Thread: Lathe power troubles

Forrester,

I see rust here & there. On the bed or any flat surface get a single edge razor blade scraper and scrape the rust, at the right angle of blade it will come right off. Then oil up and run the tail stock back and forth a few times and wipe, re oil, run back and forth and wipe. If the bottom of the banjo - part that holds the tool rest - is rusty, scrape with razor or put some 120 grit paper on a flat surface and run the banjo over that.

I see the drive center is rusty and in the spindle, soak all of that with WD-40 and let sit overnight. If there is a hole through the spindle squirt WD in the outboard side until it runs out, let sit overnight. Next day if there is a hole through the spindle, put a couple of rags over the drive center and stick a knock out bar - 3/8 inch rod - through the hole and hit it as hard as you can with a 12 - 16 oz hammer. You want a sharp shock as opposed to a heavy blow, if no go, try once more, then stop. If there is no hole through the spindle for a knock out bar, or if it has not come out with the knock out bar, more WD on where the drive center goes in and tap, tap, tap, on the fat part of the drive center with the above mentioned rod while turning the spindle around and around, keep adding WD. As the drive center is tapered the WD and side tapping may let it eventually ease out. Heating the threaded nose of the spindle and behind with a hair dryer or heat gun, keeping the heat off the drive center will help to swell the spindle and let WD in and release the grip on the drive center.

There is an auto tool called a pickle fork that could be used to go behind the fat part of the drive center to knock it out: https://images.homedepot-static.com/...7d-64_1000.jpg Be careful to not damage the threads on the spindle and especially not the register area behind the spindle.

When you get the drive center out, oil up the spindle nose and run a chuck or face plate up snugly to the stop and back off 3 - 4 times, then wipe all rusty oil off inside and outside threads and flat register at the back of the threads. Look carefully at the register on the spindle for any nicks or raised places. The threads hold the face plate or chuck on. the register makes it run true and gets in the same position each time it is put on. Run the lathe at 1000ish RPM, wrap a piece of 180 - 240 grit around a flat stick and apply to the register area of the spindle behind the threads, just enough to shine it. Wipe off and lightly oil register and threads. With above grade of sandpaper and a flat block of wood rotate around on the back register area of your face plate and chuck, wipe and lightly oil.

All of the above works on the tail center in the tail stock.

Bearings, leave them alone unless they are making crunching grinding noises. For the spindle bearings get a 12 inch or so screwdriver, run the lathe at 1000ish RPM and put the tip of the screwdriver close to the spindle on each side of the housing and put the end of the handle in your ear. A smooth whurring sound is good, crunching, grinding sounds are not. When you had the belts off, if the spindle turned easily and smoothly all is good.

I see at least one grease fitting, if you have a grease gun, or a mate with one holding auto chassis or wheel bearing grease, pump until you see clean grease come out, wipe off, and you are good for a year or three. As to the speed adjustment working hard at the low end, lubricate with oil, not WD any place in the system that moves against another part. If there is a long screw in there, spray with WD, wipe, then lube. 20 weight auto oil, 3 in 1 oil.

An omission from post # 17:

When the drive center and tail center are removed from the Morse tapers. Thoroughly wet the inside and outside tapers with WD-40 and put loosely back in and rotate so as to loosen up any rust or dirt, gently pushing in and twisting. Remove male part and wipe off and out with rag moistened with WD, wet down tapers again and twist around, wipe out, repeat until wiping rag comes out clean. Oil up in and out and rub around, remove, wipe off excess oil and replace.

If drive and tail centers are the same taper, use the drive center in the tail stock if you can't grip the tail center to rotate. If there is rust on the male taper of the tail center that you can't get off by rotating in the tail stock, that can be removed by suspending or propping in white vinegar overnight or several days. Do not submerge the tail center bearing. After brushing off the now black crud with an old toothbrush swish around the taper in very hot water, dry and immediately oil. If not oiled the taper will flash rust quickly.

Rust on the fat part of the drive center can be removed by putting in the spindle and running the lathe slowly and using a strip of 150 - 220 grit polishing the fat part, then lightly oiling. Be careful of the drive spurs. The whole drive center can also be soaked in white vinegar and scrubbed with a brush, put in hot water, dried and oiled after removal from head stock and before the grinding of the internal Morse taper.

Keep in mind that WD-40 is not an oil and will not protect from rust or lubricate.

Any of your Morse taper bits that are rusty - tail center drill chuck - can be shined up by running in the lathe and sandpapered, then oiled.

Originally Posted by Paul39

An omission from post # 17:

When the drive center and tail center are removed from the Morse tapers. Thoroughly wet the inside and outside tapers with WD-40 and put loosely back in and rotate so as to loosen up any rust or dirt, gently pushing in and twisting. Remove male part and wipe off and out with rag moistened with WD, wet down tapers again and twist around, wipe out, repeat until wiping rag comes out clean. Oil up in and out and rub around, remove, wipe off excess oil and replace.

If drive and tail centers are the same taper, use the drive center in the tail stock if you can't grip the tail center to rotate. If there is rust on the male taper of the tail center that you can't get off by rotating in the tail stock, that can be removed by suspending or propping in white vinegar overnight or several days. Do not submerge the tail center bearing. After brushing off the now black crud with an old toothbrush swish around the taper in very hot water, dry and immediately oil. If not oiled the taper will flash rust quickly.

Rust on the fat part of the drive center can be removed by putting in the spindle and running the lathe slowly and using a strip of 150 - 220 grit polishing the fat part, then lightly oiling. Be careful of the drive spurs. The whole drive center can also be soaked in white vinegar and scrubbed with a brush, put in hot water, dried and oiled after removal from head stock and before the grinding of the internal Morse taper.

Keep in mind that WD-40 is not an oil and will not protect from rust or lubricate.

Any of your Morse taper bits that are rusty - tail center drill chuck - can be shined up by running in the lathe and sandpapered, then oiled.

Wonderful response and gives me plenty of information to work with to getting this lathe back into top condition!

It's great that the nature of the lathe itself lends well to self cleaning with some sandpaper. Wd 40 will be used primarily as suggested. On the lathe ways after cleaning I'll be using something I have a small tub of called Silverglide that I have used on my bandsaw table with good success.

In terms of lubricating oils of each part: the raising/lowering mechanism, the morse taper bits, the spindles etc I'll be looking to get some 20 weight oil as suggested (Iso 68?).

Wonderful response and gives me plenty of information to work with to getting this lathe back into top condition!

I lean toward "put in working order" and use. "Perfect is the enemy of finished." Nothing wrong with restoration, or top condition, if that is your interest.

For lathe purposes about anything slick that will stay between rubbing parts will work. Straight 20 or 30 weight auto oil works fine. If there are oil cups on your lathe motor, non detergent 20 weight is advised. Most motors have ball bearings that are grease lubed for "life". Whose life is hard to determine.

I have bought quite a few well used machines and motors with ball bearings and never lubed nor had a failure over many years of additional use. A 1930s table saw I dragged out of a building that was being demolished in the 1970s, and kept outside with canvas over it, used for cutting up firewood, finally let the magic smoke come out two years ago. Bearings still worked fine.

I had to look up ISO 68: https://www.machinerylubrication.com...ic-engine-oils

Dear Forrester
I have a Woodfast lathe that looks very much like yours. My lathe was slipping when I tried to turn a bowl. Are you able to tell me what sort and size belts you have?
thankyou
Bryan

Dear Paul

I also have just purchased an old Woodfast lathe. I am also having trouble with what I think is the belt slipping as I try to tune a bowl. When I apply pressure with the turning "chisels" to the wood I can almost stop the spindle and I get a squealing sound. The number on the tail stock is VSL 686-73.
The belts on the machine when i bought it have "teeth" and the two bests are slightly different dimensions.The smaller belt which goes from the motor to the speed controller is 1030mm ID and 1040 OD is 25mm wide and 10mm deep. The longer best which runs from the speed controller to the spindle is1090 ID and 1100 OD is 28wide and 10mm deep.
Are you able to help me as to where to get new belts?
Thank you
Bryan

Hi Bryan, can't help you too much with where to find the belts. However, these being a well used school machine in the past means if you call up a few schools you might be able to get the contact of someone who services their lathes. Plenty of schools still have these running so hopefully you can get some info by trying to speak with a school service.