I addressed some "plugged felt" oiling issues when I first got my lathe, got most of a "kit" installed, but never buggered with the headstock or countershaft until now, as it's all been oiling fine, although the oil did run through the countershaft pretty quick. But I started loosing oil out of the right (chuck end) bearing, and confirmed by disassembly what I thought. I got a thin "hair sized" string in behind the spindle nose, and it was peeling the oil out of the retention groove and slinging it out between the spindle and the headstock, so yesterday was the day. Took it all apart. I was pleasantly surprised that the spindle came out with some good palm smacking. No pressing required. I do work with my hands every day, I'm not a hero, but I can do a "better than average" palm smack, but still.... Wow. That's a good fit, and somebody (rest their soul) took amazing care of this for seventy some odd years before I got it... Cool. Anybody need a brand new threaded rod that I don't have any more need for? I did have to put a board across the spindle nose and "really" smack it to get it back together, but that was awesome. It's always a little scary going into seventy year old stuff that's clearly NEVER been apart... Well fit parts that were well cared for. Now I see how the oiling works in the step pully, and feel better about how to keep up with it without making a mess... Whilst I was in there, I took the back gears out to put a serpentine belt in there. Twice. I got all carried away cleaning those up and looking at that oil groove too, confirming that I'll continue to oil it, as I don't mind oiling things, and while grease is surely "better than nothing" if it's neglected, I don't want grease in that. Put that together, then took it all back apart when I noticed the new belt still hanging down the front of the machine. Oops. Not sure I need that belt, not sure I don't need that belt, but all the cool kids are doing it, so now's the time to try it out, right? I shouldda got a half inch longer belt. The one I've got is about a sixteenth of an inch too short, and they don't stretch. It's too tight for a plain bearing of this nature. The rods are touching in the adjuster turn buckle... Ouch. I'll figure that one out though.
Anyway, here's my issue. The spindle take up nut and fiber washer (I think) is acting weird. I can dial that in to two and a half or three thousandths of end play, and everything spins well, even if I force the spindle "back" towards the take up nut. so it's not a loose bit of the new felts in the bearings or anything like that. If I dial that down towards the one thousandth of end play that South Bend calls for, this thing has ridiculous "stick/slip" situation. it "starts" at about two thousandths of play, and by one and a half thousandths, it's bad. At one thousandth, i's all I can do to grab the threaded spindle and make it start it turning. It takes off with a sudden start, and so long as it stays moving, it spins pretty much freely until it stops again, then it locks. Never did that before..... It's been apart five times, to check for dirt (none), make sure it's got oil on it (it does), make sure the pin is in right (it is, and it wouldn't set flush anyhow...).
Has anybody seen that? How much end play do you guys leave in these? I never measured that before I took it apart, I just assumed it'd be a zero clearance, zero load situation, (which was wrong...). I don't see any damage from hand spinning it under tension (which I did do before I read the directions.....), but do these get torn up that easy? I'm tempted to just bring it up to the one thousandths that's called out, and "run it in" to see what happens, but before I ruin that fiber washer, or score that bearing face where the washer rides I'm wondering if anybody's seen that, knows a real world clearance that works, or is there something I'm missing that might "act like" the sticky fiber washer that I'm trying to blame for this?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Anyway, here's my issue. The spindle take up nut and fiber washer (I think) is acting weird. I can dial that in to two and a half or three thousandths of end play, and everything spins well, even if I force the spindle "back" towards the take up nut. so it's not a loose bit of the new felts in the bearings or anything like that. If I dial that down towards the one thousandth of end play that South Bend calls for, this thing has ridiculous "stick/slip" situation. it "starts" at about two thousandths of play, and by one and a half thousandths, it's bad. At one thousandth, i's all I can do to grab the threaded spindle and make it start it turning. It takes off with a sudden start, and so long as it stays moving, it spins pretty much freely until it stops again, then it locks. Never did that before..... It's been apart five times, to check for dirt (none), make sure it's got oil on it (it does), make sure the pin is in right (it is, and it wouldn't set flush anyhow...).
Has anybody seen that? How much end play do you guys leave in these? I never measured that before I took it apart, I just assumed it'd be a zero clearance, zero load situation, (which was wrong...). I don't see any damage from hand spinning it under tension (which I did do before I read the directions.....), but do these get torn up that easy? I'm tempted to just bring it up to the one thousandths that's called out, and "run it in" to see what happens, but before I ruin that fiber washer, or score that bearing face where the washer rides I'm wondering if anybody's seen that, knows a real world clearance that works, or is there something I'm missing that might "act like" the sticky fiber washer that I'm trying to blame for this?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
