Banjo scratching my bed on 3520B

[Bernie May]

the banjo of my 3520B is scratching my bed. What should I use to smooth the bottom of the banjo and to take care of the scratches on my bed? I love this lathe.

[Scott Conners]

I'd pull the banjo off and see if you can find/feel the burr that is causing scratches. Use some sandpaper to remove the burr. If you can't find it by hand, you might just be dragging grit around - clean the bed and the banjo very well (with the banjo off the lathe) and re-wax the ways. Unless the scratches on the bed are bad enough to be causing problems moving the tailstock/banjo, I'd just leave them alone. If they have raised areas that interfere with sliding, you might knock them down with some sandpaper, being careful to only work the high spots.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bernie - I have that happen all the time with my 1642. No big deal but I do hate to see it happen. I pull the tailstock and banjo off, clean the ways with a green scrub pad and then wax the bed. I also clean and wax the contact areas of the banjo and tailstock. I did remove all sharp edges on the banjo and tailstock with a dremel but feel it is caused more by grit from the turned wood than anything else.

[charlie knighton]

baby powder

[Jeff Nicol]

Bernie, Any time you move metal on metal that is not hardened you will get some scratching. Pretty much everything has been said already about the cause and fix. My 3520B has lots of surface scratches but nothing deep, I do have a couple of pretty good dents where my butter fingers dropped the stronghold chuck on the ways! But all these marks and glue spots, dye, and sap give the lathe character! It also proves you are using it and creating wonderful turnings.

Keep up the maintenance and you will be O.K.

Jeff

[Bob Vallaster]

If the banjo is the problem, a fine stone or sandpaper on a flat block will smooth it. Ragged edges resulting from casting texture meeting machined edge can be eased with a file.
As a matter of housekeeping, I use a foxtail brush to clear grit whenever I have done some sanding. I pay attention to the tops of the banjo and tailstock, and to the corners where each meets the bed. When moving either banjo or tailstock, the first movement is away from the headstock until I have dusted again.

BobV

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bernie had that happen on my Jet lathe. I found it was actually sanding grit causing the problem. After sanding I make sure I use compressed air to blow off my bed and under the banjo. I also do like Steve and clean my bed with scrub pad then wax.

[Richard Madison]

A couple years ago I posted the question "Will covering the bed during sanding prevent getting all those tiny scratches in the ways?" Most replies, IIRC, were either in the negative or "don't worry about it" categories. After two years of laying a piece of cardboard on the ways when sanding (except when I forget), the scratches are much fewer and smaller than after six months of not covering the ways of a previous lathe. I clean the ways periodically with WD-40 and paper towel, and when turning wet wood (especially oak) always protect with layers of WD-40 and cardboard or plastic. Perhaps not relevant to Bernie M.'s problem.

[Rick Prosser]

I use WD40 also. I have thought about trying the wax, but I cannot understand how the wax would be any better protection against metal scraping, or grit scraping. Is wax somehow better than oil?

Certainly need to remove any burrs or edges that can scratch, but I don't know if there is much to do other than masking/cleaning. Are the small scratches a problem that can build up and be a major issue after a few months/years?

[Richard Madison]

Rick, I don't think the very tiny scratches are actually a problem. Probably someone here who has used the same lathe for quite some years could give us a good answer.

[Burt Alcantara]

Richard Raffan suggests WD-40 every time you use the lathe. I give it a squirt whenever I remember, which is rarely. If you continue to get scratches your lathe is probably defective. Send it to me and I'll send back my Nova 1624. No scratches on that one. Burt

[Bernie May]

thanks for all the comments on caring for our beds. Especially liked the baby powder suggestion.

[Allen Neighbors]

There is a certain amount of scratching that will happen to the ways, simply because the banjo and the ways are metal. But I would remove the Banjo, and turn it over, so I could get to the bottom with a flat block and piece of 320 or 400 grit emery cloth. With the cloth wrapped around the block, Hold it flat against the banjo bottom, and sand it a little on both sides of the bottom. Then wipe it down, blow it out, and lube it. The block and emery should get any burrs off that could be scratching the ways.

Sorry for the redundant post. Didn't read Bob's post, above. :)