Bearings going???

[Jim Smith]

I have only been turning for about two months now but I've noticed a problem with my Delta midi lathe. When I run my lathe at slow speeds (5-800 rpm) for applying finish, I notice that the Wheel on the head stock seems to wobble a bit. There's no real noticable wobble/out of round on the mandrel, but I suspect that the bearings may be bad on the head stock. At much higher speeds, the wobble is less noticable.

Can any of you more experienced turners share your knowledge on this subject and if it is the bearings, how difficult a job is it to replace them?

Thank you for your help with this.

Jim Smith

 

[MobilMan]

Jim, don't get too worked up yet. My Jet mini does the same. To check it out, take the wheel off. Should be put on with an Allen screw. May need a little help taking it off. Put a couple of big screwdrivers, or something between the wheel & body & apply some pressure. When you get it off, Run the lathe at the same speeds & check the shaft. Could be, it's just the wheel.

 

[jttheclockman]

If you are talking about the handwheel they are just cast and plated. They are not trued to the sense they are pefectly round. I have the sane thing with my new 1220 jet. Probably always did it and you never noticed it till now.

 

[d1carter]

Jim:
I know this sound crazy but are you hearing any "funny" noises when the lathe is running. Have you checked the runout of the headstock? You can look a parts list and manual of this lathe on line. I think there is a copy on Amazon.com. Look at that to see how your lathe is put together and it may help with removing the handwheel. Sounds like the handwheel is just not round or is loose on the shaft. I think there are two setscrews on it that have to be loosened. You may not need to do anything, if not keep turning.
I have the older Delta midi but I turn most things on a Nova 1624 now.
All the best.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Jim,
I have a relatively new Jet 1442 - I got it in March - and the hand wheel on the head stock on it wobbles too... the lathe runs true, but the hand wheel wobbles...

 

[Jim Smith]

Thank you to everyone that has replied to my question. To test the lathe today, I put a live center in the head stock and turned the lathe on at 500rpm. When I placed my finger on the point of the live center, I could feel a noticable shimy/wobble. At higher speeds it is much less noticable.

I suspect that there is a flat spot on a bearing even though I don't hear any odd noise when I run the lathe. Has anyone here changed the bearings on a Delta Midi lathe and if so, how big of a job is it?

Thanks for your assistance with this.

Jim Smith

 

[RonSchmitt]

Jim,
Which model is it?
I thought the bearings were going on my Delta midi, turned out to be a problem from the factory with the shaft in the headstock.

 

[d1carter]

Jim:
Is the lathe still under warranty?

 

[Randy_]

Jim, don't get too worked up yet. My Jet mini does the same. To check it out, take the wheel off. Should be put on with an Allen screw. May need a little help taking it off. Put a couple of big screwdrivers, or something between the wheel & body & apply some pressure. When you get it off, Run the lathe at the same speeds & check the shaft. Could be, it's just the wheel.

The above may not be the best of advice. You would be prudent to look at the exploded drawing of your lathe before doing any disassembly. I don't know anything specific about the Delta; but on the JET mini, the handwheel is screwed on to the HS spindle and and secured by two set screws. Trying to pry it off with a couple of big screwdrivers would accomplish nothing but damage to the lathe.
I suspect the handwheel on the Delta midi is also screwed on to the HS spindle so be careful.

As to changing the bearings, there is a tutorial in the IAP library about changing the bearings in the JET mini. The two lathes are different; but the general procedure for changing the bearings should be similar so the IAP tutorial should point you in the correct direction.

From what has been written so far, I'm not convinced the bearings are the problem; but a set of bearings is relatively cheap and and the repair will take an hour or less so there is not a lot to lose by changing them.

If you have any questions about the tutorial email me. I wrote the article.

 

[Randy_]

Another thing to keep in mind is that it might be prudent to contact Delta before engaging in any "unauthorized" repairs on your lathe. If it is new and still under warranty, you could void the warranty by working on the lathe yourself.

 

[MobilMan]

I agree with you Randy. I should have said to check the manual. Believe it or not, I was told before I bought a lathe that the handwheel was on a tapered shaft. Glad you brought that up.