Thread: Old Woodfast lathe

Hope this helps to visualise. They will open the right way up.

Lathe_4.JPG Lathe_5.JPG Lathe_6.JPG

Thank you Treecycle

These are the two belts that were on the lathe when I bought it?8FBF129E-C2BD-4F8F-AFBE-9CC7E4B77C38.jpg27F8ABC1-590D-40B4-B9C8-78D8437BBEA7.jpg

These are some images I have taken tonight Sorry about the quality

Hard to imagine that those belts are the problem as the front one looks almost brand new and the other one doesn't look too bad either. The only thing I can think of is that one of the belts was replaced and a longer or narrower one used which would cause you to run out of travel on your motor adjustment, or the belt being too narrow possibly bottoming out in the groove on the headstock or motor pulley. Seeing as one looks fairly new maybe that one has been replaced. You do say that the newer one is 25mm wide and the other is 28mm and I would expect they would've both been the same width originally.
How does the handwheel at the front adjust your speed? Does it push the side flange of the pulley in and out, or raise and low the whole assembly as in the picture below? If it raises and lowers the assembly you have to be able to apply tension to the belts which you won't be able to if you have run out of travel.

Variable pulley.JPG

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Dear Treecycle
Thank you for all your help. Your tolerance is amazing. I am a retired veterinary surgeon more used to dealing with the insides of horses than the insides of machines so I appreciate your patience.
I am having trouble getting good photos of the inside because I can't get at the mechanism.
This time my partner held a light so Could get a better image.
The first image is taken from below and the second one is taken from above.
Thanks again
bhilbert

I have a friend who has purchased an old Woodfast lathe and it seems the bearings are worn out. Does anyone know of a lathe mechanic in Melbourne?

If your lathe does in fact have a Reeves drive, the drive has a variable width pulley. As you dial in the speed, the pulley flanges get closer together or move apart, effectively altering the diameter of the drive pulley. The flange position is maintained by a spring. If the sliding mechanism is stuck, their will be no tension on the belt and it will not drive.

There are many videos on servicing/repairing a Reeves variable speed drive. This is just one by Jet : Cleaning Variable Speed Pulleys | #TipTuesday - YouTube

Hope this helps.

You may find this thread of use: Lathe power troubles

Originally Posted by doucra

You may find this thread of use: Lathe power troubles

That's a handy thread. Maybe bhilbert can send a PM to Forrester and get some info on the belts he has on his lathe and which length (longer or shorter) in top or bottom.
If any new belts are required this place should be able to help. Their blurb says they have 10mm thick belts.
As can be seen from the drawing, 3mm difference in belt width makes a fair difference on how high it sits in the pulley, which is what makes me think the 25mm belt could be wrong. The 2 red images are a 25 wide and 28 wide belt and where they sit relative to their width.
Pulleys.JPG