Not Done with it yet, but getting close....

Chuck Ellis

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Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee
All the "Done With" threads over in off topics inspired this title... just spent last 3 hours tearing down my headstock - again -
I have the Jet 1442 with the Reeves control... it's getting awfully tiresome here lately. Saturday in the middle of sanding a bowl, the bowl just stopped turning, the belt started squealing as the motor was still going strong and slipping the belt on the spindle pulleys... my bearings had been chattering some so I figured one or more had frozen on me... I came in from the shop and ordered new bearings....but when I went to tear it down today, the e-ring keeper on the spindle that holds the stationary pulley in place had slipped and let the stationary pulley slide up against the cast iron casing of the head stock... since I had already bought new bearings, figured to just go ahead and change them out... after I got the pulleys out, they looked to be boogered up in the vanes to the point I've decided I'll need to replace them too... I've had this lathe about 8 years and so far I have changed bearings twice, the spindle, the spindle pulleys, the speed control bar, the motor pulleys and all the related and necessary bits and pieces... for all practical purposes, I have totally rebuilt the inside of the headstock....

I guess I can't really complain too much... I keep a running log of the pieces I make... each gets a sequential number and some times if I make several similar items, like the wine glasses, the group will all get the same number... to date my number sequence is up to 2060 items I've turned on this lathe. This doesn't count the pieces I blew up or didn't finish... it's been a work horse, but I guess even work horses need to retire eventually...As soon as I win the lottery, I may have to upgrade to another lathe....
 
Wow, Chuck! That sounds like a pain in the butt! Yes, eventually they all wear out. I guess maybe I might be a bit lucky. I run a 7-8 year old Grizzly and it has really performed great! I have turned more stuff on it than should be allowed by law. And, very heavy blanks that it probably was not rated for, but it turned them just fine. The only thing I have to change out on it is the belt periodically. I don't know what the real name of the pulley system is, but it has an expanding pulley on the motor and headstock. Real heavy stuff takes a toll on the belt and nothing else. I oil the pulley spindles everyday with 30 wt. oil and away we go. Bearings and all are fine. Of course all of that could change tomorrow. Knock on wood it don't. Good luck on the lotto. Hope your luck is better than mine.
 
Chuck,

I had enough fun with the Reeves drive and the Craftsman. Waiting on a Grizzly G-0766 to arrive now. Under $1600 delivered and set down at my door for a 22x42 lathe. The Delta VFD is supposed to be a decent one and the three horse three phase motor will actually put out two horsepower according to my information. Maybe food for thought the next time the Jet starts eating on the cash. Of course I know where you can buy a Craftsman for a couple hundred so you can have two of the Reeves drives to keep one spared out all the time!

Hu
 
Hu,
I still like the lathe, it's not cost all that much so far... I'm putting in another set of spindle pulleys, all new bearings and I'm still under $100. It's just getting to be a nuisance... I'm not sure but aren't the 3 phase motors mostly 220V? I'm not wired for 220 in the shop, so that would be another expense to consider. I'll be back on line in another week, but just wanted complain to somebody that would understand.
 
I do unnerstand!

Hu,
I still like the lathe, it's not cost all that much so far... I'm putting in another set of spindle pulleys, all new bearings and I'm still under $100. It's just getting to be a nuisance... I'm not sure but aren't the 3 phase motors mostly 220V? I'm not wired for 220 in the shop, so that would be another expense to consider. I'll be back on line in another week, but just wanted complain to somebody that would understand.

Chuck,

I think that most electronic VFD's run off of 220 single phase to produce a synthetic third leg. If I recall correctly I have seen some that started with 110 but they were for one horsepower engines or less. No big deal to pull a 220 cable or convert a line if you have a dedicated circuit for something already, assuming you have 220 to your breaker box. The cord on the three horsepower rated Grizzly is only fourteen gauge so I can't think of a reason in the world not to take a short run of twelve two with ground and convert it to 220. Got to be careful but my electrical box is "interesting" already to say the least! The old wiring includes a red, white, and blue cable where the white is hot, and conventional 12-2/wG that uses the white as a neutral. I sketched before taking out the old box and replaced the wiring as found, the old wiring goes across a ceiling that won't support my weight, may not support my cat's!

I do know what you mean about complaining where people will understand. My Reeves drive would be a good reason to drink if I still could. I haven't decided if I will sell mine for a few hundred with all appropriate warnings or just let the Reeves drive freeze up at low RPM and use it for finishing. Need the space and I'd have to have an adapter to go from 1"-8 to 1-1/4"-8 so the same faceplate or chuck would fit both. I'll have to give it more thought. While I'm considering if selling the Craftsman or shooting it a few times with a friend's 50BMG would give me more pleasure it is purring like a kitten!

Hu
 
Hu is right, Chuck. A lot of the 3 phase motors run off of single phase power. Rewiring a single outlet to handle the 220 should not be that big of a deal. I wired everything in my shop and I am no electrical genius. My next lathe will be 220 and actually they are usually more economical to run. Lots of benefits to it. Hi mentioned Craftsman. AWK!!! I wish I was smarter a few years ago when I bought a Craftsman band saw. It was supposedly a professional grade. It's a piece of junk that I am always having to limp along. I remember when Craftsman was a good brand to buy. Never again, believe me.
 
I feel your pain on the Reeves drive, Chuck. My Sears lathe didn't cost much to fix each time the Reeves drive went south on me, but the frustration factor was high. I was very glad to get rid of it. ;)
 
Unless I win the lottery, or have a really really fantastic summer market, I'm afraid an upgrade will be outside my budget. And even though you guys make it sound simple and easy, I don't mess with electricity much... I have a very healthy respect for it, and I'm gun shy.... when I was in the navy, I was a radio operator on Guam running mostly telex circuits... I needed to change a reperferator one night - a machine that punches teletype tape - I pulled the old one without shutting down the system, they are just plug in machines that have 7 contacts in a line ... I set the new one in place, but got it slightly off center... there's 300 volts running through these things and when I set it crooked, it shorted, sparked, blew every circuit in the radio room, and laid me flat of my back on a desk 6 feet away and some sorry son *** hit me in the elbows with a base ball bat.... I'll leave high voltage to the professionals.

I did run all the wiring in my shop though, but had a pro check it before we applied power and I had him run the wire from the main to the shop and put the circuit breaker box in. We buried the line and I had to dig the ditch... about 90 feet, 18 inches deep.
 
Chuck, as the old saying goes. "If it doesn't feel right, then don't do it." Sounds to me like your situation and electricity. Knock on wood my lathe is humming along. If I had to replace it right now, I don't think I would be able to as well. So, don't feel like the Long Ranger on that one.
 
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