Stalling Lathe

Gents,

Thanks to you all for your help, everything is now hunky dory!

I am not the worlds most patient person and tend to attack things like a bull in a china shop and go off at tangents so I decided to take a couple of steps back, poured myself a large drink and thought things through before even looking at the lathe.

I'm pleased I did and started from the beginning because I have been a complete plonker and mis-diagnosed the problem!

This time I used a torch and wore my glasses and found that the motor wasn't stalling like I thought just that the motor pulley appeared to be stationary which isn't the case. That's why I couldn't find anything wrong with the electrics, there isn't anything wrong!

Cutting a long story short after just a few minutes and another drink it has turned out to be the belt from the motor to the countershaft has stretched just enough to slip when under more substantial loads. Adjusting the motor frame to take up the slack appears to have it sorted.

Once again thank you all for your assistance.

Paul

It takes a brave man to own up to such a juvenile error. Fair play to you.

Easy how the simplest of things catch us out....

Hi there, Paul,

Thank you for your post - it's good to be be able to share the conclusion. It's very frustrating when a thread runs through several pages of suggestions, maybes, tests and diagnosis and is then left hanging!

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

Glad you got a good result in the end. My old man used to hammer into us "Check the simple stuff first" when we were ready to strip a motorbike engine down to the crankpin because a loose tappet was rattling. He was right too, as usual!

You might put a dab of white paint or similar on that pulley, and the countershaft pulley, for future reference so you can see at a glance in the gloom if it is turning or not.

Edited By Hopper on 25/02/2017 23:21:40

"Check the simple stuff first"​ too right I once had an electrician work for me 'briefly' he told me the hoist motor on a crane needed to be change, so I decided to go check it out myself which I did a found tow of the three motor fuses blown due to a damaged catenary cable nothing wrong with the motor thankfully !

Another OLD adage is, "If You don't know what is wrong with something, fix what You know needs fixed,You might find the problem along the way."