PDA

View Full Version : Woodfast lathe



comgreserv
29th September 2010, 01:17 AM
Hi All,
I'm unsure of age but I was wondering if there is much wrong with the older Woodfast lathes, all attachments still avail etc?
Has a 900mm bed, 8 speed belt drive and 3 phase power. Can I easily get left hand outboard attachment for larger bowls? Any idea what a reasonable price should be? The equivalent machine new?
Cheers All

John Lucas
29th September 2010, 07:47 AM
I'm a fan of the old Woodfast lathes. There wasn't anything that could go wrong with them that you could not have repaired by a local machinist. I think that's a good thing. They are workhorses.

coffenup
29th September 2010, 08:05 AM
try wood fast themselves here in south australia
regards Michael

Paul39
29th September 2010, 10:55 AM
comgreserv,

Look at this thread for my recent Woodfast Saga:

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/woodfast-410-a-123670/

I paid US $850 plus tax. Mine is a short bed with 20 inch swing. My motor power supply is running at 150 volts DC rather than the full 180, so it is not as powerful as I would like. I will eventually sort that out.

If you do not have 3 phase power in your shed, a variable frequency drive would give you variable speeds and work on single phase. Three phase powered machines sometimes are cheaper than equal single phase.

I have roughed a part dry hunk of out of balance walnut, with the lathe sitting on mulched ground. (I couldn't wait.) Starting at slow speed the lathe wiggled back and forth a bit until I got the out of balance cut off. I like the mass, the sturdy cabinet, the way the banjo and tailstock controls work.

My spindle is 1 1/4 X 8, the outboard is 1 X 8 left hand thread. Apparently there are many variations.

Do A search in this forum for woodfast lathe.

Answer to my question of new selling price, & 115 volt power. (US$):

Paul
In 1995 that lathe sold for $2,675.00. In order for the motor to rum correctly you need to run the controller at 220 volts. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions let me know.
Thanks

Roger Durst
Technical Dept. Manager/Lathe Specialist
Craft Supplies USA
1-800-551-8876
[email protected]



([email protected])

NeilS
30th September 2010, 01:19 PM
Hi All,
I'm unsure of age but I was wondering if there is much wrong with the older Woodfast lathes,

No, and if in good condition they are better than many new lathes for similar price

all attachments still avail etc?

Mostly, some here (http://www.woodfast.com.au/index.php?p=1_8).


Has a 900mm bed, 8 speed belt drive and 3 phase power. Can I easily get left hand outboard attachment for larger bowls?



Ask Woodfast

Buying another otherwise 'broken' Woodfast lathe for just the outboard attachment might be the cheapest option.
Ask if anyone who has one and doesn't use it if they would like to sell


Any idea what a reasonable price should be?

Between $500-$800 depending on condition.

The equivalent machine new?

Here (http://www.woodfast.com.au/index.php?p=1_5)



.

Paul39
1st October 2010, 06:00 AM
Hi All,
Can I easily get left hand outboard attachment for larger bowls?
Cheers All

One can build, have built, or buy a freestanding outboard attachment made for other lathes.

I have seen T shaped bases with three little bumps at the ends for legs, so that one can put a foot on the long part of the T.

One base is made from a truck brake drum filled with concrete, also with little legs.

The stalk is usually a pipe welded to the base with a smaller pipe inside with the inside diameter to fit the stalk of the tool rest. Three braces are welded between the base and lower part of the stalk to take care of the side loading.

A hole is drilled in the pipe and tapped, a nut threaded on a bolt screwed into the pipe, the nut pulled up snug to the pipe and welded.

A long bolt heated and bent or a hand wheel attached to the bolt fixes the tool rest in position.

If more up and down movement is needed, the smaller pipe is made to slide up and down in the bigger one, fixing in position with the welded nut, bolt, and handle as above.

See: Freestanding Outboard Turning Tool Rest - AAW Forums (http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=613)

Outboard tool rest question - Sawmill Creek (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=24401)

Buy Free Standing Tool Support from Axminster, fast delivery for the UK (http://www.axminster.co.uk/jet-free-standing-tool-support-prod20578/)

Google: free standing lathe tool rest

old pete
1st October 2010, 11:16 AM
Hi Congreserv,

That's probably the most common lathe in Oz. There's thousands of them in schools and TAFES. Very good basic machine for turners of all skill levels. Yes outboard turning attachments are readily available but you can turn 300 over bed and about 350 in gap with that machine. There's not many folk around that are able to turn much above 400 mm D needs a lot of experience due to the huge variation in travel speed between the centre of the object being turned and the peripheral speed.

Check that headstock and tail stock line up within very small limits when fitted with good quality centres. Max deviation I'd accept is probably about 0.5mm. Check for excessive wear on the bed near the head stock;unlikely as that's almost certainly a school machine.

Those machines use off the shelf thrust bearings in the headstock and are easy to replace.

If machine is in good condition and complete with all parts a fair price would be about $750.

Incidentally I've never considered the age of a lathe as having any relevance. It's a completely simplistic piece of tooling with almost nothing to go wrong. I've also seen lathes at auction that I'd call 25 years new rather than 25 years old: had practically no use. Most school equipment is in that category.

I think that machine in your image is 3 phase powered??

Cheers Old Pete

comgreserv
2nd October 2010, 02:51 AM
They want $800 for the lathe... I think that it's a bit steep! guess I'll keep on looking. I want a lathe I can turn a decent sized bowl/platter on, as wood isnt a problem as I'm a tree lopper and have my own Lucas!

Cheers all for your help!

China
2nd October 2010, 10:36 PM
Most people would consider that lathe to be able to turn a decnt sizes bowl or plater, the price is about right you won't find better quality for that sort of money. What do you call decent sized, to find anything larger of the same quality you will have to dig much deeper into the wallet.

Groggy
2nd October 2010, 10:50 PM
I reckon that price is not too bad given its condition. For a few hundred more you can get a new motor and variable speed drive and have a fully modern but very cheap lath.

Bruce White
1st November 2010, 11:30 AM
Can these lathes be converted to single phase easily. If so, is it hard and about how much? They seem ideal for a novice like me but I do not have access to 3 phase.

Bruce White

old pete
1st November 2010, 11:44 AM
Hi Bruce,

Very easy to convert. Just get yourself a new single phase motor preferably with the same shaft dia. as the 3 phase one you have now and transfer the pulley.You may need to borrow a three or four leg gear puller to effect the change. About $350 for a 1HP SP motor which is what you need.

Alternatively get yourself a variable speed motor and controller for about $800 from Carolls Woodturning Supplies.You will not regret the additional expense. This is a revolutionary improvement on changing belts all the time.

Think about replacing the headstock bearings and drive belt while you have the show apart. This takes all of 1/2 an hour then you will be set for many years trouble free operation.


Old Pete

Bruce White
1st November 2010, 11:52 AM
Thanks Old Pete - that is the answer I was hoping for. Had my eye one one of these for a while. By the way had some of your beaut sassafras, myrtle, blackwood and huon pine sent over a while back - sensational wood to work with. (this mucking around with wood is addictive isn't it!
Bruce White

hughie
1st November 2010, 12:52 PM
Can these lathes be converted to single phase easily. If so, is it hard and about how much? They seem ideal for a novice like me but I do not have access to 3 phase.

Bruce , VSD's or VFD's can fitted to the existing 3 phase motor to provide a variable speed drive.
Have a look on eBay, one thing to remember get one that is compatible to the hp rating of the motor you intend to us it on.

old pete
1st November 2010, 03:30 PM
Thanks Old Pete - that is the answer I was hoping for. Had my eye one one of these for a while. By the way had some of your beaut sassafras, myrtle, blackwood and huon pine sent over a while back - sensational wood to work with. (this mucking around with wood is addictive isn't it!
Bruce White

Hi Bruce,

If you go ahead and change the bearings and drive belt private E mail me and I will send you step by step instructions. I haven't got a Woodfast but I have two much heavier copies from it made in WA under the name of Tough. The bearing set up system is indentical.

Yes wood woodworking is pretty addictive. It's occupied most of my professional and also my hobby level life over the past 50 years. I've done enough woodturning to wear out 2 Vicmarc chucks and that takes some input to achieve!

Cheers Old Pete

Paul39
2nd November 2010, 10:18 AM
Bruce,

I'm a believer in a Variable Frequency Drive for a lathe. That would convert your single phase power to three phase and give you variable speed, forward and reverse, adjustable ramp up speed, adjustable slow to stop speed, coast to stop, or brake to stop. There is also less vibration as you have the equivalent of a 3 cylinder motor as opposed to a one cylinder.

Three phase motors have a rotor winding, stator winding and two bearings, simple as dirt. No capacitor start, no start winding with centrifugal switch.

The sensorless vector type gives you the torque at low speeds.

The only drawback is if you run the motor at slow speeds for long periods of time you must provide a fan to cool the motor, as the one on the motor shaft is not pulling enough air at the slow speed to cool. If you use the stepped pulleys to keep the motor running at 75 % or faster, running slow to check something or to ramp up to speed is not a factor.

See: Variable-frequency drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-frequency_drive)

This type is appropriate for lathes:


Sensorless Vector VFD
More info......
Input: 200~240VAC OR 380~480VAC.
Output: 200~240VAC OR 380~480VAC.
Horsepower: 1/8 - 10,
CONSTANT TORQUE

Seller for idea of price, most are made in Asia so you could find one locally:

http://www.driveswarehouse.com/Drive...FRhg2godgwk3Jw (http://www.driveswarehouse.com/Drives/AC+Drives/?gclid=CKTpo-7N4qQCFRhg2godgwk3Jw)

P. S. The prices from the above are a bit steep. I bought a Teco Model JNEV-101-H1 for my 1 HP motor for about $156 delivered to my door. I am most pleased with it. It came with a CD with full instructions on how to make it do about twenty - eleven things. I think the printed manual was translated from Taiwan Chinese by an Indian.

old pete
2nd November 2010, 05:05 PM
OK Here's how you go about changing the bearings.

Disconnect power supply
Remove belt from drive pulleys on motor
Remove bearing caps on headstock. three machine screws in each
Turn the top pulley set slowly by hand until you locate a socket head screw at he bottom of the central pulley fastening the pulley set on to the shaft to restrain its longitudinal travel.
Remove the socket head screw then look for a second underneath the first:~
Scribe the position of the bearing inners on to the shaft so you can relocate them again where they belong and obviate the necessity for re-aligning the pulleys in the headstock with those on the motor.
Fill the hole left by removal of the socket head screws with WD 40 or equivalent and leave overnight
Cut a hardwood block or use a brass or copper drift substantially larger in diameter than the shaft say about 38 or 50 mm.
Tap firmly on the end of the inner end or lathe bed end of the drive shaft using the drift block so not to damage the shaft end or the thread.
The shaft will be driven through the inner bearing and the outer bearing will pop out of its housing. Get a helper to support this end
Continue driving until the shaft is freed from the inner bearing and the pulley set. You will find the pulley set is located on the shaft by a key about 35mm long by 5mm wide to restrain its rotational movement. Don't lose the key and don't damage the key way.
The pulley set can then be removed and replaced from its enclosure from beneath.
The inner bearing can now easily be driven from its housing using a hardwood dowel of appropriate diameter. It's just an inteference fit.
Remove the outer bearing from the shaft in a press or improvise with a hardwood block with an appropriate hole bored in it and a timber drift. Don't damage the end of the shaft here either.
Replacement is essentially the reverse order of the foregoing except that the inner bearing will need to be coaxed along the shaft and into its housing with a pipe drift of appropriate diameter.
If there are chisel marks or rust on the exposed ends of the headstock shaft then file and brush these off before starting the dis-assembly process.
You should complete this task in a bit under an hour working time plus running down to the bearing shop with the old bearings to get the new ones. There's no special tools needed.
Oh by the way make sure you replace the new belt over the headstock pulley set before you put it all back together and do everything up.

Old Pete

jimbur
2nd November 2010, 05:12 PM
Thanks Pete.
cheers,
Jim