Hi everyone,

I need some help with mounting as im new to woodturning. I do need some lessons but have been watching a lot of youtube clips and doing a lot of reading in the meantime.

I have a mini lathe with drive centre on the head stock and spindle on the tail stock. I saw a 'cross' in one end for the drive centre a drill a small hole in the other for the spindle. When mounting the wood, I lock the tailstock and then use the handwheel to press the spindle against the wood to jam it in place. However, the spindle doesnt tighten against the wood ratherthe whole tailstock moves down the bed. Is the wheel not supposed to exert that muich pressure on the wood or do I need to find a way to tighted the tailstock locking device (it works like a cam where if i overtighten it it becomes loose again).

Any advice would be great.

Cheers

The little plate under the "ways" has prolly been undone a turn or even just a half a turn. Can you get the tail stock off by sliding it off the end? Sometimers there is a bolt or plate on the end you have to unscrew. Then just unwind the plate on teh end of the thread. (Try a half a turn. first. It tightens a bit doesn't it? Just not enough! ) Then slide back onto the ways. If you can't get it back on phone a friend! You just have to slide it back very square to the surface. The right swear word sometimes helps.

Good luck!

__________________
anne-maria.

Tea Lady
(White with none)

ceramics exhibition and blog I am part of.http://www.jacpromotion2011.com/

I have the same lathe, and agree with AM.
I had to make lots of little adjustments like that - you'll need to fine tune everything, tighten all bolts, adjust belt tension, align head and tail stock etc. It's a cheap lathe, and is not setup for precise use straight out of the box, but with a few mods you'll be very happy with it.

__________________
Banksia Pod Lamps | Banksia Pod Goblet | Banksia Pod Tealights

There's two things I would do that might help:
1/ Lengthen the handle on the tail stock. Most mini lathes have too short a handle on the tail stock and, as a result, it is difficult to tighten the t/s enough to stop it sliding back. However...
2/ There have been times when the cam on the banjo and the t/s always slip loose because they have been over lubricated. In this situation I have used a rag to wipe the cam clean of the lubricant and this has helped with the locking ability

Hope this helps

__________________
I am happy to be proved wrong because it takes me closer to the point when I will always be right!

It does sound like the nut under the tailstock needs to be tightened just a bit. Your handle should not be able to go past centre and come loose again. I know on my lathe that if the nut unscrews itself enough to get to the point where the handle almost goes over centre, it does not lock properly. As TL says, it will probably only need about 1/2 a turn.

__________________
Cheers,
Dallas

As TL said, you probably just need to tighten up the nut under the tailstock . Also, don't worry about drilling a hole in your timber for the live centre. just centre punch it , in fact that's all I normally do on the headstock end too .
Have fun.
Ted

Thanks a lot everyone. Ill get it out tonight and have a tinker.

Cheers

All good advice.

Maybe also see if there's too much lube on the tailstock/bed face, and tailstock clamp plate.

Lathe makers don't like to see corrosion happening in the months (or years) between manufacture and use, and rightly slop on lots of goo. In use, not all of it's necessary.

__________________
Cheers, Ern
Website
'For the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived, and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.' J.F. Kennedy, 1962