Another Student question.

Pull the shafts that go through the apron out. Drop the apron off the saddle. Dismantle. It`s a common problem.Trouble is it has been getting worse for years and while that`s been happening the worm and worm wheel have been wearing. Usually needs the holes in the apron where the feed shaft passes through bushed. The cradle that carries the worm that hangs on the feed shaft needs bushed and the latch needs built up You can leave the worm and wheel as they are or replace.They will be expensive. You don`t need to carry out the full procedure,you can doctor the latch but it will not last.

wrote in message news:6a206d9d-291f-41c2-9fa4-

Thanks. I've just found time to take a look. I've got two shafts - one with a thread, t'other with a keyway, I'm guessing both have to come out?

The (feed box) gearbox top seems to overhang the ends of the shafts making any investigation in this area tricky. Does the top of the gearbox come off or maybe I could just remove the entire gearbox complete with shafts.

I'm not too sure of the best way forward - other than just taking everything to bits to get where I want and doing 75% unnecessary work :-(

Julian.

Update:

Top of gearbox off (two screws, very easy) to expose the shaft ends adjacent to the gearbox.

I've removed the shaft with the keyway, (just a dog coupling and a pair of ball bearings driven outwards by a tapered grub screw to locate the dog coupling to the shaft) but have come up against a brick wall regarding the threaded shaft.

I've unscrewed the two large nuts designed for a ''C'' spanner that jam up together. Next off is a collar that's keyed to the shaft. The trouble is that the key is quite loose (can waggle it with fingers) but will not pull out. (even with mole grips) I suspect that this key locates the shaft to the stub protruding from the gear box. Am I correct, and any ideas?

Cheers Julian.

Sorry to keep bothering you all, both shafts are now out, hopefully you'll read this before formulating a reply!

It was just a case of loosening more grub screws and withdrawing the shaft from the gearbox - catching the cogs as they fell off.

Now to find out what's the problem.....

Julian.

Pull the shafts that go through the apron out. Drop the apron off the saddle. Dismantle. It`s a common problem.Trouble is it has been getting worse for years and while that`s been happening the worm and worm wheel have been wearing. Usually needs the holes in the apron where the feed shaft passes through bushed. The cradle that carries the worm that hangs on the feed shaft needs bushed and the latch needs built up You can leave the worm and wheel as they are or replace.They will be expensive. You don`t need to carry out the full procedure,you can doctor the latch but it will not last.

It's done and fixed thanks. All that was causing the problem was the latch that was stuck in, I freed it off, stretched the spring a bit and it now works fine.

I'm so glad I removed the apron, the s*it, cack, swarf and dry cogs were alarming. It's now all cleaned up and leathered in engine oil.

I now understand your description of what wears. The cradle has got slightly elongated holes caused by the feed shaft, I could bush it and make it perfect again but I don't think it's too bad yet. Given the amount of lathe work I do it'll probably do me another 200 years!

Thanks Julian.

On or around Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:45:01 -0000, "Julian" enlightened us thusly:

I've an idea I've got a PDF of a manual for it, although what's in it I don't know, 'cos I glanced at it when I first got it and haven't looked since.

Not had to look at that aspect of mine, although I did work on the crossfeed nut.

"Austin Shackles" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Thanks for the offer, but I'm all sorted now - well for the next 400 years or so :-)

I've just purchased one of those adjustable tool posts from lathes.co.uk, can't wait for it to arrive, no more bsuggering around with bits of scrap to make into spacers!

It would be well worth having a good look behind the apron, mine was really very dirty indeed, and the oil holes on the saddle that communicate with a groove around the top of the apron had been plugged for decades. An afternoon's work to take it off, clean and re-lube maybe....

Julian.