Smithy Granite 1324 Lathe/Mill Combo

Overview

Location

Metal Working Area
Our Current Training Calendar can be found Here
Given the advanced nature of this machine trainings are generally only conducted upon request. Please visit the #Help-metalworking slack channel to request training

Specs

1. Make: Smithy / Detroit Machine Tools
2. Model: 1324
3. Year: before May 2003
4. Description/Purpose: Turning, facing, boring, knurling, thread cutting
5. Dimensions: 46″ x 22.5″ x 39″
6. Weight: 310 kg

Accessories

Upgrades

• Quick Change toolpost AXA style

Pending Repairs

• Milling head casting is very loose on it’s axis even when clamped firmly. This results in the potential for the milling head to swing towards the operator when it experiences heavier cutting loads. THIS FEATURE IS NOT TO BE USED

Completed Repairs/Service

• Replaced mill / lathe selector slide  April 2026
• Replaced Compound Slide February 2026

Switching from Mill to Lathe

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE MILLING HEAD THE HEAD DOES NOT SECURELY LOCK ON IT’S SPINDLE AND CAN SWING TOWARDS THE OPERATOR UNDER HEAVIER CUTTING LOADS!!

Usage/Guidelines

The Machine requires passing a training class from a certified Lathe Trainer, this training is sufficient to get you started but if you have zero or very little experience with machining principles and best practices it is Highly Recommended that you take time to research on your own. Machining is a complex and nuanced topic that requires a lot of attention to specific detail and patience. There is a plethora of information online in various formats from videos to books to blog articles that cover just about any topic within the hobby you can think of. Use this information to your advantage and you can always ask in the slack for recommendations on resources and take advantage of any community education and SIG meetings. Hobby Machining is a community built on shared knowledge and education!

Read and Understand the provided Machine Manuals. There is a lot of valuable information in them that is very useful to getting you started. Feel free to make notes in the margins of the paper copies, it’s a great way to pass on information and help grow our understanding of the machine!

Trainings require completion of the Metal Shop Safety before you can get authorized on this machine. We strive to post Scheduled trainings on the calendar on a regular basis and can also be scheduled with an Authorized Trainer on request based on their availability. 

Operation

Safety

Read the documentation! Be familiar with all Machine Specifications, Potential Hazards and Safety Protocols! The manual for the machine does a good job of laying out the basic safety skills that are required when operating this machine. they will not be listed exhaustively here but it is expect you know them. Always inspect the machine for wear/damage before operating and wear all proper PPE.

!!!This Machine CAN and WILL Kill/Maim/Injure you and keep running without skipping a beat. There is a large amount of torque driving the operation of this machine. It is designed to cut and shape metal within very tight tolerances. It can cut through you effortlessly and WILL NOT STOP if you get caught in it while it is running. There is very little guarding on the machine by nature of the way it operates, Your attention and respect are VITAL for safe operation of the machine AT ALL TIMES!!!

Setup

Have a Plan! Know what operation you are going to be performing, what material you will be performing the operation on, what type of tooling and fixture you will need to accomplish this task. All of this should be planned out before you actually begin work on the machine. When you have the machine running and are making chips you should always know what your next move is going to be. The order in which you do the operations is also extremely important and should be well thought out from start to finish. If you do not pre-plan and consider this you can run into problems where you have cut off material you still needed to be able to hold the part for a different operation.

It is generally a good idea to start from a drawing with critical dimensions laid out before you begin a project. It doesn’t have to be a meticulously drafted engineering schematic or anything fancy like that (Although these can be very useful once you understand how to read them and a lot of online projects provide them) but even just a sketch in a notebook with the critical features and dimensions laid out can be extremely helpful when making parts.

You will also, depending on the operation you are performing, need to make sure the work is precisely placed in it’s fixture. This usually involves time spent with various Gauges, precision measurement tools, and Reference tools to make sure a part is accurately and precisely placed and that the tooling is properly referenced and zeroed in relation to the work piece. This is a time consuming process but the more time and effort you dedicate to this step the more you set yourself up for success in reaching tight tolerances and making good parts.

Usage

RESPECT THE MACHINE. This is a Highly precise and sensitive piece of equipment with a large amount of torque behind it. Please be mindful of the amount of force you use to operate the machine. If anything binds, feels difficult to turn/actuate DO NOT FORCE IT! If the machine makes strange sounds like Grinding, Chattering, Squealing, or any other strange sound during operation STOP AND REEVALUATE what you are doing!

Monitoring

When operating the machine and making parts you will be constantly monitoring various aspects of the process and using them as feedback to make adjustments to the way you operate the machine. This is multi-sensory task that requires your full attention while the machine is running and you are performing any operation.

Things to look out for:
How do the chips coming off the work look?
How does the surface finish look as I’m cutting?
Is my tooling going to get close to any of the fixturing?
is the machine shaking?
is there smoke coming from anywhere?
did the work move in the fixture during cutting?

Things to Listen out for:
Is the machine making any strange noises?
squealing, chattering, clunking, grinding or any other unusual sound?
does the motor sound bogged down when the cutter is engaged?
Does the cutter make a woody knocking sound when cutting? (dull tool)

Things to Feel out for:
Does the machine bind at any point?
Is there excess vibration anywhere?
does anything feel too loose or too tight?

Shutdown & Cleanup

Please remove any tooling from the toolholder and place it back in it’s proper storage spot when you are finished with it. Clean up any chips you made from the ways, carriage, and T slots, wipe down table and spindle and put away any other equipment you used. generally speaking if you used the 4 jaw chuck we ask that you put the 3 jaw back on the spindle when you are done with it.

The machine should also be regularly lubricated and inspected for damage/wear. Lubrication points and their recommended lubricants are detailed in the User Manual. It is also recommended that the unpainted machine surfaced (table, vice, spindle, other shiny bare metal) be wiped down with a lightly oiled rag to prevent rust. This isn’t a massive problem in Denver given our relative average humidity but it is a good general practice.

Files/Links

• User manual
• Technical Documentation
• Parts Diagram
• Wiring Diagram