tailstock creap in jet mini

[Peter Langevin]

anyone else having this problem.. i think the handles are too short to get a good grip on them.. any one have solutions fo rthis..

i was thinking of making an extension sleve to fit over the tailstock handle..


anyother ideas???

[Carole Valentine]

I do. If I really come down hard on the handle I can almost alleviate it but not quite if I crank on the tailstock real tight. Seems to me that someone had a solution at one time or another, but I think it involved machining a new part.

[Robert Cox]

Keith Outten used to make and sell a replacement block but quit doing it.

I just got a bunch of bar stock in to make a few.

Give me a few days.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

I turned a 6" walnut extension handle with a 1/2" hole in one end that slips down over the tail stock lock handle. A couple of turns of blue tape around the tail stock handle gave me a snug fit and I get enouhg leverage with little effort to keep it from slipping. YMMV.

[Randy Meijer]

Look at the underneath side of the tailstock..... You will see a round washer that clamps the tailstock to the ways to keep it in place. The theory is that the round washer does not have enough contact area with the frame of the lathe causing the TS to slip. One solution is to replace the round washed with one that has a rectangular shape.....greater bearing area.....less slippage. Keith was machining a nice replacement unit and getting about $25 if I remember correctly. Considering what machine shops charge, it was probably a pretty good deal. On the other hand, for those who have a hacksaw, a piece of scrap steel and a drill press, I think you could make your own part for about a half hours worth of sweat!!


My JET mini has not yet had a slippage problem; but if it starts, I'm going to make my own replacement washer.


One other thing you might check is the nut that holds the washer to the lever mechanism.....give that nut a a slight tightening and your slippage problem may disappear??

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

When Mine slips, I give the nut on the bottom a quarter turn and it locks up.

A little light tap with wooden mallet works, too.

Bruce

(I know .............. I'm Cheep!) He He

[Ken Salisbury]

see the "similar threads" list at the bottom of the page - lots of infor on this subject.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

see the "similar threads" list at the bottom of the page - lots of infor on this subject.
I look at that! I never even knew that the Similar Threads was there!! What a great feature.

[Ted Calver]

Both Lee Valley and Woodcraft sell clamp blocks that fit the gap in your lathe and will fix this problem for less than $15 US

[Robert Cox]

Are they threaded M10x1.5?

[Randy Meijer]

Both Lee Valley and Woodcraft sell clamp blocks that fit the gap in your lathe and will fix this problem for less than $15 US
I looked at both web sites and couldn't find them. Do you have a part number or link directly to the item?? Thanks

[Peter Langevin]

i looked too.. no luck at either place..

[Bob Winkler]

Lee Valley calls them Clamp Blocks, for use with their steady rests. See attached pic. Costs $11.50


Bob

[Robert Cox]

Is that a M10x1.5 thread?

[Andy London]

No it's not a metric thread, just screw a piece of threaded rod in and tap it out, I made a couple for my mini, one for the tailstock and one for a stabilizer I built, works perfect.

[Keith Outten]

It's kind of important that the thread match the existing bolt on the underside of the tailstock. Part of the fix for the creeping problem involves the block being exactly perpendicular to the bedways, when you move the lever to tighten the tailstock the block should be perpendicular and align perfectly when tightened. If there is misalignment then the tailstock will tend to creep when the lathe is in use. The width of the block at the top should be 1.25" which provides a nice fit between the ways and will not allow the block to become misaligned. the steps should be at least 1/8" deep so that when the lever is released the block will not drop below the bottom of bed ways.

The Jet Mini's shipped with a round washer which does not provide enough contact surface between the bed ways and the washer. It also will not maintain the proper perpendicular alignment and that is why the tailstock tends to creep when in use. The vibration and lateral force works against the tailstock and the washer is just not capable to maintaining the proper alignment or able to deal with the force involved. Most people just overtighten the bolt by banging on the lever, this stretches the bolt over time and isn't a permanent fix for ther problem not to mention the frustration of having the tailstock move while working and having to stop to tighten it up periodically.