Lathe help

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cjswoodcrafts

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Mar 12, 2011
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Rome, GA
Hey all, i am new to pen turning, so far i have made 2 a walnut and a poplar, but i am in need of some help... today when i started to turn a cherry pen when i put the tool against the blank it would stop the blank from turning and a loud squeal. Could the belt be loose?

I didnt have this problem with the 1st 2 pens

thanks in advance for the help

below are the pics of what i have done

Jim
 

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hunter-27

Passed Away Aug 14, 2013
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Hey all, i am new to pen turning, so far i have made 2 a walnut and a poplar, but i am in need of some help... today when i started to turn a cherry pen when i put the tool against the blank it would stop the blank from turning and a loud squeal. Could the belt be loose?

I didnt have this problem with the 1st 2 pens

thanks in advance for the help

below are the pics of what i have done

Jim
belt or loose tailstock?
 

Lee K

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Jan 1, 2011
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Carrollton, GA
Well, this isn't going to answer your question (directly) ... but a squealing belt is better than a pinched gouge.

Usually I think this means the belt is slipping a bit instead of letting you have a violent catch. You generally only want the weight of your motor to tension the belt anyway ... anything too tight will have a negative result of ripping a tool from your hands (or worse) with a bad catch.
 

alphageek

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I'm assuming you are using a mandrel.. was the mandrel turning? Its possible the belt is loose, but that should be pretty easy to see. My guess is more toward the mandrel than the lathe, but more info might help..

What lathe do you have? Are you using a mandrel? Is it an adjustable one? If you have it a bit short and dont' tighten up to the bushings, the blank can stop even if the rest is still spinning.
 

steeler fan1

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Assuming you're using a mandrel it could be tail stock is loose, or the knurled nut on the mandrel could be loose. Might also be the tube has come unglued from the blank.

Try checking these things.

Carl
 

cjswoodcrafts

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Lee, alpha, and carl, thanks guys, yes i am using a mandrel, and it still turns even when the blanks dont. i have a no name cheap lathe i bought off ebay, only thing i know about it is its a c.m.t. 40 inch industrial lathe. I had to get a part made from woodenpost.com for the head stock size is 18 x 2.5 and the tail stock is a 1 morse taper.

Its not an adjustable mandrel

Lee, yeah i haven't had that happen to me yet, crossing fingers that it wont happen.

thanks again aguys, hope i answered ur questions, but the tube coming unglued is a good thought, will check that tomorrow
 

Rangertrek

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When this has happened to me, it was because I did not tighten the tail stock.
If using a mandrel, just tighten enough to revolve the live center. Thats all the pressure you need.
 

alphageek

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Tube coming unglued is possible, but since its a non-adjustable mandrel, try adding a extra bushing as a spacer... Its possible you are not pushing the bushing tight to the blank, thus allowing it to spin.

Be careful not to overcompensate and over tighten, though... as that can cause a bent mandrel.
 

cjswoodcrafts

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When this has happened to me, it was because I did not tighten the tail stock.
If using a mandrel, just tighten enough to revolve the live center. Thats all the pressure you need.

Yeah ranger, That is the first thing i checked to see if i tightened it. but will check on the other options tomorrow, thanks for all the replies.
 

Andrew Arndts

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Assuming you're using a mandrel it could be tail stock is loose, or the knurled nut on the mandrel could be loose. Might also be the tube has come unglued from the blank.

Try checking these things.

Carl

I highlighted the most probable cause if using a mandrel. I have encountered this more times that I want to admit.
 

JerrySambrook

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Southwick, MA, USA.
The squeal is caused either by a belt or the mandrel not being seated in the taper correctly. An unglued blank will spin , but not cause a squeal. A loose tailstock will allow the end to move, but no squeal.

It sounds like either the mandrel itself was not fully seated, or
1) loose belt,
2) too much pressure on tool, causing belt to slip
3) catching a corner on the blank, causing belt to slip
4) getting a non-destructive catch, causing belt to slip
 

Dave Turner

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... i am using a mandrel, and it still turns even when the blanks dont.

You've answered your own question. If the blanks stop while the mandrel is still turning, then the blank is not connected firmly to the mandrel. The friction of the knurled nut pressing against the bushings/blank is what ties the blank to the mandrel. The problem is, if you tighten this nut too much to prevent this slippage, you end up distorting the mandrel, which causes out-of-round blanks. It's a fine line between not enough and too much tightness. That's why I put my mandrel in the drawer and only turn between centers now.

Dave
 

spnemo

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Tustin, MI
I used to have that lathe. Got rid of it within a month because it just made life harder than it had to be. Mine would make the same sound and I finally figured out that it was the live center on the tailstock. The bearings were junk and I would have to lubricate them often. This solved the noise for a few days.
 

ldb2000

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Laurence Harbor, NJ, USA.
I tend to agree with the comments about the knurled nut being too loose since you say that the mandrel keeps turning when the blanks stop . Try tightening the nut a little more until the blanks don't stop anymore but be careful not to make it too tight or you will flex the mandrel and you will get an out of round condition .
Another thing is , are your tools sharp ? Since you are a new turner and your tools are probably new as well your tools might be dull (most tools don't come presharpened) and you are having to exert too much force to get them to cut . A very light touch is all that should be needed to get a properly sharpened tool to cut . How much pressure is needed is something that you will learn as you gain experience .
 

hunter-27

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I used to have that lathe. Got rid of it within a month because it just made life harder than it had to be. Mine would make the same sound and I finally figured out that it was the live center on the tailstock. The bearings were junk and I would have to lubricate them often. This solved the noise for a few days.
That may be true, but noise would not cause the blank to not still spin.
 

cjswoodcrafts

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Hey all, sorry it took so long to get back on here, been busy, found out what the problem was, the brass tubes did come unglued, once i got that fixed, i went ahead and did a pecan pen. the pic is on the show off your work threads... thanks for all the replies, it is greatly appreciated.
 

crabcreekind

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1. your blanks could be loose and not tightened enough by your end nut. I use a wrench and tighten the end nut. But be careful on how tight you do it because you can split your blank. believe me ive done that before.
2. You could not have your tubes glued in very well and you broke the joint when you put your tool against the wood.

Hope this helps.
 
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