical assistance on a ZX with a lube problem.

the problem is how often you need them to 'work with you'! management at my day job discovered that a new Jet vertical bandsaw was $1k cheaper than rebuilding our DoAll, so they bought it.....we had to have a tech in 4x in in the first month, and even now that it's "fixed" to what Jet calls "functional", it's still a lesser machine than the clapped-out DoAll it replaced.

Also, Jet does not sell all hobbiest machines, the ZX is a serious industrial machine. I know machine tools, and its not a Monarch, but its more machine than a mid 80's I/M 15" Leblond Regal I have here also. As painful as it was being a huge Monarch fan, looking at it objectively, the Jet is better machine if you are not taking big hogging cuts-big spindle bore, full universal I/M threading with a couple turns of the knobs (no messing with changing gears) Unless of course you're going to drop a 1/4 million on a new series 614 Monarch, but you still have a 2"ish spindle bore with the D1-6 spindle. To me it sounds like they made the right choice for what it sounds like you're doing, maintenance work.

what's the point of an 'industrial machine' if you can't take a real cut?

all told- every single piece of Jet equipment I've ever had the misfortune to lay hands or eyes on has been substandard, from their junk air tools, to the junk engine hoist I own, to their 'industrial-grade' machines and tools....100% of what I've seen from Jet is indistinguishable (apart from the Jet sticker and the 2-3x higher price tag) from all the junk sold at Harbor Fright, and probably came from the same factory, to boot

 

[David Merrill]

Soft jaw links:

Google

http://www.usshoptools.com/prod_page_level_3.asp?mm_level_2_code= 101040

http://stores.ebay.com/Monsterjaws-Mfg-USA

David Merrill

 

[L Vanice]

"...Now I am stuck with a jet 1640 lathe, and here is my problem. I can't find soft jaws for it. So I called jet,... "

If you need chuck jaws, you call a chuck jaw company, not the outfit that imported the lathe that the chuck is attached to. Circa 1982, I bought a new Jet Taiwan lathe and ordered a chuck along with it. The chuck they sent did not fit the lathe spindle. They said that type lathe came with either of two different spindle ends (maybe two different factories made them) and they guessed wrong on the chuck they sent. They seem to be operating the same way, but now with mainland factories.

In my experience, Chinese chucks with two-piece jaws take standard top jaws, which are dead easy to buy from a number of companies in the USA. Just look at the shape of the interface between the master jaw and the top jaw and compare to catalog pictures. The Standard American Tongue and Groove style is the most likely version. The jaw style and the chuck diameter are all you need to order soft jaws. You decide if you want steel or aluminum, normal, heavy, tall, pie-shape or whatever, to do your job.

If the chuck has one-piece jaws, you need a new chuck with two-piece jaws. The main Chinese lathe chuck companies use the trade names Gator and BTC to disguise their origins. Both have USA offices and dealers and may be helpful. I talked to a USA Gator rep this year and he was extremely nice and knew his business. Not his fault that the factory had stopped making the chuck I wanted to buy.

Larry

 

[Marty Feldman]

... Old german machinist ran a real POS worn out 1949 monarch Lathe - he produced the best work in the shop and never once complained. All of the best men I ever worked with did the least complaining, and were happy at their work and place of employment...

Complaining, or happiness, aren't the issue. The issue is that junk is junk.

That old Monarch you mentioned may have been clapped out, but I think it might be unfair to call it a POS, or junk. Back in its day, it was made well enough that even in its later sorry state your old German machinist could take what was left of it and massage and modify it enough to coax first class work out of it. He might have thought twice about even attempting that with some of the modern examples at the junk end of the market.

-Marty-

 

[gwilson]

I have heard real assholes use words like "World Class". Of course,I don't know your guys. But,if they could only buy Jet stuff,they might just be a BIT SHY of being World class!

I do have a professional machinist friend who does very critical work at NASA. At home he has a 14" Jet lathe and Bridgeport style mill. He makes parts for Bugattis with them,and does a great job for a very fussy client. I doubt if Jet tools have super long life spans,but they can do accurate work for the time being. At home I have a Hardinge HLVH,and a 16 x 42" Grizzly Taiwan made lathe. The Grizzly does dead accurate work,though I would not put it into a production line. I've had it since 1986. It was what I could afford at the time. I mostly use the Hardinge,as I mostly do smallish work. But the large lathe is there when a bigger job comes along. Not long ago I turned a workpiece in the gap. It was 4" thick,8" wide,and diagonally 24" long. Barely fitted into the gap with about 1/8" to spare! Got the job done though.

I'd like to have a better made large lathe,but at 76 my wife is bugging me to downsize before she gets stuck with a large load of things she knows nothing about. I'm trying to make an inventory with suggested prices.

 

[redlee]

Complaining, or happiness, aren't the issue. The issue is that junk is junk.

That old Monarch you mentioned may have been clapped out, but I think it might be unfair to call it a POS, or junk. Back in its day, it was made well enough that even in its later sorry state your old German machinist could take what was left of it and massage and modify it enough to coax first class work out of it. He might have thought twice about even attempting that with some of the modern examples at the junk end of the market.

-Marty-

Yup your right, but I think my point is - make the best of the situation your in if you like the place.
Prove to them that junk is costing them money, and I still believe you can do wonders on junk!
And a completely worn out RR still drives like shit and can be dangerous.

 

[bcstractor]

Exactly how is this Jet lathe "junk"? Just because the guy is too lazy to buy another chuck.