Tailstock replacement

[pete ryalls]

I’ve just noticed a crack in the base of my Tailstock
I will try to get it welded but just in case where can I get a replacement for a 12” lathe
Thought there was a spare Tailstock but can’t seem to find it but did find a spare banjo.

Is welding a Tailstock a good way to go or is it even possible with a cast piece.

[David Walser]

It should be possible to weld a cast tailstock. A lot depends on the quality of the casting (and the skill of the welder). Some castings have too many air pockets or other impurities to be welded effectively. In addition to being welded, your tailstock may need to be machined to align properly with the headstock. Few things are more frustrating than working on a lathe where the headstock and tailstock centers do not match! (Well, some of the things my kids did might have been more frustrating....) For that reason, I'd start by taking the tailstock to a machine shop instead of a welding shop.

[Brice Rogers]

I've had a crack on the cast iron table of my bandsaw for years. But it is just a hairline crack and doesn't affect the functionality of my bandsaw in any way.

I'm wondering if the crack in your tailstock is minor/non-functional and just a hairline or whether it is a more significant issue. If it is just superficial, perhaps you could drizzle some thin CA glue into the crack and give it a shot of accelerator?

If it is a serious functional issue, I suppose that you could try to have it welded, brazed or silver soldered. Cast iron is brittle and to weld it I think that most welders need to heat it up substantially in order to keep the weld bead from cracking the casting along side of the weld when it thermally shrinks. But the cost may turn out to be more than you'd spend buying a new casting. Have you priced out a replacement casting?

[John K Jordan]

Although I do a lot of welding I’ve never welded cast iron. When I needed some welded I took it to a good local weld shop.(this was a door for a cast iron wood stove) Some materials, and I don’t know if cast iron is one, must be properly preheated before welding or stresses can cause warping or other damage. A crack might need special cleaning too.

Note that cast iron can also be repaired by brazing, some types better than others. The good weld shop should know all about this.

If the crack is minor is there room to mechanically reinforce it? Cast iron is easily drilled and tapped. I can imagine situations where a certain crack might be bridged with a piece of steel fastened with screws and perhaps reinforced with epoxy. I think welding (or brazing) would be better though.

If looking for a replacement you probably need to find one made for your specific lathe brand and model to get one that properly fits the gap between the bed ways and clamps correctly.

I’ve just noticed a crack in the base of my Tailstock
I will try to get it welded but just in case where can I get a replacement for a 12” lathe
Thought there was a spare Tailstock but can’t seem to find it but did find a spare banjo.

Is welding a Tailstock a good way to go or is it even possible with a cast piece.

[Earl McLain]

Given the function of the tailstock, and the potential for injury in the event of failure…I’d want to be sure of the integrity of the part after repair. Cause of the break, size & weight of normal turnings, how out of balance You usually start with might influence your faith in repair versus replace in this case.
earl

[Dwayne Watt]

It would help to know what brand and model lathe you have. eReplacmentparts is a good place to start your search for a new casting. At least you should be able to determine the actual part number and availability.

Gray iron can be welded with nickel rod / fill material but is more typically brazed. Gray iron lacks ductility and tends to crack alongside the intended weld due to thermal expansion. This is why gray iron is preheated before weld or braze attempts. Brazing is lower heat input than true weld. Regardless, this is a job for an experienced weld shop not a garage hobbyist.

Depending upon the age / manufacturer of this lathe, the tailstock might be impossible to source or too expensive to justify replacement. For example, I just looked up a Powermatic 3520B tailstock casting price and it is $821 plus tax and shipping. Parts are not available for 3520A. I doubt I would pay nearly $1000 for such a part rather than use the money toward a new lathe (but that's me).

[Richard Coers]

Tailstocks are not a universal fit. The tongues that locate in the bed groove are quite different between machines. If you have a cheap import machine, the casting material may have a alloy content that makes it very difficult to weld. You won't get a guarantee from the weld shop, if it even survives the welding process.

[pete ryalls]

The lathe I have is a Jet 12”
it seems there are many lathes built with all the same parts
I know Craftex ,Grizzly , King , Delta and a few others are all the same.

Just have a hard time finding some place that has a listing

thanks for all the information it helps

[Jason Edwards]

The lathe I have is a Jet 12”
it seems there are many lathes built with all the same parts
I know Craftex ,Grizzly , King , Delta and a few others are all the same.

Just have a hard time finding some place that has a listing

thanks for all the information it helps

I don't think you'll find anyplace that has a replacement Jet tailstock listed separately. At the risk of sounding obvious, you might try calling Jet. They sell replacement parts.

[James Baldwin]

If it's the 1236 ereplacement parts has 2 in stock. It's part number 48. Jim
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/je...54_129617.html

[Brice Rogers]

Pete Ryalls, I'm curious what happened to make the tailstock crack?

My own thought is that the only time my tailstock might get stressed is when I am rough turning a very big out-of-balance log. Once it is turned round and largely balanced, the forces on the tailstock is actually pretty minimal.

Did you drop the tailstock?

[David Walser]

I've never dropped a tailstock, but I've been tempted to throw one against the wall a time or two!

[John K Jordan]

I've never dropped a tailstock, but I've been tempted to throw one against the wall a time or two!

Zounds, if your lathe is large you must be powerful indeed! Or the wall quite close.