Jet 1642 help (please)

[Lee Koepke]

I have no idea how it happened, but for some unexplained reason, the threads on the head unit of my lathe got stripped. Is there any possibility that can be fixed? Re threaded? Anything?

This was the straw that broke my back today. A very NOT good day at work, so I come home to perform "lathe therapy" - and there you have it.....

Any hope would be quite welcome.

[Brian Kent]

I don't have one, but I checked the replacement parts diagram. Looks like it is a part of the spindle "B-4".

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/jet-jwl1642evs-708359-wood-lathe-parts-c-32652_32854_155051.html

[Richard Jones]

Are they completely gone or just dinged up?

[Donny Lawson]

I'm no help but I hope you can get it fixed soon.

[Harry Robinette]

If there just folded over of squashed not completely striped off you can recut them with a die or if not to bad you can file them with a thread file.
I fixed mine with a thread file on my Vega ( forgot the chuck lock screw and turned the chuck off about 1/2 turn) so I know how you feel.

[Lee Koepke]

They are pretty mashed....I have a picture I may be able to load

[Kyle Iwamoto]

They are pretty mashed....I have a picture I may be able to load

If they are just mashed, you can probably just use a die and re-cut them. Once. McMaster sells the right die. After you buy the die, you'll have a die to cut threads. Buy the Beall tap, and you're all set to make threaded finials.

So, how did they get buggered up? Needless to say, do not do what you did again......:)

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Lee: for what its worth, I've felt your pain. Did the same thing when my 1642 was still pretty much new. I bought a new spindle and just replaced the whole thing to avoid the inevitable question of how did you manage to do that... It wasn't very expensive, and relatively simple to replace if you're even slightly familiar with machinery. Those spindles are really soft - it's easy to strip the threads. Still got the old one kicking around here somewhere...even though the lathe was sold a while back.

Jeff

[Lee Koepke]

Thanks yall. I have a guy in town that I've sold a few pens to that's a machinist. He may be able to help. Just not what I needed to deal with...

[Ryan Baker]

A rethreading die (which reforms existing threads) would be better than a normal thread cutting die (which cuts new threads), but I don't know where you would get one that big (and it would probably be silly-expensive for one use). A rethreading file might work. Lacking those, clean it up the best you can with a regular die. If that doesn't do well enough, then you will need to replace the spindle. If you dig back in the archives here a few years, there was a thread that detailed the process of changing the spindle on this machine.

[John Keeton]

Lee, in the event you don't get the threads repaired, I believe this may be the thread to which Ryan made reference - http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?155720-How-I-Changed-Jet-1642-Bearing

[Lee Koepke]

Well, lets hope I can find a re-threader. That does not sound like a fun weekend!

[Thom Sturgill]

Having followed Nate's instructions to replace my bearings, I can confirm that it is not a hard process. Jettools.com lists the spindle at $80.

[Richard Jones]

I buggered mine up once with a chuck set screw. Just took a regular 3-corner file (saw file) and cleaned them up, good as new. Well, almost good as new...........

Rich

[Lee Koepke]

Update.
I tried the simplest solution first...filing the threads. It seemed to do the trick. They are not perfect, but my chuck and faceplate both thread on fine.
Hope it stays...