I'm having slippage problems with my tailstock on my 12 year old Jet mini.  It will slip on the bed and move away from the piece I'm turning. I've adjusted the off center lock a couple of times, I've removed it and roughed up the surfaces that lock it in place. The only way I can get it to stay is to use some leverage with a small box end wrench. Even then it will loosen. 

 

Any suggestions?

 

One fix is a longer locking piece in a square shape. I think there is someone who sells these. If I find it will post. Some also say replacing the original locking plate fixes the problem.

Good Idea Gerald. Or you might take some sand paper to the piece underneath the bed...Sound like their is not enough gap for the bolt to tighten enough.

Here is a video on making a new plate.

Here are three ideas and article I found.

https://www.machinistblog.com/lever-operated-tailstock-cam-locks-three-well-known-designs-you-can-build-and-a-kit-you-can-buy/

 

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/12%94-x-37%94-lathe-tailstock-clamp-improvement-20208   This I could not get hyperlink to work so copy and paste.

 

http://blog.belin.sk/index.php?PgId=12&Lang=En

 

The second may be the easiest to do but there are several good ideas in the first article.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Gerald, a simple solution, increase surface area. I will be working on that tomorrow. I'm old school and my first thought was to ask for direction, as I did when I worked around machinists, engineers  and  skilled journeyman.  I'm still asking for advice from them, but now they are here on PWW

5 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

Good Idea Gerald. Or you might take some sand paper to the piece underneath the bed...Sound like their is not enough gap for the bolt to tighten enough.

While it might seem counter intuitive to you, roughing up the surfaces with sandpaper is the wrong thing to do.  In simple terms, roughing the surfaces reduces the surface contact area.  As an analogy,  think of what would happen if you roughed up your Morse taper drive centers with sandpaper.  The best solution to the problem is to replace the little round disk clamps with rectangular T-slot clamp plates, preferably as long as the base of the tailstock.  Another common problem is that as lathes get used over many years the middle of the bed will become higher than the outer edges so that only the middle makes contact with the mating surface of the tailstock or sometimes the tailstock can even be rocked side to side slightly.  If that is the case then you will need to flatten the bed which isn't as complicated as it may seem.

Edited April 5, 20188 yr by Billy B

I guess you can tell I don't do lathes. I did mean the piece under the bed that tightens the tail stock and not where the pieces slide against each other but don't even know the names of any of those things. I also thought using lacquer thinner and cleaning the areas that slide against each other might sound the best idea if I was to try and solve the problem

Edited April 5, 20188 yr by Smallpatch

 

13 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

Even then it will loosen.

 

If it is coming loose then it is the adjustment.   I find the best hold comes with the cam adjusted to almost going over center.  Adjust it until it goes over center and then adjust it tighter a little.

I did adjust a couple of times. A smooth surface would have more surface area, however the area has what appears to be machined swirls in it where the bottom contact area is.  Being a mini, I will be able to easily set it on end and examine the whole thing. (something I did not think of)

 

All of the suggestions you guys have made has helped, gonna work on it today...........Thanks

I has the problem on my metal lathe. My cam handle would back off

when any pressure was on the front. My fix was to add a second handle 

that pushes on the first handle. I put groves on the first handle to 

keep my second handle from slipping.