Clarke CWL-20RV Drive problems

[mr fixit]

I have recently bought this Clarke wood lathe and have discovered that I cannot change the speed. The instruction manual indicates 10 speeds, I cannot rotate left or right the lever which alters the speed of the chuck. I have removed the cover guard and find that the splined shaft is in good condition but still no joy after greasing. I am sure this is not the first time this has happened. I would appreciate any help on this problem.

 

[Hutzul]

I have recently bought this Clarke wood lathe and have discovered that I cannot change the speed. The instruction manual indicates 10 speeds, I cannot rotate left or right the lever which alters the speed of the chuck. I have removed the cover guard and find that the splined shaft is in good condition but still no joy after greasing. I am sure this is not the first time this has happened. I would appreciate any help on this problem.

Can you rotate the head/chuck backwards or forwards at all? My Draper lathe has an indexing stub to the back of the chuck, if this is engaged it locks the spindle to remove the chuck.
Will it change speed if you hand turn the chuck backwards or forwards?
Sometimes the speed handle may have to be pulled or pushed before moving left or right.

Clarke are a Machine Mart brand, try their Technical Dept. if all else fails.

Good Luck

PS: Welcome to the forum

 

[Robbo3]

I have recently bought this Clarke wood lathe and have discovered that I cannot change the speed. The instruction manual indicates 10 speeds, I cannot rotate left or right the lever which alters the speed of the chuck. I have removed the cover guard and find that the splined shaft is in good condition but still no joy after greasing. I am sure this is not the first time this has happened. I would appreciate any help on this problem.

One minor problem with this type of lathe is that the speed can only be changed with the lathe in motion.

If you have a large piece of wood mounted & the lathe is set on a fast speed, you have to remove it before starting the lathe to alter the speed.

 

[Cowboy _Builder]

It sounds like a part of the mechanism has come adrift ,i can't remember just how it works ,but i'll have a look at mine tomorrow ,it's a very simple set up ,mine locked up but i can't remember what the problem was .
I think the handle just compresses and decompresses a spring and allows the pullies to move along the shaft.

 

[CHJ]

One minor problem with this type of lathe is that the speed can only be changed with the lathe in motion.

If you have a large piece of wood mounted & the lathe is set on a fast speed, you have to remove it before starting the lathe to alter the speed.

Never had to remove a work piece from my lathe that had such a drive, just rotating the chuck by hand was always sufficient to cause the belts to slide down the cone.
And I turned some reasonably big pieces at times

 

[MattF]

Hi mr fixit
Your a bit to far to pop over but I know this is a daft question when you are trying to change speed are you pulling the leaver towards you before moving it left or right at the same time also can you push the pulleys by hand.


In the photo the shaft that has broken the pulley should be level with the plate its located in when correct.
Mod edit: Images were not of OP's lathe but old resurected thread details.

Matt

 

[moby]

found these instructions if they are any help.

G. Speed Selection
Your Wood Lathe is provided with variable spindle speeds, from 500 to 2000 RPM.
Speed change will only take place with the lathe running. To change speeds, pull
out the spring loaded handle, which locks the speed change lever in place, and
turn the lever to the appropriate speed requirement (Moving the lever clockwise
increases the speed, anticlockwise decreases).
Spindle speeds are dependant upon the size of workpiece being turned, and to
some extent, the type of wood. The following chart is a guide for the spindle
speeds for general turning. You should consult a wood turning manual for more
precise information, and for turning special woods.
It should be noted that the spindle speeds quoted in the Specification chart are
correct to within a 15% tolerance.
NOTE: When a workpiece is completed, or when you have finished with the
machine, always select the slowest speed before switching off.

the full manual is here

http://www.clarkeservice.co.uk/manuals/wood_lathes/cwl20rv.pdf

HTH