# One ******-off Asian lady!



## toolman (Feb 14, 2015)

Well, not a lady per se, but rather my Vectrax lathe. I was installing a set of levelling feet on it and got lazy. Instead of picking it up with my chain hoist like I should have, I had a set of wheels clamped to one end so I could turn it where I wanted it, then I levered the headstock end up using a piece of 2" round stock and a 2x4 so I could slip the studs into the holes, forgetting that it was resting on the wheels. Needless to say, I had my 2x4 in the wrong spot and when I levered it up, it pivoted on the back wheel, causing it to snap, dumping it over.

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/...15-02/IMG_20150214_134841_976_zpscxemn8b5.jpg

Damage so far is a broken cast iron motor mount, both motor mount pivot bolts, the rear chip guard, the electric box (salvageable), and one busted contactor in the box. I've pretty well straightened out the box and door, and I pieced the motor mount back together using 1/4" plate. I'm going to get pivot bolts tomorrow morning and try to cobble some bushings together because the original bolts are shouldered and I don't have a lathe to build new ones. I'm hoping the contactor isn't too hard to find, it's really going to suck if I have to order it from Taiwan, maybe I'll get lucky and MSC or Enco will have one in stock so I can see what all else is wrong with it.


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## ebgb68 (Feb 14, 2015)

That sucks hope you get it back together.


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## Grumpy Gator (Feb 14, 2015)

OWWWWW!! hopefully you weren't hurt when she went over.As my daddy used to say "Don't do that again." Best of luck on the repair.
            ****G****


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## toolman (Feb 15, 2015)

grumpygator said:


> OWWWWW!! hopefully you weren't hurt when she went over.As my daddy used to say "Don't do that again." Best of luck on the repair.
> ****G****


Yep, I'm really hoping that the DRO is still functional. One of the cables got mashed pretty bad, bit it looks OK looking through the sheathing. It's really strange how time slows down when something like this happens. I'm just glad that I knew better than to try to catch it.


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## darkzero (Feb 15, 2015)

Wow, that sucks & is very sad to see. That's one of my worst nightmares as I live in earth shake country. Bright side is that you weren't crushed by it.


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## barlow l (Feb 15, 2015)

That's the stuff that makes grown men cry.  Good thing it did not fall to the front!


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## uncle harry (Feb 15, 2015)

toolman said:


> Well, not a lady per se, but rather my Vectrax lathe. I was installing a set of levelling feet on it and got lazy. Instead of picking it up with my chain hoist like I should have, I had a set of wheels clamped to one end so I could turn it where I wanted it, then I levered the headstock end up using a piece of 2" round stock and a 2x4 so I could slip the studs into the holes, forgetting that it was resting on the wheels. Needless to say, I had my 2x4 in the wrong spot and when I levered it up, it pivoted on the back wheel, causing it to snap, dumping it over.
> 
> I know the drill for this episode as well. A couple of years ago when I attempted to relocate my Harrison M300 I dumped her over, luckily onto soft lawn. The unlucky damage included both molded plastic headstock shrouds & a fiber change gear. I was fortunate to finally locate some used shrouds but the gear set me back $405 & change.  The lathe didn't complain much but I found a handy mirror & *****ed out the perpetraitor.
> 
> ...


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## ogberi (Feb 15, 2015)

So long as nobody was hurt. Machines can be fixed or replaced.  Although I'll bet that made a god-awful racket when it went.  At times like that my vocabulary shrinks to 4 letter words at high volume.


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## coolidge (Feb 15, 2015)

Sorry to see that glad you are okay.


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## arvidj (Feb 15, 2015)

Sorry to see this but thank you for sharing your experience. Hopefully others can learn from it.


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## GA Gyro (Feb 15, 2015)

Really sorry to see you dumped your lathe over... I hope you find uncle Murphy (Murphy's law) and send him packing!!!

Levers and top-heavy objects do not mix.  

A good reminder for those of us that are about to receive our lathe's soon... to remember they are top heavy... and not take chances setting them up.  Either an engine hoist, or a gantry crane... and lots of help!

THX for your honesty... it will save others from the same situation... and they may not have been as lucky as you... in the area of physical injury.


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## toolman (Feb 23, 2015)

Welp, I got her all pieced back together and she lived through it!. The DRO still works fine and everything seems to be working great. I do need to do some more repairs to the motor mount and see how far out of whack everything is, but it looks like I dodged a bullet (and a 2500 lb. lathe!).


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