Another Jet bearing question

[mick]

My Jet mini has been making a knocking noise the last week or so at odd times(not constantly but always at high speed). I can ease off on the tension of the belt and it will stop only to start up later....I can then increase the tension and the noise will stop. I figure this is a bearing problem but I can't detect and play or looseness when turning the handwheel or spindle by hand. The lathe is almost three years old and used on almost a daily basis so I'm assuming I'm due for bearings but before I buy new ones does this sound like the bearings?

 

[Monty]

Good question Mike. I've been wondering the same thing about the bearings in my Jet 1236.

 

[Tea Clipper]

Knocking sounds could be a sign of the handwheel coming loose. Try tightening up the allen screw and see if the noise goes away.

 

[mick]

I'll have to check that out tomorrow.
Thanks, Ron

 

[stevers]

While your at it, check the hand wheel clearance. If it is too close, it can make a knocking noise. Mine did it and I just backed the hand wheel off a tiny bit and it quieted down.

 

[allenworsham]

I had the same problem on my Jet Mini awhile back. I found that the the upper belt pully had come a bit loose and moved so that it would occasionally hit the locking pin. Once I loosened, re-alingned and re-tightened the pullys, everything was fine.

 

[holmqer]

Allen solved my noise problem. In my case the lower pully had come a bit loose and was wobbling. This created a mechanical clacking noise that I thought was bearings. I already picked up some replacement bearings but the 6004/6005 set was only $7.00 from Fastenal so now I have replacements on hand in case the bearing ever do go for real!

 

[mick]

thats what mine is a clacking .....or knocking noise and it doesn't do it all the time.I'm going to look into this....thanks guys!