*^%&+$"* Lathe

[Bogstandard]

Just loaded the last piece of four to be turned using my new found skills on barley twist, turned on , and BANG!!!
On opening the change gear cover out came a load of metal containing gears, bolts and bits of broken metal.
Oh! dear me, or words to that effect instantly came to mind.
Anyway, picked up all the bits, cleared a small place on my workbench and set out to find out the damage and cause.
Major damage, one broken gear change bracket.
Cause, the head of one of the bolts had delaminated from what looks like a forged headed bolt. The head had completely peeled off. Mind you it was seventy years old.

So a quick phone call to my oppo had the broken part away to be repaired overnight (at a cost of making him a bracket for mounting his fishing gear to the side of a boat).
So while the lathe was down with no power feeds I decided to remake some new bolts just in case the others had the same idea of failing.

Old bolts left, new bolts right.
Early this morning the repaired bracket turned up, so hopefully I will be back in business later today.

So from now on, bolts will be on my check list when I am in that area of the lathe.

John

 

[1Kenny]

Glad it is repairable. A belt broke on my lathe a few weeks ago and I had to remove the whole gear box and head to change it so while it was apart it got both new belts and idler bearings. The insides look nice and clean, it picked up 40 rpm and it sure made it quite.

 

[Bogstandard]

Hi Kenny,
My lathe is now up and running as good as ever, in fact a little quieter because I give everything a good lube while it was down.
I can understand about your belt change, I did mine a couple of years ago.
But now I would use a link belt -
http://www.lathes.co.uk/page4.html

or Redthane -
http://poly-products.co.uk/beltext.htm

I have used both of these in industry and found them actually better than a standard v-belt, and they both go on without having to take it all apart.
Another thing I do is have my belts slightly slack, so if anything does happen the belts slip before things get broken, like putting on too much cut, my top drive belt justs slips.
The thing that happened yesterday could not have been stopped with a slipping belt, that was pure mechanical leverage that broke the bracket.

John

 

[1Kenny]

Thanks for posting those sites, John.

I had seen those t-slot belts, but had not looked at them close. Those round belts are new to me and look like they would do a good job. I run my belts on the loose side too for the same reason as you, that has saved my lathe more than once.

Kenny

Glad your up again.