I broke my Jet mini......

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I broke the handle that locks the tool rest. Where can I order parts for it? I looked at Jet's website and they don't indicate they stock parts from it. Can I call them and order it? I'd also like to get a spare belt.

Anyone with experience ordering parts for a Jet lathe?

[Lee DeRaud]

I broke the handle that locks the tool rest. Where can I order parts for it? I looked at Jet's website and they don't indicate they stock parts from it. Can I call them and order it? I'd also like to get a spare belt.

Anyone with experience ordering parts for a Jet lathe?You talking about the big handle that locks the whatchamacallit to the bed or the little handle that locks the toolrest post to the whatchamacallit? If it's the little one, you can just substitute a bolt (looks like a 5/16) for the time being.

And what the heck is the thing called that the toolrest sticks into?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I think they refer to it as the banjo.

What I broke is the little handle you loosen to change the angle or height of the tool rest.

[Earl Eyre]

If you go here http://www.wmhtoolgroup.com/partfiles/man_708351B.pdf you will get the parts breakdown. You can call Jet and get a replacement at Consumer Relations
1.800.274.6848 - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (CST, Monday - Friday) At least they should transfer you to the right place for the part.

Earl

[Lee DeRaud]

Banjo, huh...maybe on a mini, it's a ukelele. :p

The Jet site shows a couple of repair centers in Spokane...I'd call them first for parts rather than try to deal with Jet directly.
(Easy for me to say: the closest repair center for me is 2 miles away, not 90. :eek: )

[Don Baer]

Broke you Bomb. Ken hang your head in shame...:(

Now drive over to Spokane and get the parts to get her working again..:)

[Barry Stratton]

Now that is a bummer, but it does sound like a story in need of telling....

Hope you get it "fixed" soon!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Barry....no real story to tell. I was turning a walnut shallow bowl/ tray. I repositioned the tool rest and overtightened the handle busting the little screw off up inside the bigger screw. I once worked for a company whose trademark was "Delta-scan"......My nickname from my co-workers in Chicago was Delta Gorilla. They always fussed/cussed when they followed me after I changed a 135 lb. x-ray tube on a CT scanner. .....but hey....I've never had one come off while it was spinning around a patient!:D

[Dale Johnson]

When you get the new one, get several. I have the same problem with my Delta midi. So far I have gone through 3 of them. You can try Rockler if there is one near by.
Dale

[Forrest Price]

Ken, HOLD UP!! Give me a minute or two to check my burned up one. If the handle is good on it, it's yours. Be right back!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Hold on there Matey! You have to rebuild that for pens and such! Don't be too generous!

Besides....I am still using mine.....I have a pair of vicegrips....It's just a little slower.............

[Forrest Price]

Ken, mine is fine. I'll bring it over this afternoon. I've checked into a new VS controller and motor for my mini, and I'll be better off to just buy a new lathe than try to repair this one, so parts are available!

Glad I can help someone else for a change!!

Forrest

[Forrest Price]

Woops, talked with Ken, wrong handle. Plastic one on mine is loooooong gone.

Dang it! Thought I was gonna get to help!

[Lee DeRaud]

Woops, talked with Ken, wrong handle. Plastic one on mine is loooooong gone.Plastic?!? The one on mine is all metal, as far as I can tell.

[Forrest Price]

Plastic?!? The one on mine is all metal, as far as I can tell.
Lee, the one he's looking for is the handle that raises the tool rest, and has the little screw and spring assembly with it. All that was left on mine is the screw and spring, so I'm assuming it was plasitc and melted away. I believe Ken said his was plastic as well when I spoke to him.

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee, the one he's looking for is the handle that raises the tool rest, and has the little screw and spring assembly with it. All that was left on mine is the screw and spring, so I'm assuming it was plasitc and melted away. I believe Ken said his was plastic as well when I spoke to him.Yeah, that's the one I'm looking at...looks like metal, although I've seen that type of handle made of plastic (e.g. for T-slot knobs), but they're usually bigger. It's some kind of cast pot-metal, so I can certainly believe it's breakable. How hot was that fire? Could have melted the metal piece too.

Go figure...I think my lathe is maybe a month newer than Ken's.

[Lee DeRaud]

Update: yes, it's metal...scraped off the paint or powdercoat and it's shiny underneath. And yes, it's 5/16-18, same as most of the T-track knobs I have.

More important, it's the same part as the lock handle for the tailstock, which gets diddled far less often (if at all...I never lock mine). Swap them and use the vise-grips on the tailstock one until you get a replacement. Worst case, you can probably get a 5/16 thumbscrew at any hardware store to use on the tailstock.

[Forrest Price]

..How hot was that fire? Could have melted the metal piece too.

Ummmm...pretty hot!:eek:

[Lee DeRaud]

Ummmm...pretty hot!:eek:Yup, enough heat to warp that saw blade could probably melt cheap zinc alloy, no problem.

[Steven DeMars]

Lowes here has an assortment of handles like you are looking for in the hardware dept. in large blue drawers . . .

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folks,

First thanks for all the replies!

I contacted Jet yesterday and ordered.....2 complete handles ($7.00 ea), a spare drive belt and another 3" faceplate so I don't have to keep taking my current one off the compression jig.

In the meantime I'll move the broken one to either the tailstock or the drive belt tension lever and I hope to turn an NE this weekend from some Texas pecan that Ernie sent me.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!