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Thread: Loose banjo

  1. #1

    Loose banjo

    Due to money constraints I wound up purchasing a Central Electric, Harbor Freight 12 x 36 lathe. Recently after attempting to turn a couple of bowl blanks that were not balanced the banjo worked lose. Yes, The blanks were grossly uncentered. I attempted to turn them down to balance, however the shaking got really bad. Also I was using the slowest speed setting there was. This afternoon once again I mounted a bowl blank, which were cut from a tree. Now the banjo is really loose, so nothing is going to get turned until this problem gets solver. I have looked over the instruction manual and it appears that I will have to take apart the end holding the banjo. Has anyone had this problem? Its a good lathe, and want to fix the problem that I created. Any helpful suggestions will be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    Carterville, Illinois
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    Try tightening the nut under the banjo, it may have worked loose due to the vibration. It should have a jam nut with it to lock it in place once it is properly adjusted.

    Tom
    The hurrier I goes, the behinder I gets.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Wilson66 View Post
    Try tightening the nut under the banjo, it may have worked loose due to the vibration. It should have a jam nut with it to lock it in place once it is properly adjusted.

    Tom
    I don't know that lathe but some have big nylock nuts under the banjo that won't easily loosen. If the HF doesn't it might be worth replacing it with one. Or use some blue locktite on the threads.

    I like to adjust the nut until the banjo locking handle is just about horizontal when fully tightened.

    BTW, another recommendation from some pros is don't ever wax or lubricate the lathe ways to keep them "nice". Graeme Priddle suggested leaving a new lathe out in the rain overnight to put a little rust on the bed for a better grip! I think he was kidding... But it would be safer than it slipping while turning!!

    JKJ

  4. #4
    I will defiantly give it a try. Thank you.

  5. #5
    I have two of those HF lathes and have the same problem but infrequently. The nut under the banjo needs only be tightened a half a turn or so and it will draw very tight,. Same is true under the tail stock. I have the same problem under the banjo on my Delta lathe as well. The above suggestion to switch to a nut with a nylon insert is a good one and should stop the "self loosening".


    You also said your bowels vibrate alot and seem off center. There is a similar tightening system under the "swivel" headstock that can loosen. Lock that one down too Normally when putting the lathe together, the instructions will tell you about the bolt that holds the head stock needing to be tight. If there is give, the piece climbs against the tool and you get weird ridges and off center work.
    Last edited by Perry Hilbert Jr; 01-21-2020 at 11:01 AM.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Perry Hilbert Jr View Post


    You also said your bowels vibrate alot and seem off center.
    I think that might be a job for his doctor!!!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Murfreesboro, TN
    Posts
    7
    I had the a similar problem with my Jet 12/21 lathe. The big washer underneath is round and a square one will give more clamping surface. Go to the link below and there is a guy that makes them for a lot of different lathes. He is a nice guy to deal with.

    https://www.penturners.org/threads/c...ssories.92501/

  8. #8
    First of all a big thanks to those who responded to my asking for suggestions on how to tighten the banjo on my Central Machine wood lathe. After lying it over on a table so I could get under it, I discovered that there were no nuts or bolts holding it on the bed as suggested. I confirm this I removed the motor cover and discovered that it turns on a circular platform that is made to turn so you can turn a large bowl. And the three Allen head bolts were loose. After tightening then up the banjo in completely steady. Again, thanks for y'all 's help.

  9. #9
    Nice to hear that you're back up & running, Harry. It sounds like the headstock was loose, not the banjo? What was it?

  10. #10
    The part that contained the motor and where you attach the chuck.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    lathe terminology

    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Keel View Post
    The part that contained the motor and where you attach the chuck.
    That part is commonly called the "headstock". The "banjo" is the part that holds the tool rest in place. This picture may help with some of the common terminology.

    lath-parts.jpg

    If you can't see the picture because you are a Member instead of a Contributor, I stole the picture from this web page:
    https://www.getwoodworking.com/news/...rs-part-1/885/

    BTW, there are many benefits to becoming a contributor. One is helping to keep the SMC doors open! Just $6/year min. https://sawmillcreek.org/payments.php

    JKJ

  12. #12
    I stand corrected. Oh well live and learn. Anyway, I will consider becoming a contributor. I got the problem solved, I do realize that calling the parts of the lathe might have saved me a lot of trouble. I will be more careful next I and make sure I call the part by its proper name. Thank you for bring kind in your reply, it means a lot to me. Again thanks for the help.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Keel View Post
    ...live and learn...
    Ah, the spice of life!

    My wife said I'm a hopeless pasttime accumulator, constantly adding new "hobbies" over the years!

    Each field has its own secret language (and more toys, er, tools to buy...) Without learning the new language it's hard to communicate with others in the field! She said once that she can tell when I'm starting something new when she sees books and magazines on new topics around the house. I find books best for learning the basic language and magazines to get a feeling for the latest trends in the field. Last year it was incubating peacock eggs. My most recent diversions are learning to play the violin, excavating, and digital art on the iPad. A friend gave me a violin but I was "forced" to acquire an excavator, new iPad, and (the amazing) Apple Pencil. Oh, where will it stop??

    jkj-sig-600.jpg

    The drawing is my first attempt at painting 3D text with ProCreate. Maybe a reasonable start but there is a LOT of room for improvement!

    Concerning the vibration problem, it can be much worse with a smaller, lighter weight lathe. A friend used long pipe clamps to rigidly fasten his smaller lathe to the walls of his garage. He turned some pieces incredible for that size of lathe, turning outboard with a free-standing tool rest. Much better, though, is to balance the blank as much as possible before mounting it on the lathe, using a bandsaw to make it round or a chainsaw to at least knock off the corners.

    bandsaw_blank_IMG_20180312_161447_777.jpg

    Please don't hesitate to ask any questions about woodturning! (Or incubating eggs - I have a stack of books. Ha!)

    Also, if you are relatively new to wood turning it is often recommended to find a woodturning club in your area. It's a great way to learn techniques, meet interesting people, and get answers to questions.

    JKJ

  14. #14
    Not much in the way of clubs in my area. Which is surprising since I live less than thirty minutes from a major university. The closest would be Birmingham, Al. But that's two and a half hour drive from where I live. But I have managed, but you will probably get a bunch of questions from me now. Thanks for the kind help. Have a great day!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Keel View Post
    Not much in the way of clubs in my area. Which is surprising since I live less than thirty minutes from a major university. The closest would be Birmingham, Al. But that's two and a half hour drive from where I live. But I have managed, but you will probably get a bunch of questions from me now. Thanks for the kind help. Have a great day!
    Where are you in Alabama? There's a club in Boaz and one near Mobile/Baldwin Co as well as the one near Birmingham. The AAW site has a list of all the AAW chapters (I didn't have time to search) but if you mention your area someone may have a suggestion. Some people put their location in the SMC profile so is shows up on the right with every message. That's a good way to meet other turners who might live close.

    I drive about 45 minutes to one club and close to 2 hours to another one so some of us carpool. 2.5 hours would be a long drive, especially back home at night!

    JKJ

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