The lathe is going again

[Matt88s]

Lath parts arrived Fri, parts have been installed. It seems to have helped some, but it still puts out an awful lot of vibration and its still turning just a tad off center. :~ It still seems confined to the head though.

There was a local chap with a Delta midi for $150, it looks almost just like the Rikon, and has the same capability for a bed extension etc. He claimed he used it once and just never got back to it. It's tempting just to buy a new lathe, and at that price, its very tempting. :) I'll probably fiddle with this one some more though. Meh.

Anyhow, I've been playing with some of the oak burls I have and jeepers they are cranky old buggers, and hard too. Not hard, hard like Cocobolo or Ebony, but resilient hard, throw your tools back at you hard, and since the grain goes every which way, its always fighting you. They sure are pretty though, a lovely gold color too. :) :roll:

[Penpal]

Happy for you to have your lathe back on deck.I agree with you in regards to Oak,we have a lot of different ones here all of them temperamental and some such as Hairy Oak really hard to drill,the results make them worth while,cut at right angles can reveal unknown beauty.
Vibration in a lathe can be isolated by
1.Diconnect the drive belt and hold a large screwdriver to your ear at the front then rear end of the motor(sorts out front and rear bearing noise)

2.Reconnect the motor to the lathe and tension the drive belt,listen again to the front and rear.

3.Fit up the blanks,bring up the tail stock and live centre,use the screwdriver around these areas (Sorts out the head stock bearings and live centre bearings)

4.Before you do the above fit a dead centre in the head and tail stock and bring the points together with a thin feeler guage between the points gently joining them the diversion tells of out of alignment that is up or down or front or back or both.Make sure you lock the tail stock first.
Ensure the morse tapers are cleaned and free of scoring etc.Roll your mandrel on a flat surface.Check your drive belt for lumps and imperfections.Check for excess play in the tail stock unlocked and then sliding side to side that is diagonally twisting by hand.

Just a few things to check,wish you well.

Regards Peter.:2tsup:

[Simomatra]

Good to see you are back in production Matt:2tsup:

I think Peter has covered all the necessary steps for tracing the noise

[Matt88s]

Thanks Guys.

Vibration is coming from here.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u274/JamesBondsAAB/70-100.jpg

Even if you strip it down to the bare shaft with only the pulley drive on it, it puts out a major vibration on the right hand end of the shaft. Pulley drive is fine, hold you finger or screwdriver on it, its smooth, put it on the other end of the shaft though and it will bounce/vibrate up and down.

Shaft, both bearings, and indexing gear are new, I replaced everything in the head thinking since it was something in the head that that would fix it, but if not that, then what is it?

Is the last possibility a mis milled head?

Actually, after fiddling with it some more, it feels like the right hand bearing is bad, it however, is new, they both are. :~

I think, it would make, a good boat anchor.

[Penpal]

I would get back to the dealer and request a replacement,if no success contact the factory manager respectfully requesting a tested new replacement,explaining the full story dates and names,your location and suggesting a reasonable and short time to have it fixed.You may be correct in your assessment,however stranger things occur in factories.

Wish you success. Peter:2tsup:

[Simomatra]

Do as Peter suggests I would appear they have not fitted the bearings correctly:((