Warco WM 290v

Recently bought a used WM290V. Trying to set the feed and I can’t seem to get a fine feed. Setting up as the finest feed as the diagram it should give 0.0025” per rev. In use it is quite course and I have checked the gear setup twice and I’m confident it’s correct. I can’t see anyway of getting a finer feed, am I missing something.

Do you have the right hand of the three front levers on feed rather than screw cutting. leaning to the right. This should make the lower feed rod rotate and the threaded lead screw should be stationary

Middle lever should be over to the left to give the finest of the three options position "C"

Are you using the lever on the front of the apron to engage feed rather than the one on the right which engages the half nuts.

Edited By JasonB on 20/09/2023 19:36:20

Yes, yes and yes. I will have to check again tomorrow. Certain I’ve got something wrong but can’t see what.

Post an image of the gear train from the front with the end cover removed and also one of the chart on the lathe, It's probably the same as my 280 but will be easier to check with the chart

One other point, the gear chart with the lathe doesn’t give a lower feed per rev than 0.0025”. Has anyone found a way to slow the feed down.

You would have to invest in some larger gears and even then it would be difficult to mount them on the banjo.

I doubt you will need anything slower than 0.0025", I've not found the need in about 12 yrs of owning the 280

Edited By JasonB on 21/09/2023 11:21:57

Hope the photos help. I'm going to run the lathe at 1000rpm and see how long it takes to travel an inch. Just incase it's my perception

Edited By JasonB on 21/09/2023 11:21:41

Thats a metric chart so assume you have a metric leadscrew. so th efinest fee dyou wil get is 0.07mm/rev (0.0028" )

Although I can't see the 20T gear on the inside the rest looks to be right if C is selected

Easier way to check is put a Dti against the carriage and wind the chuck say 10 revs after taking out teh backlash and see if the carriage moves 0.7mm

Checked this afternoon, and it’s working as it should. Checked with the guy that bought my Chester and he says that is set at around 0.0015” per rev. In the 4 years i owned it I never changed the gears and got use to how it was. Got to get use to faster production.

Thanks Jason

When everything is right and it still doesn't work, look for something non-obvious.

After I crashed my 280's saddle into the chuck, I thought I'd got away with a bad mistake. All seemed well for quite a long time until I eventually noticed the fine-feed finish was iffy. Reason was that I'd broken the shear pin but it still had enough grip to move the saddle. It was slipping, only obviously on deep cuts.

Set the lathe up to take a deep cut - at least a millimetre - and watch the drive shaft where it's pinned to the gearbox. I could see my drive shaft was rotating slower than than the gearbox output. Needed a new shear pin.

Dave