Lathe Bearings

[Ivan Wadsworth]

I have an old cast bed lathe (Wadkin BZL). Lathe works well but it suffers from vibration. The standard bearings are a deep grooved ball race on each side. Is this style of bearing normal for a medium size lathe?? or are "angular contact" or "roller" bearings sometimes fitted.

[bobsreturn2003]

hi ....all the bearings you mentioned are used . the wadkins usually have a flat belt drive ,can be problems , when is vibration noticeable? hi or low speed? are you sure the headstock bearings are the problem ? some can be re greased or oiled , try using a piece of wood as a stethescope on each bearing , include the motor . its largely a case of checking all the drive components, as there are many reasons for vibration .hope this helps . bob