G4003 (clone) forward / reverse switch ?

[HBilly1022]

Ocassionally I find myself lifting the switch handle too far up when I want to stop the lathe and I inadvertantly throw the switch into the reverse postion. However instead of the lathe reversing, it continues to feed forward instead of kicking into reverse. Is this normal? It sure sucks when cutting threads!

 

[Z2V]

Yes, it’s normal for a single phase motor. It will not reverse direction without stopping first because of the centrifugal switch in the motor.
The same thing happens to me also.

 

[HBilly1022]

Yes, it’s normal for a single phase motor. It will not reverse direction without stopping first because of the centrifugal switch in the motor.
The same thing happens to me also.

Thanks Jeff.

It sure can lead to some butt puckering moments, when you need to stop threading and instead of throwing the switch to stop you throw it too far and it keeps going.

 

[Tozguy]

The stop position in-between the forward and reverse positions is spring loaded detent system that you need to develop a feel for. Once you get the knack of popping the lever into neutral without opposing the spring all should be well.
I always wait for the spindle to stop before reversing directions.

 

[Dave Paine]

The first time I missed the detent and went into reverse on my lathe felt scary. I was not threading, but still did not like how easy it was to miss the detent.

I have a Grizzly G9249 lathe. I made a wooden block with a rare earth magnet. The block has a lip to engage on the flange of the casting. I keep this in place with the threading dial.

This works well for normal machining. It is easy to remove for threading, and then I have to be careful to not miss the detent.