Disaster

[CHJ]

You just need to part the two motor pulley flanges, the belt is riding on the top not in the vee.

Be very careful if you try to edge them apart, the castings are very fragile. You need as many wooden wedges as you can place between them to gently ease them apart.

You may need assistance to do this but your safest bet is to slacken off the inner pulley, undo the grub screw, then remove the circlip on the end of the shaft. Be ready to catch the spring. Then refix the inner pulley and with belt at its highest point on the pulley but just in the vee refit the spring and circlip. to aid this compress the spring in a vice and wire it semi closed with a couple of pieces of thin wire. When circlip is in place snip the wire ties and release the spring.

In future leave the damaged belt in place on the motor pulley until the new one is fitted then cut the old one free.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Whoa! That ain't right. Your belt shouldn't be riding on the edge of the motor pulley like that. It's probably how the first belt got destroyed.

Even at the highest speed setting, the outside edge of the belt should be no more than level with the edge of the motor pulley. Either that belt is too long, or your speed selector is out of adjustment--or both. Is that black handle at the top of the pulley your speed handle? I'm going to assume it is. When the speed handle is moved to a slower speed, it will force the two halves of the non-motor Reeves pulley together. That should, in turn, increase the radius that the belt is running on the Reeves pulley, making the belt tighter and forcing toward the shaft of the motor pulley. The two halves of the motor pulley will be forced apart by the belt.

A shorter belt will force the motor pulley halves apart sooner, letting the belt sit closer to the shaft of the pulley. Or, a slower speed will pull the belt in. If your speed handle can be adjusted to prevent too high a speed, you should be OK.

Have you checked the length of this belt with your trashed belt? Are they the same, or way different?

Kirk

 

[CHJ]

Whoa! That ain't right. Your belt shouldn't be riding on the edge of the motor pulley like that.

Agreed, I think the original belt length was more likely the correct one. Then the belt would never be able to ride that high.

 

[Wood spoiler]

Thanks Chas
I have examined further and I think the flanges you identified are supposed to move in and out corresponding to the gear on the other side. With your tip it appears that the flanges on the motor side have seized and that would be the cause of chewing up the drive belt.

Kirk
The handle you can see is the tightening clamp on the bed.

It looks like my problems are more serious than I thought. Not just a drive belt. The old belt had come off the motor side before I opened the casing.
Looks like it is time to blow the dust off the warranty
Cheers
Colin

 

[CHJ]

I know exactly how the system works Colin, I have owned an axminster version of the type and fitted at least 4 new belts and currently have a much bigger machine with the same type of drive.

How often did you grease the motor shaft through the end grease point, if regularly used it should be check and done at least once a month.

If you do as I say and remove the spring you will find that you can remove the pulley outer flange. You may wish to get a shorter belt before trying to use it else the current belt will just ride out of the motor pulley as soon as you move your lever to high speed.

You will not be able to pull the motor pulley flanges apart with your hands, the spring is too strong.

 

[Wood spoiler]

Thanks Chas

No greasing in the 5 months I have owned it!
I will set to tomorrow and follow your instructions.
What grease should be applied?
I have both belts, the one that I got today was from the Sealey agent, the one you said I got from power tool spares

 

[Steve Jones]

Colin,

Chas is spot on with the advice, I have an Axminster Lathe with the same drive and changed my belt earlier this year, only difference with me was I could just part the pulley flange with my fingers to get the belt in.

Hope you get it sorted tomorrow

Steve

 

[CHJ]

Any general light machine/bearing grease will do it only has to aid the pulley flange sliding it does not have to support heavy loads, if you don't have one you can usually get a little press to apply grease gunalready loaded, enough to last years, you only need to ensure there is a slight smear on the shaft.

If you are stuck for grease then vaseline or similar will do until you can get some.

The top shaft, pulley area and mechanism should be sprayed with Dry PTFE Lubricant,don't want grease or oil flying around to collect dust.

The belt I pictured had beeen on a machine for 9 months and heavily used, only removed to fit new for lathe sale.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Colin:

On the grease, see if the manual says anything. You may be able to use any light grease, even the spray-on stuff.

If you have problems with getting the spring back on, you can compress it using a couple of zip ties, thus:

After everything is reassembled, just cut the ties.

Kirk

 

[Wood spoiler]

Thanks to all those that helped, particularly Chas, for your much appreciated help guidance and instructions.
I am pleased to report my lathe is spinning once more.

Having removed the circlip and spring I had to use the suggested wedges all round to budge the motor flange which was seized on the motor shaft.
My new bottle of grease stands alongside the lathe as necessary reminder that it needs monthly application!

I hope anyone following these trials can gain from my experience - especially the valuable information about the greasing of the moving parts. I don't recall any instructions in this regard in the basic instructions that came with the Lathe

Cheers once again

Colin

 

[kirkpoore1]

...
I hope anyone following these trials can gain from my experience - especially the valuable information about the greasing of the moving parts. I don't recall any instructions in this regard in the basic instructions that came with the Lathe

Cheers once again

Colin

That's good news, Colin. One thing about Reeves pulleys is that you're supposed to run them through their whole speed range at least once per day or so. This may help keep your grease spread around. Since you've already had problems, I'd do that check with the cover off so you can keep an eye on it.

Did you say your lathe is fairly new (under a year old)? I find it pretty disturbing that the pulley seized up so fast, even with no additional lubrication.

Ah, well, it does remind me that I need to get out and lube the pulleys and quill on my drill press.

Kirk

 

[CHJ]

.....Did you say your lathe is fairly new (under a year old)? I find it pretty disturbing that the pulley seized up so fast, even with no additional lubrication.
..Kirk

Kirk, these machines, sold under a variety of brand names in the Uk, although good value for new starters and have a reasonable life span if maintained are at the lower end of mechanical specifications and the reeves drive bits are no exception.

They can be worked hard but need the associated regular TLC to stop things falling apart. Looking at the original picture I suspect the machine did not even have any lubrication in an on the motor spindle when supplied.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Kirk, these machines, sold under a variety of brand names in the Uk, although good value for new starters and have a reasonable life span if maintained are at the lower end of mechanical specifications and the reeves drive bits are no exception.

They can be worked hard but need the associated regular TLC to stop things falling apart. Looking at the original picture I suspect the machine did not even have any lubrication in an on the motor spindle when supplied.

Thanks, Chas, a little too much "value engineering" would explain the problem. If it had said "Harbor Freight" or "Central Machinery" on it I would have known just what Colin was dealing with.

Kirk

 

[CHJ]

Well I refrained from using those names which I regularly see referenced on Family Woodworking and Yahoo groups but you have nailed the standard.

All the machines come out of generic Chiwan workshops and although looking similar, with only the paint colour obvious there can be considerable difference in mechanical fit and finish dependant on which price point in the Quality Audit chain the separate parts were screened out at.
Unfortunately UK retail price does not always reflect importers QA standards.

The version I had was at the very bottom of the spec. scale but marketed by one of the better UK Brands and stood up to some real challenges

 

[kirkpoore1]

The version I had was at the very bottom of the spec. scale but marketed by one of the better UK Brands and stood up to some real challenges

Wow, that was a chunk o' wood. Did you have to add some weight to the lathe to keep it from walking all over the floor when you started the bowl blank turning?

Well, I did just go lube up my drill press and planer for the first time in a year (Powermatic and Oliver, no Horror Freight for me), so those machines should be good for a while. This has been a good reminder to stay on top of things.

Kirk

 

[Bodrighy]

My first lathe was the same as Chas's and I knackered it turning too many rustic, off balance pieces without a lot of dedicated maintenance. Not the lathe's fault, my ignorance. As Chas says, they are fine if used only within their limitations.

Pete

 

[big soft moose]

following this with interest - i guess i'm just naturally lucky cos my first lathe was a axminster M900 which i had for 8 years , never greased, and which only needed one new belt in that time.

 

[CHJ]

wow, that was a chunk o' wood. Did you have to add some weight to the lathe to keep it from walking all over the floor when you started the bowl blank turning?.....Kirk

No Kirk, just did some balancing with my cheapy powered plane with it stationary first. I do not like relying on mechanical muscle to restrain out of balance, and especially with a machine with such lightweight bearings etc. (something drummed into me at age 16)

We do have the occasional machine over here with heavy Reeves drives although 3ph electronic drives are more in current evidence.

Heres one from the late 1990's (once owned by member Blister) still going strong.

 

[Wood spoiler]

Looking at the original picture I suspect the machine did not even have any lubrication in an on the motor spindle when supplied.

As an observation, after effecting the repair, including applying the suggested grease, the speed mechanism has been much smoother and more fluid than at any time that I have been using the lathe. I would suspect that you are correct about the absence of lubrication from the manufacturer. I am impressed that you could tell that from the pictures!

 

[CHJ]

There is not enough entrapped dust on any of the motor parts for a machine used long enough to shred a belt.

You'll see the difference when you next clean and service when there is a smear of grease to attract the dust.

I used a stiff washing up brush to shift the worst of it.

Despite the fact that letting Dry PTFE lube get on the cones or belt would suggest lack of drive and slipping I never found it a problem, in fact it just appeared to run quieter.