My lathe is dying....

[OneOfOne]

After many years of use, the drive belt on my lathe is about to bite the dust. I have known it was wearing out for the last couple of months, but I was doing some machining over Christmas and it started an exponential decline toward death, unfortunately, everyone was closed so I couldn't do anything about it...so I nursed it through and finished the job, "I will fix it later". I am amazed that it has continued to hold on with what it has got anyway, what do you reckon? Do you think I might get a couple of more years out of it? :(

I know the lathe is a bit messy....but I wasn't expecting visitors!

[lacad01]

Nothing a bit of fencing wire can't fix ;)

[sheeny]

Nuh! not a couple of years!:)

I think you've got your money's worth out of that belt.:thumbsup:

Al.

[astronut]

Maybe a couple of revolutions.:lol:

[erick]

:sadeyes: I have a little job for your lathe.

[mental4astro]

With today's retail prices on spare parts, get a new lathe I reckon, :P.

Be cheaper too!

Or maybe an old stocking tied into a loop, would do a good job too.

[bojan]

If it dies..
Could I organise the burial at my private graveyard? At no charge to you :P

[Barrykgerdes]

The belt looks a bit like the one on the works drill press. But if I get a new one I won't be able to stretch it enough to change speeds without loosening the motor mounts, They look like they are seized I haven't touched them in years.

Baz

[DavidTrap]

Might just scrape past an OH&S inspection...

[kinetic]

Shame, shame , shame!:)

If you don't show that thing the love and attention it deserves it
will repay you with travel play and tapered cuts you
will have nightmares about.

Seriously though, surface rust is my biggest problem being near the
coast and having no roof insulation. If there is a dewy night all the
metal on the lathe goes straight to dew point first and beads up
in a fine mist of moisture. Lots of regular oiling needed.
Look after that thing boyo! :thumbsup:

Steve

[DavidU]

:eyepop: That sounds like a nightmare ! Many cans of WD40 there Steve?

[OneOfOne]

Picked up a new belt from Blackwoods last night....cost me $11, it had better last at least 20 years for that price! I will see if I can borrow another trolley jack from a neighbour at the weekend so I can get it out from the wall. One at each end should do the trick.

I suppose it hasn't done too bad. It was in the Amunitions Factory in WWII making bullets, then the PMG Research Labs for about 20 years, than my bosses garage for about 10 years, then stored at the back of a panel beaters shop under rubbish for another 5, then in my garage for nearly another 20. It just keeps on going...

[Barrykgerdes]

I have never had any trouble moving my lathe. Only keeping it clean!
The chain block has been there for 10 years now. Probably needs oiling.

Barry

[bmitchell82]

you could have just fixed the belt with 100mph tape.

[OneOfOne]

Got the old belt off and went to put the new one on only to discover it is about 100mm too big :sadeyes:. I didn't want to take it off to measure it earlier, just in case I need to do a quick bit of machining, so I put a white mark on the belt, turned it around a bit, put on another mark..every 100mm. I ended up with 17 by the end of the exercise...or was that 16 :(.

Oh well, I have it off now, so another trip out to Blackwoods tomorrow or Wednesday.

[John Hill]

Careful with the trolley jack at each end! Nothing a lathe likes better than falling on its face.:sadeyes:

That belt looks just like the belt on my new Chinese lathe after about 20 minutes running!:thumbsup:

[erick]

Back in action, Trevor??

[OneOfOne]

I hope to get it done this weekend...fingers crossed. I have several things I have to machine up, so I am missing being able to do them. Let you know :)

[OneOfOne]

Finally got it fixed on Sunday morning! I was hoping to get it done in ten minutes, but it took more than an hour. I loosened the screws holding the motor so I could swing it around and get the belt on, only to find they hand nothing holding the other side, so they just went round and round and I couldn't get the nuts back on:mad2:. In the end I found the motor had been mounted (at least 30 years ago) on a timber frame that was attached to four bolts that allowed it to slide up and down to tension the belt. It was these bolts I should have loosened :(. The original motor had been replaced before it made it way to the PMG!

Instead of the clunk (as the worn section goes around the pulley), clunk (as it goes around the other pulley), flap (as the loose bits of belt hit various parts of the lathe)....clunk, clunk, flap, clunk, clunk, flap! It now goes "whirrrrr" :D. Just need to do a bit of machining to check the belt tension is ok.

[M54]

Boy, that first photo gives new meaning to the term 'just hanging on by a thread'!
:lol:

Congratulations on the new Whirrring sound.

[Chillie]

Having a close look at the picture, it looks like the belt is rubbing on the right angled rod at the bottom of the picture. Can you shift the motor closer to the wall so the belt doesn't rub? You might have to make the cutout slot a bit bigger at the back.

[OneOfOne]

The new belt is somewhat smaller, so the motor is moved up an inch or so higher than before (actually it is about as high now as the adjustment will go), so the belt seems to clear the hole better. I'll see how it goes over Easter when I get a chance to actually use it again. If it lasts another 30 years like the last belt, it will be up to my beneficiaries to replace it :).

[erick]

Working well! Many thanks for your help yesterday, Trevor, getting a few parts machined up for me. :thumbsup: