# problem with loose tailstock on Jet



## darcisowers (Nov 30, 2009)

tonight my lathe (Jet 1014) is bugging me!! Tomorrow I will try to call Jet customer service, but we have no warranty....so I figured I'd also ask here!

The process goes something like this:
tighten up the main tailstock handle, then put in the blank
turn the tailstock handwheel until snug, then tighten the lock handle
turn on lathe
start turning, only to have stock stop spinning once the gouge makes contact with the blank. 
notice that the main tailstock handle is now coming loose, and now the entire tailstock is MOVING. 

??????

Repeat, asking hubby to come watch, just to prove that I'm not an idiot. Nope, does the same thing for him! GRRRR.

Then out of sheer frustration, we loosened the lock nut (just a tad) that locks down the tailstock, but why would that need to be done? It's holding for the moment, but we're not turning anything too hard tonight. 

Anyone have any ideas?

Darci


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## TurnedAround (Nov 30, 2009)

I have the same lathe. There is a nut beneath the tailstock that you can adjust to set the pressure for the cam lock lever. I think that is what you are talking about.


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## KD5NRH (Nov 30, 2009)

darcisowers said:


> notice that the main tailstock handle is now coming loose, and now the entire tailstock is MOVING.



I'm assuming you mean the locking handle to lock the tailstock to the ways, and not the quill handwheel.



> Then out of sheer frustration, we loosened the lock nut (just a tad) that locks down the tailstock, but why would that need to be done?



Sounds quite likely to be related to the problem elsewhere on the board with  Delta.  Take a look at skiprat's drawing here: http://www.penturners.org/forum/showpost.php?p=934374&postcount=10

If the plate is bowing under tension, it would only make contact at the edges, if at all.  Relieve some tension and it flattens out to make contact over a larger area.  If I'm reading the diagram at http://www.jacquescoulombe.com/pdf_files/JML-1014_250902.pdf correctly, the part appears to be part 44, which is identical to the one on the toolrest.  Try swapping them and see if the problem moves to the rest.


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## jthompson1995 (Nov 30, 2009)

I have the same lathe and this problem is common. I got a replacement tailstock nut years ago that is square and has a whole lot more holding power than the round one that comes stock. I believe Johnnycnc has been making and selling some. I've had no problems since I got mine.


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## NewLondon88 (Nov 30, 2009)

I'll second the square tailstock nut. It's an inexpensive upgrade and it locks
the tailstock on a dime.
http://penturnersproducts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=119


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## hehndc (Nov 30, 2009)

I had a similar problem with my Rikon.  I bought the replacement from Johnny cnc a great fix.  The tail stock seems more solid to the rails now.

Steve


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## BigguyZ (Dec 1, 2009)

I have a similar issue, and I'm planning a nut upgrade (that sounds bad) in the near future.


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## TellicoTurning (Dec 1, 2009)

I've had similar problem and probably need to get the square nut, but for now when I get the tail stock set, I give the lever an extra tap with the palm of my hand to set it firmly and don't have any problem with the creeping tailstock... (but then I have to hit the lever from the other side a couple of times to knock it loose... I wonder why the palms of my hands are always sore and bruised.)


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## byounghusband (Dec 1, 2009)

I have had retangular Tail Stock nuts made for my old 1014 and my curent 1220.  I do not get ANY tailstock creep.  Get one made from wherever you can, you won't be sorry!!


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## JakeAB (Dec 1, 2009)

hehndc said:


> I had a similar problem with my Rikon.  I bought the replacement from Johnny cnc a great fix.  The tail stock seems more solid to the rails now.



Hey Steve, the clamp nut on penturnersproducts.com is listed for the Jet 1014. Is this the one you got for your Rikon? I've got a 70-100.


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## sdemars (Dec 1, 2009)

*This is  . . .*



JakeAB said:


> Hey Steve, the clamp nut on penturnersproducts.com is listed for the Jet 1014. Is this the one you got for your Rikon? I've got a 70-100.



This is the one . . . It is very well made, we have (4) of them . . .  We use them on the tail stock & the the banjo . . . 

JohnnyCNC makes those & everything I have gotten from him has been a perfect fit and very well finished . . .

Steve


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## Jmhoff10500 (Dec 1, 2009)

I Figured out how to fix mine!!! It is very simple!!! Instead of tightening the handle in the "up" orientation, you just take it to the "bottom" and tighten it, it is based on the principals that the bar that tightens onto the Lathe frame is tensioned via pressure against the frame, and when you are in the up position, the egg shapes bar is facing the headstock, so when you tighten the tail stock , it unsets from the frame, when it is in the down position, it is facing away, so when you tighten the tail stock, it just makes it tighter... Check out the attachment... (sorry about the size)


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## JakeAB (Dec 1, 2009)

Jmhoff10500 said:


> Instead of tightening the handle in the "up" orientation, you just take it to the "bottom" and tighten it.
> 
> View attachment 20194



I envy your success. I've already tried that on my Rikon. While tightening it down was a slight improvement over tightening it up, it was still not good enough. Either way, I could tighten the clamp as hard as I could, yet it would loosen with a slight touch of the finger on the handle. Heck, it would loosen with a slight vibration and gravity, harsh words or a disapproving glance.

I've ordered a square clamp nut from johnnycnc. It seems a lot of people have had success with that. I hope I won't have to envy their success as well.


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## NewLondon88 (Dec 1, 2009)

JakeAB said:


> it would loosen with a slight touch of the finger on the handle. Heck, it would loosen with a slight vibration and gravity, harsh words or a disapproving glance.



You must not be married.. or you would never underestimate the power
of a disapproving glance. :tongue:

If your handle loosen easily, it is possible that the nut underneath the washer
isn't tight enough. A bolt hangs down from underneath the tailstock, it passes
through the ways and through the center of a washer. That washer is what
gets pulled up tight against the bottom of the ways to hold the tailstock.
But that washer is held by a nut underneath it. And you can tighten or loosen
that nut to affect how tight the washer will pull against the ways.

By tightening that nut, you're changing the amount of 'play' in the handle.
You need some play, obviously.. otherwise the tailstock would never move.
But if you over-tighten it, you might not get the handle to lock. And if you
under-tighten it, you might not lock down the tailstock securely.

Did any of that make any sense? Or was it too simple to bother explaining?
OK I'll shut up now.


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## JakeAB (Dec 1, 2009)

NewLondon88 said:


> You must not be married.. or you would never underestimate the power of a disapproving glance. :tongue:



Right on the mark...



NewLondon88 said:


> If your handle loosen easily, it is possible that the nut underneath the washer isn't tight enough. . . . Did any of that make any sense?



Yes, it did make sense. So much so that I had already tried that, too, with about as much success as clamping down instead of clamping up. I first tried tightening it a bit, but that seemed to make it worse, so I tried loosening it. That improved it some, but not enough to keep the thing locked, much less eliminate slippage.



NewLondon88 said:


> OK I'll shut up now.



You must be married--you understand the wisdom of keeping your mouth shut.:biggrin:


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## rda1267 (Dec 2, 2009)

I got 4 new jet lathe's last spring and all had this problem. Those from a couple of years ago do not.  It only took a couple of months for jr high kids to strip out the threads.
The bolt on the new one's is a little shorter and the end is rounded ( this is the bolt the goes up to the cam in the tailstock)  Also the nut is different, seems like not as thick. I contacted jet and they sent me 4 new bolts and nuts that are made like the old ones. Have not had any problems since.
David


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## KD5NRH (Dec 3, 2009)

> I got 4 new jet lathe's last spring and all had this problem.



Okay, two I can see if you're really good, but four?  Can you use your feet too?  :biggrin:


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## jwoodwright (Dec 3, 2009)

I had many problems with tightening the tailstock lever and the creeping...

With the New Locking Plate from JohnnyCNC, I use finger pressure!  This is nice because the arthritis is terrible.

You'll find out real fast that you need very little pressure to lock it in place.


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## Gordon (Dec 3, 2009)

What JWOODWRIGHT said - - - same problem - same solution (JohhnyCNC's -  New Locking Plate). 

 One of my best buys.


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## JakeAB (Dec 4, 2009)

Well, well, well. I finally figured it out, at least for my Rikon. Turns out that in fact all it needed was proper adjustment, but "proper" was opposite of logic and common sense (at least to me, but I've never been known for logic or common sense).

I got the locking plate from johnnycnc (great place to shop, great service and fair shipping fees), but was disappointed when it didn't solve the problem. As it turns out, I didn't need that new plate, but it wasn't a waste, since it was while fiddling with it I found the solution.

I would have thought that, if the clamp is slipping, it should be tightened. When I tightened the nut, though, it just got worse. I tried loosening it, and it seemed to improve, but still slipped.

My last attempt at a solution was the right one--I just didn't go far enough. Here's what worked for me. Loosen the nut until the lever doesn't clamp at all--it just spins when turned. Then start tightening the nut a little at a time until the clamp starts catching as the lever is turned. You're close when the clamp catches, but with a little extra pressure on the lever it keeps on turning and unclamps. Tighten the nut just a little more, so the lever won't turn past the point where the clamp catches (or does, but with a lot of pressure). Don't tighten it any more than that!

With this adjustment, when the tailstock is clamped, it stays clamped; tighten the nut any more, and you can crank the lever as much as you want, but it won't stay clamped.

Remember, this is how it worked on my Rikon. Your mileage may vary on other brands.

Reading back over earlier comments (in a calmer state of mind than the first time around), this loosening of the nut was mentioned a couple of times, first in Darci's original message, then by NewLondon88. I guess I just passed over them since it didn't make sense to loosen it to get a better grip. But now that I think about it, it does make sense. If the nut is too tight, you can't turn the lever enough for the cam and spring inside to do their job. The cam can turn only so far, and the result is just metal against metal--when you let go of the lever, it just falls away (it's about as effective as holding something against a wall and expecting it to stay when you take your hand away). When the nut is loose enough, the cam can turn to its full extent, and instead of just metal against metal, you have spring-loaded friction coming into play. The cam is essentially straight up and, with the spring and friction keeping it in place, it won't fall to either side as it does when the nut is too tight.

Am I making sense? Maybe I should just say "it works" and leave it at that.

I hope this helps someone other than just me.


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## Randy_ (Dec 8, 2009)

Funny thing.  I discussed this problem with the technicians at JET and they claimed they were totally unaware of the problem.  I also mentioned the fact that aftermarket "square" clamping disks were available and seemed to work much better than the stock round ones.  Since JET is still manufacturing them in the round configuration, I guess they did not agree with me??


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## JakeAB (Dec 8, 2009)

By the way, the solution that worked for me (described above) works just as well with the original round plate. The square plate was not necessary.


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## HawksFeather (Dec 8, 2009)

I had problems when I first got my lathe several years ago and the square nut that I add at that time solved the problem.  I had also added about a 10 to 12 inch piece of PVC pipe to the handle to give me some extra "crank down" power.  I don't really need it for that any longer, but I have kept the handle extension so that I don't have to reach so far over the lathe to tighten or loosen.

Jerry


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## gketell (Dec 17, 2009)

Call JohnnyCNC.  His plate will solve the problem.  I have one from a previous member who sold steel versions.  I don't care how hard I crank down on it, that sucker won't bend.  And it NEVER moves.


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## KenV (Dec 17, 2009)

I have one for my 1014 -- why fight it for $12??


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