Search 
Home > Craftsman Clubs > BBS > Woodworking Tips > Sears Wood lathe
Woodworking Tips
Moderated by root		 Post Reply | Post New Message
Login | Join Craftsman Club | Return to Thread List
Not Logged in.
View: Flat [Tree] | Font: [Small] Large
Author Subject/Content
Adam Sears Wood lathe
February 3rd, 2005 11:12 AM
I don't own that model wood lathe. But, I do own a Shopsmith with variable speed drive.
The warnings on both machines about waiting for the motor to be running before changing speed should definately be followed. I "left off" the red speed changing knob on my store's demo unit. Children are precious aren't they. Even the old Rockwell/Delta variable speed drillpress developed drive train problems when the students failed to read the operating warning in the craftcenter I was maintenance tech for in college.
As for the burned out motor problem, continuously variable speed machines are wonderful. I had a Rockwell 10" swing variable speed metal lathe in the Army.
But, just because you CAN turn a large bowl blank at higher speeds doesn't mean you SHOULD.
Check out your owner's manual. I'm pretty sure it will have a recommended speeds with different diameter bowl blank chart. Keep a posted copy handy infront of the speed control.
I think all the posters can see the value of the protection agreements.
The scheduling person that talked to the poster over the phone had evidently never had to lift that cast iron monster. It took three of us to lift and position the demo lathe at the store. But, with all that dense cast iron, users should not have problems with machine vibration that users of less substantial machines have.
There's something really special about being handed the white cashregister like tape from the Sears tech that shows you what the cost to you "would have been" had you not wisely invested in a Protection Agreement for your machine.
I personally swear by these things. Everything I've got from Sears has either a Protection or Replacement agreement.
I don't always need to use them. But, when a 2 year-plus Kenmore dishwasher with membrane switches had difficulties, there was the Sears service - no cost. I don't even remember what I paid for the agreement. But, I bet it was less than the $350 printed on that little white piece of cashregister type paper the technician handed me, while he was cleaning up the area in preparation for a happy (ecstatic) customer's signature.
Craftsman/Kenmore service at work - boo yuh!!
Up one level
View: Flat [Tree] | Font: [Small] Large
  Post Reply | Post New Message