Laguna 18-36 - any experience?

[Barry McFadden]

Thanks, Guys. I like this lathe plenty. Had my first chance to use the sliding head stock today. What a joy. But.... I do find the tool rest latch and lever to get in the way of each other. In this instance, cranking the lever down further was not an option because the ways was in the way (did I just write that?)

When I'm up close on a small bowl I never have to crank the handle more than 90 degrees which puts it parallel with the ways (I'm guessing you're calling the lathe bed that)... so it would never be in the way for me...

[Prashun Patel]

Which tool rests are you using, Barry? I'm in the market for something a little skinnier than the Robust or Laguna rests.

[Barry McFadden]

I use the Laguna rest that came with the lathe as well as this one from Oneway https://oneway.ca/products-category/...40-(1%22-Post)
and this system from Lee Valley http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/pag...330,49238&ap=1

[ELY WALTON]

John, have you noticed that the banjo lever has some spring back when the lever side is close to the ways? I can't figure out how to stop it...

Be sure there are no shavings built up on the locking washer surface or underside of the ways... If no joy, suggest a slight adjustment of the locking nut so that the cam shaft rotates a bit more...

Ely

[William C Rogers]

Which tool rests are you using, Barry? I'm in the market for something a little skinnier than the Robust or Laguna rests.

I use the Robust low profile rest. Much "skinner" than the comfort rest or Laguna rest. I have the 6" and 12" and the 14" J rest. When I had my Powermatic 90 I bought the comfort rest and the curved rest. I like the low profile rest much better and did not buy the curved rest this time. I prefer the straight rest over the curved rest. Rarely used the J rest, but is sometimes handy. The only time I use the Laguna rest is when I have my hollowing system set up.

[Prashun Patel]

i had a chance to adjust the nut under the banjo yesterday. It turns out it was set just about right.

Making it more loose or more tight did not improve the cam action. I think there is just something fundamentally off on either this banjo, this banjo's design, or ALL long banjos.

The banjo seems to work 'easiest' when the post is cantilevered farthest off the bed. It locks without much force. As soon as I encounter resistance in the cam lever, the banjo is locked tight; I don't need to torque it down. But as you move the post closer to the bed, it requires progressively more force and therefore more travel to engage the lever effectively; not pushing it far enough causes it to spring back. This is a problem when the post is directly over the bed because the cam lever does not have enough vertical travel to reach the point of locking; it keeps springing back.

The solution is to move the cam lever just off the bed so that it can be pushed down to near vertical (with a good amount of force, I might add).

Is this basically the lever principle? The cam and handle basically form a lever to wedge the rest into place. As the cam gets closer to the handle, the lever is shortened and the bed has enough force to resist it.

[John Keeton]

Prashun, you reference "tool rest" and "banjo" interchangeably, it seems. There is a "lever" or better described as an "adjustable clamping handle" on the tool rest clamping system. Then, there is a cam lever on the banjo that tightens the banjo in the ways. I believe all of this discussion is actually limited to the cam lever on the banjo - correct? If so, then I do not believe what you describe is normal and I would suggest you speak with Laguna customer support. It may be possible the cam action on the banjo is not "right" and they can guide you through an adjustment, or rectify the situation.

[Prashun Patel]

edited appropriately. Sorry for the confusing use of terms. Still learning my nomenclature.

[Barry McFadden]

John.... I have talked to Laguna about this and as I mentioned .. The lathe Brian from Laguna uses does the same thing. I have seen one post on SMC about this as well. As Prashun states, the spring back occurs when the banjo is close to the ways. Mine can still be clamped no problem with a little more pressure when it is close to the bed so I really don't have an issue with it. As Brian told me, it seems like some sort of issue with the way the cam mechanism works...Prashun...you may want to give him a call and let him discuss it with you (he was looking into it when I talked to him)

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I would try some lubrication on the banjo shaft, and a very precise adjustment of the nut under the ways with the banjo set close to the bed.

The long shaft of the banjo is always prone to flex when away from the ends of the banjo, on my Delta I have to make sure to rotate the handle to the right to have it not creep back up when setting the banjo all the way in to the lathe bed, there is a slight difference in that banjo when rotating the handle left or right.

Also the adjustment has to be precise or else the shaft will go past the lowest point without clamping well when the banjo is placed in the middle of the length it can slide.

[Prashun Patel]

I believe it is set as good as it will be. I am usually able to find a position and rest combination that allows me to move the banjo lever handle completely down.

I discovered for the first time that the tip of the live center unscrews to reveal a tiny cup live center. This lathe is listed as 36" between centers, but I was only able to achieve this by sliding the tailstock and headstock out a little over the ends of the bed. It worked fine.

This is not a complaint.

[John Keeton]

Prashun, most all of the live centers permit the large cone to be removed. I use the cup center quite a bit, but I remove the small center pin. It is a morse taper and knocks out thru the hole in the live center.

[ELY WALTON]

I believe it is set as good as it will be. I am usually able to find a position and rest combination that allows me to move the banjo lever handle completely down.

I discovered for the first time that the tip of the live center unscrews to reveal a tiny cup live center. This lathe is listed as 36" between centers, but I was only able to achieve this by sliding the tailstock and headstock out a little over the ends of the bed. It worked fine.

This is not a complaint.

Glad you found a workaround! But I still believe there may be some adjustment to make it right. Mine is set such that the banjo is fully free with the handle at the 12 o'clock position, and and I can fully lock it by turning it to the right to about the 2:00 or 2:30 position at most... It is the same if the banjo is fully over the bed at either extreme... The handle never interferes with the bed...

Again... great that it is working out for you now. Best wishes!

Ely

[Barry McFadden]

UPDATE.... since my last post I have been on the lathe quite a bit and noticed that now I'm getting no spring back from the handle and no matter what the position of the banjo, it locks in at around the 3 o'clock position....

[John Keeton]

Barry, sounds like perhaps the banjo just needed some “break in” time! Prashun needs to put in some overtime at his new lathe to see if a bit of use will remedy the issue.