Ledacraft mini lafte

[Steve Lowe]

Can any body help me I am very new to wood turning in fact I have never turn at all yet I have recently purchase a Ledacraft mini lafte I am still waiting for it to be delivered. I was wondering if any body has any experience with this product.

[Pat]

Small lathes look similar and have similar performance. The 1x10 thread is no longer standard for Australian wood lathes, but you can still purchase inserts, faceplates and other accessories readily. The most important item is training. Learning to turn from books or now days, youtube, is fraught with danger, as you do not know enough or have the experience to deal with things when they go wrong. Look up Sydney Woodturners.

[issatree]

Hi Steve,
I don't know if your L/L is new or 2nd.Hand.
I have had my L/L for many years, change the Belt yourself, & I will state that it is a better Lathe than some of the other makes being Yellow, Green.
Yes, I'm Biased, why woodn't I be, as it does some things far better than the others, & has never broken down in all the Demo's I've done over the years.
Don't worry about the 1x10, as there are still plenty of Accessories around.
CWS carry some.
Make your Stand out of Steel, but sit the Lathe on Rails, & all your Shavings fall through to the floor. Rails could be Sq. Tube 2x2, or Angle Iron also 2x2in. Place some lead sheet between Lathe & Stand at the Bolts, & that should reduce the Vibrations.
They are a great Lathe, & they do need, as all Lathes do, is TLC.
Wood like to hear how you get on with it.

[Steve Lowe]

Thanks for the responce Pat. Thats good advise I will look up Sydney woodturners Thanks again

[Steve Lowe]

G.day Issatree
The lafte was order new from Ledcraft agent in Sydney but had to come from South australia. The lafte has arrived unfortunatly I have not unpacked it out of the box yet due to that I am in the process of building my small workshop out the back. However I was a little disapointed with the agent the lafte along with the bandsaw and drill press I order from Ledacraft was delivered by TNT. and they had it in Botany for a week before delivering it ( I had to ring them) and it was a realy wet week and knowing how they work ( I worked for McPhee/TNT. for 20 years ) They left the goods out in the rain and the scroll chuck that I order with the goods was completely covered in rust and corrosion. My disapointment is that is that every time I ring the agent and tell him that I want a replacment he blows me off and tells me he will ring me back it has been a couple of months now and to date he has never rang me back.
Anyway thanks for the advise and when I finally set up the lathe I will let you know how I got on.
Thanks again
Regards Lowie

[Paul39]

Steve,

If you get no replacement for the chuck, put it into a container of white vinegar and soak for a couple days, then work it open and shut and remove the chuck jaws. Put all the bits in boiling hot water and let them get hot.

Then pour off the water and pour out the bits on newspaper or old clean rags. Wipe dry and spray with WD-40 or light oil and work the chuck open and shut, adding oil until the oil coming out of the cracks is almost rust free.It will not be perfect but will get you a useable chuck.

When you put the chuck on the lathe, oil the male and female threads liberally and screw it on and remove it 4 - 6 times. Wipe off the threads with a clean cloth and lightly oil and put the chuck back on the lathe.
Take the chuck off several times a year and re oil and replace.

Oil the Morse taper drive and tail centers and rotate them in the head and tail sockets, if any rust appears, wipe off male and female and repeat until they are clean. Lightly oil and assemble. Remove, re oil and replace several times a year.


Doing the above will prevent much beating with brass hammers and bitter cursing when a Morse taper bit rusts into a socket.

I second getting a little instruction. It will save weeks or months of trial and error.

Welcome to the addiction.

[Christos]

Thanks for the responce Pat. Thats good advise I will look up Sydney woodturners Thanks again

The website for the Sydney Woodturners Guild is here; Sydney Woodturners Guild Inc. (http://www.sydneywoodturners.com.au)

There are a total of 6 regions in the guild of which I am a member of Eastern. Which could be the closest from your location.

The Eastern region shed is open every Saturday between 9am - 12pm and the first Sunday of every month for our monthly meeting and BBQ.

The address of the shed is 165 Bilga Cresent, Malabar NSW 2036.

There are contact details of who to contact on the website but you can contact me via PM or just show up on a Saturday.

[Steve Lowe]

Steve,

If you get no replacement for the chuck, put it into a container of white vinegar and soak for a couple days, then work it open and shut and remove the chuck jaws. Put all the bits in boiling hot water and let them get hot.

Then pour off the water and pour out the bits on newspaper or old clean rags. Wipe dry and spray with WD-40 or light oil and work the chuck open and shut, adding oil until the oil coming out of the cracks is almost rust free.It will not be perfect but will get you a useable chuck.

When you put the chuck on the lathe, oil the male and female threads liberally and screw it on and remove it 4 - 6 times. Wipe off the threads with a clean cloth and lightly oil and put the chuck back on the lathe.
Take the chuck off several times a year and re oil and replace.

Oil the Morse taper drive and tail centers and rotate them in the head and tail sockets, if any rust appears, wipe off male and female and repeat until they are clean. Lightly oil and assemble. Remove, re oil and replace several times a year.


Doing the above will prevent much beating with brass hammers and bitter cursing when a Morse taper bit rusts into a socket.

I second getting a little instruction. It will save weeks or months of trial and error.

Welcome to the addiction.
G,Day Paul.
Sorry for not responding sooner I just want to thank you for the advice. It dont look like I am going to get a replacement so I am going to do just like you said and see how that works out

[Steve Lowe]

Thanks Christos I will be showing up there in the next couple of weeks I will meet you there Thanks again
regards Steve

[issatree]

Hi Steve,
Don't put the Chuck in Vinegar for 2 days, but a few Hours maybe.
Use Graphite Powder instead of WD40, as all the Dust will stick to the insides of your new Chuck, & you will wonder why it will not work.

Is it the Sydney bloke that is giving you the run around, or the SA people.

The Appropriate Ombudsman wood love to hear about them.
Bet you get some action then.

[Steve Lowe]

Thanks Issatree yeh its the Sydney bloke at Wetherill park I even went to Factory once I happen to be in the area with a B/Double and found some parking and walk in to factory or show room and found out that they share the place with some one else and the basicly works out of his car.( even emailed him photos of it).
Yeh you have a good point about the WD40 thanks
regards
Steve