Woodfast lathe ID needed.

[MakeHaste]

Morning All,

I recently picked up this beautiful, if not a bit weathered lathe. Its a Woodfast - thats all the info the seller could provide.

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I'd like some help to ID which year, model and what the belt sizes are for it. Im converting it from three phase back to single and will give all her rusty bits some love. Ideally the shop manual for it would be the dream state, as I would love to get more specific info such as bearings, variable speed info and other nifty things without doing the math, or full tear down.

I'm looking forward to spinning her up in the current weeks and excited by the prospect of restoring such a classic ol' ditty.

[Old Croc]

I can't help with the ID, but if you are going to do all that work, take the opportunity to convert the 3phase motor to VFD. That is the single most important change you can do. Search in the Electronics section way, way down these pages and there is heaps of information on doing a VFD install. Its called VFD installation summaries.
Rgds,
Crocy.

[Mobyturns]

+1 to what Crocy said. IF the 3ph motor is suitable and in reasonable condition.

Most woodfast lathes that I have seen have the year / lathe # stamped into the bed on the tailstock end. Best idea with bearings is to take the part number directly from the bearing. Belts can be supplied by most bearing / transmission supply places, just need to measure the length around the pulleys making some allowance for tensioning the belt. The belt width & profile can be matched from the pulley.

[BobL]

I can't help with the ID, but if you are going to do all that work, take the opportunity to convert the 3phase motor to VFD. That is the single most important change you can do. Search in the Electronics section way, way down these pages and there is heaps of information on doing a VFD install. Its called VFD installation summaries.
Rgds,
Crocy.

VFD install summaries (https://www.woodworkforums.com/f271/vfd-install-summaries-213878)

If you take a close up photo of the motor name plate we can provide more Information on the suitability of the motor.

[Paul39]

+2 for using a VFD if possible. A single edge razor blade will lift the rust off the bed without damage. Loosen the tail stock and remove without sliding on the bed, same with the tool rest & banjo. Use the razor blade to get rust off any sliding surface, then oil. Do not worry about small pits, the high surface is what slides and holds position.

If the spindle turns freely, put the tip of a screwdriver at the front and back of the head stock and the handle in your ear. Spin the spindle, if you hear a whirring sound bearings are good. If you hear crunching & grinding, or the spindle is catching and rough, you will need bearings. There is information on removing and replacing bearings using threaded rods. Do not use a hammer to drive out or in.

If the drive center is in the head stock and / or the tail center is in the tail stock, put penetrating oil in the outboard holes in each and around where the centers go in the bores and let soak for days, adding more twice a day. The bores are tapered where the centers go in. If you have a brass hammer, tap, tap, tap, the centers all the way around gently. If no brass hammer a small 8 ounce steel one will do, but be extremely careful to not hit the spindle threads or the barrel of the tails stock. After several days of soaking and tapping put a steel rod into the outboard hole of head and tail stock and with a 16 - 24 ounce hammer whack the rod very hard. You want a quick shock. Put a rag around the center to restrain it in case it comes out like a shot.

If the centers do not come out after two hard whacks, resume soaking and tapping and with a heat gun warm the spindle until the penetrating oil sizzles, add more oil, tap, tap, tap, and let sit. Next session Warm up, add oil, and try driving out again. That will almost always work.

The driving out of the centers contradicts not driving out the bearings.

That is how one gets out the centers and once out, stick the front in a vise and polish the taper with 320 - 400 grit sand paper and light oil until shiny, then make a cone with sandy side out, oil up and work on the inside taper of the head and tail stock bores. Finish by oiling up the centers and rotating in the bores and wiping the center and bore with cloth. Repeat until cloth comes out clean. Keep the bores and centers clean and oiled and remove and replace at least twice a year. Once cleaned up they will come out with a tap on the rod.

[Paul39]

MakeHaste,

See Post # 10 here: fitting single phase motor to old 3 phase lathe (https://www.woodworkforums.com/f11/fitting-single-phase-motor-3-phase-lathe-202175)

Also the whole thread.

This is newer than yours: My Latest Acquisition | The Pragmatic Woodturning Woodworker (http://tri-colorturners.com/wordpress/my-latest-acquisition/)

I have one of these, for which I paid $850 US, all rusted together: Update and Pics of my Woodfast 408m lathe - by jeff @ LumberJocks.com ~ woodworking community (https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/291257)

Of your vintage and mine one doesn't really need an instruction manual. They are very solid simple machines that you can find all you need to know by just looking and playing with the controls.

The model # and date on yours may be stamped in the bed on the tail stock end.

[China]

That model goes back at least to the early seventies, same model they had at the trade school when I was an apprentice ( and they were not new ) as said above very simple reliable there are two controls a on/off switch and a multi stage pulley to change the speeds
constantly changing speed on woodturning lathes is a recent phenomenon.

[NeilS]

I'd like some help to ID which year



Most Woodfast lathes have the year of manufacture stamped into the end of the bed rail (tailstock end) from which you can then work out other details.