...just wondered if anyone knows of a replacement drill for a Grizzly Hobby Lathe? maybe a Dewalt DW235G?

Many thanks!

I use a drill that I buy at Sears for less than $30. Do a search for Companion brand drills. That brand fits well on the Grizzly.

Thanks Ellis, appreciated - I'll check them out.

Harbor frieght has one that I use ($20). It may not last forever, but at that price, I don't worry about having to replace it. Whatever brand you choose, make sure that the drill has a molded collar, so that it fits in the headstock piece.

George Forster
Fort Collins, CO

Mike,
Another source for a drill if you want to save money is to go to your neighborhood pawn shop. You can often find very high quality industrial drills like Milwakee, Rigid, Hirth, or other very very good drills for a very reasonable price.
If you do go this route, you have to be sure that you are not buying a drill that is on its last legs. But you can often find a very very good drill for a very reasonable price.

I have purchased quite a few drills over the years and haver pretty well gone away from inexpensive drills. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. But for things like this lathe, which needs good bearings and long life, it may pay to get a better quallity drill.

You might also consider another option for a motor. Basically the grizzly is simply a drill mounted at one end of a board and a steady rest at the other end.

You might consider mounting a fractional hp motor on the board, rather than a drill. If you get a motor that has a threaded shaft on the end, you can screw a standard drill chuck on the end of the motor shaft.

In particular, think about this buffer motor:

[www.harborfreight.com]

This is a 3600 rpm 1/2 hp motor with a 1/2 inch threaded shaft on the end of the motor. Buy a standard 1/2 inch drill chuck, which uses a standard 1/2 X 20 inch internal threaded hole. and screw it onto the motor shaft.
Bolt the motor onto the end of the grizzly lathe - or extend the lathe bed, and or elevate or depress the motor mount if needed and go to work.

Another nice thing about the use of fractional hp motors is that there are no gears in the motor as is the case with a drill and thus, no noise. Flip the switch and the motor is virtually silent.

Many years ago, when I built my full length rod lathe, I used a buffer motor of similar size and shafting. I have turned many many handles on this lathe with great success. The nice thing with the 3600 rpm speed, is that it is nice and quick and you can do a lot of shaping quite quickly. If you are used to turning at a slower speed, just use finer paper with a lighter touch , until you get used to the cutting rate of this speed.



p.s.
You can always put a buffer or grinding wheel on the other end of the motor shaft, so you will have this polishing and or grinding wheel at your disposal as well.

p.p.s.
Since this is an induction motor with ball bearings, no brushes, and no gears, it is quite likely that you will never have to buy another motor for your lathe.

Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2011 11:19PM by roger wilson.

p.s.
[www.grizzly.com]

Here is a picture of the grizzley lathe that you are writing about.
To mount the fractional hp motor, I would do the following:

1. Remove the motor mount from the lathe bed.
2. Obtain a board or piece of aluminum channel that is longer than the current lathe bed. (for example a 1x6 or 1x8 if the width is needed for the motor mount. You may even have to go to a 1X10 depending on motor mount width.
3. Check the length required for the motor mount.
4. Mount the lathe bed down the board, to allow the motor to be mounted on the board.
5. Place the motor on the board, and then adjust the elevation of the motor with washers or spacers if needed to have the centerline of the motor and chuck at the same level as the steady rest.

You should then be good to go.

Roger

What I did was get a cheap drill and put electrical tape around the molded collar which fit snuggly and works like a charm. Bill

Thanks very much Roger and Bill!

Actually Roger, I was contemplating switching to a motor when I found an old (but very quiet!) 1/2hp motor last weekend with a pulley attached. My gears then began turning! I finally found a couple compatible drills at a local shop last night, ranging from $50 - $90, but I may go the motor route instead, just for durability and the noise factor. Another option may be to purchase a wood lathe and get it over with!

Many thanks again - I appreciate your directions! Mike