Lathe maintenance

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
One more tweak on my old lathe. The original block under the banjo was lost before I ever got the lathe.
The previous owner had made a plywood block with a nut inserted in a drilled hole.
That block broke a couple years ago and I was getting by with the nut and a metal plate,
not having a welder I had to hold the nut with my finger each time I tightened it.

Saturday I made a new plywood block with steel straps on top and bottom.
Drilled the steel and tapped 1/2 -13 threads to match the bolt that came with the lathe.

Works 1000 times better. 1/4 turn will loosen the banjo and same to tighten and it stays put when tightened.




184189
 

jhreed

New User
james
One more tweak on my old lathe. The original block under the banjo was lost before I ever got the lathe.
The previous owner had made a plywood block with a nut inserted in a drilled hole.
That block broke a couple years ago and I was getting by with the nut and a metal plate,
not having a welder I had to hold the nut with my finger each time I tightened it.

Saturday I made a new plywood block with steel straps on top and bottom.
Drilled the steel and tapped 1/2 -13 threads to match the bolt that came with the lathe.

Works 1000 times better. 1/4 turn will loosen the banjo and same to tighten and it stays put when tightened.




View attachment 184189
a country boy can survive.
 

Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
I know you probably know to do this, but unless that's lignum vitae, you'll need to oil that wood block real good so it won't rust your bed. A raw wood block like that has a tendency to do that. DAMHIKT
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I know you probably know to do this, but unless that's lignum vitae, you'll need to oil that wood block real good so it won't rust your bed. A raw wood block like that has a tendency to do that. DAMHIKT
It is birch plywood, there are 4 steel straps bolted and epoxied across the plywood block.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
Mike,
is the wood block a "riser" for the banjo or what function is it serving?
how thick is the block?
is the strap you are tapping in the picture what your banjo bolt is threading into from the other side (effectively making this the guide runner in the ways on the bed of the lathe?
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
This is the block under the ways, locking the banjo in place. Oneway sells the machined steel blocks but they do not make one to fit my lathe.
 

allisnut

New User
Adam
You'd need a mill instead of a lathe, but it looks like Mike has created a great repair to his lathe with what he has access to and his creativity and skill.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I wish I had taken more photos but I was in a rush to get done. Please take my word it is quite over-engineered.
 

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