Using my lathe now

[PostalTom]

@Gerald, I owe you an update on my lathe since you were kind enough to help me over the phone.  I think it was a year and a half ago.  As a refresher, I was/am having an issue with my Jet 1442 lathe with a Reeves drive.  If I shut it down at the highest speed, the hand wheel would turn just fine by hand, as it is supposed to do.  If I shut it down at  the slowest speed, the hand wheel is extremely stiff to turn.  Very difficult to turn by hand.  Now for the update.  There  is an industrial supply shop a few miles away from Wichita that does warranty work on Jet lathes.  My lathe is way out of warranty, but I figured they would have the expertise to at least tell me what was wrong.  I called them, and as it turned out, the repair expert was here in Wichita at the time.  The shop called him, and he came to my house to look at the problem.  Bottom line was that I have two bearings going out.  However, he said that since the lathe was still running, his advice was to use it until I couldn't.  The repair then would not be any more involved than if I had them fix it now, and I will have gotten that much more use out of it.  Their repair rate is $65/hour, but after spending at least an hour looking at my lathe, and having to come across town to my house, he only charged me $25.  So, until it comes to a squealing halt, I'm back in operation.  He also advised me to change one of the bearings myself, since it was a simple job.  The other one, not so much.  Gerald, again, thanks for the time you spent helping me on this forum, and also on the phone.

[Gerald]

Any time , after all we are in this together in one way or another.

[PostalTom]

Amen, brother.

[HandyDan]

5 hours ago, PostalTom said:

If I shut it down at  the slowest speed, the hand wheel is extremely stiff to turn.

When the lathe is shut down at the low speed the hand wheel is turning the spindle shaft and the belt is turning the motor.  One revolution of the hand wheel may be turning the motor shaft three or four revolutions and would take more effort than in high speed where one revolution may be turning the motor one revolution.  Your bearings may be fine.  Remove the belt and see if everything turns freely.

[PostalTom]

Dan, I appreciate your feedback, but I don't think that is the issue.  If it were working properly as you suggest, I would have had this "problem" from day one of owning the lathe.  When new, the hand wheel turned fine when shut down at any speed.  Being stiff at the low speed is a relatively recent occurrence.  A hand wheel that won't turn by hand is not a hand wheel, it's just a wheel.  Similar to a boomerang that won't come back is not a boomerang, it's just a funny shaped stick.    Anyway, working properly, or having a minor problem but is still usable, actually amounts to the same thing, at least for the time being. 

[HandyDan]

The same bearings are used any speed setting which makes me feel there may be some other trouble since it operates normal at the high speed setting.  It's the mechanic in me that wants offer other thoughts on the subject. 

[Gerald]

This is the way my 1442 works in respect to this problem. Speed handle will not move when stopped but will when lathe is under power. Just clean the spindle in headstock and on the motor if that too has a split pulley like mine. Now add lithium grease to both shafts and it will work with power on or off freely for a few weeks.

 

I deferred to Tom's tech on the berringbut you know there are always workarounds.

[p_toad]

On 10/21/2020 at 3:42 PM, PostalTom said:

Similar to a boomerang that won't come back is not a boomerang

Well, first you've got to throw it.

 

Anyway, my basic understanding is that not all of them were actually designed to come back...but i'm no expert. 

[RustyFN]

When it does stop working I would look into an inverter duty motor and frequency drive. Might be cheaper than what they charge to fix it and a lot better speed control.