# Anyone have a Fay & Egan lathe



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I believe I have a 400C lathe and it's missing the parts that go between the lever handle and the tool rest. I was wondering if someone could fill me in on what is missing. I have it improvised right now but I think if I reproduced the parts it would work much better.


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> I believe I have a 400C lathe and it's missing the parts that go between the lever handle and the tool rest. I was wondering if someone could fill me in on what is missing. I have it improvised right now but I think if I reproduced the parts it would work much better.


Steve, maybe a picture of your lathe and where the missing part goes. The tool rest mounts in the banjo and the banjo has some means (lever) to lock it on place. Not sure if you are talking about the banjo.
Tom


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

This is what I have juryrigged. The problem I'm having is if the bolt isn't perfectly plumb when it's tighten down it vibrates loose as soon as you start cutting with the lathe. What is shown in the advertisement is the tool rest mechanism is made to work off the underside as I have it but there's got to be a better way for it to function. It would help if I knew how it was originally made.


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## Improv (Aug 13, 2008)

Is there some reason you have the T-bolt on the back side of the lathe instead of between the bed tracks?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Improv said:


> Is there some reason you have the T-bolt on the back side of the lathe instead of between the bed tracks?


So we can see the detail of the present arrangement. This will normally be between the rails.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Can you just add a collar (maybe nylon tube or something like that) on the bolt so it is between the upper part between the rails and the lower part that you are tightening?

Looks like a beauty of a lathe by the way.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Improv said:


> Is there some reason you have the T-bolt on the back side of the lathe instead of between the bed tracks?


+1.:yes: I looked at the tool rest configuration and it looks wrong.










 







.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*your improv looks OK*

For photo purposes it is shown on the "backside" of the machine... 

If the tool rest will not stay in the tightened position here's what I would try. I would draw file the bed surface clean and smooth. I would draw file the bottom of the tool rest clean and smooth.
I would get a different nut for the lock down handle and weld an extension or steel cross bar to it. It would require a through hole in the plate of course. I don't think a lock washer would be a good idea, but maybe a large flat washer...I donno? 
I can't think of anything else to do or try..... :no:


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## Lanny0134 (Apr 21, 2012)

You could use an aircraft nut. It wouldn't be easy to adjust but it wouldn't vibrate loose.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

If I am understanding the problem, if the bolt is not perpendicular it come loose, likely due to insufficient contact of the head with the channel.

Suggestions for a fix 
a) If you have a welder, weld some wings on the head of the bolt to prevent the bolt racking.
b) cut a rectangular piece of scrap wood which fits between the upper rails. Drill a tight hole for the bolt shaft. Use a piece of PVC pipe to hold this at the rail elevation.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

*I think I found a picture*

Steve, this EBay listing is over, but this may be a picture of the item you are missing. I hope this is the right item.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FAY-EGAN-12...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Dave Paine said:


> Steve, this EBay listing is over, but this may be a picture of the item you are missing. I hope this is the right item.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/FAY-EGAN-12...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


Thanks Dave. I believe that's it. It looks like they had it assembled wrong for the picture though. I believe the piece in the middle goes up toward the head of the bolt and the head of the bolt just goes into the tool rest and the big washer and handle goes under the bottom of the lathe. 

It looks like it's not much improved on my juryrig. With the 6" span between the top and bottom side of the lathe it's easy to get the bolt a quarter inch out of plumb when tightening it. Then the vibration rights the bolt and the thing comes loose. 

The top and bottom of the lathe are milled very well but the space between each side of the rails is just rough cast which varies in width from one spot to another. Also at the top the space between is roughly 2 1/2" and at the bottom it' closer to 2 5/16".

I have some metal working equipment and a welder. Perhaps if I tinker with it I can come up with something better. Thanks


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*based on the Ebay listing photo*



Dave Paine said:


> If I am understanding the problem, if the bolt is not perpendicular it come loose, likely due to insufficient contact of the head with the channel.
> 
> Suggestions for a fix
> a) If you have a welder, weld some wings on the head of the bolt to prevent the bolt racking.
> b) cut a rectangular piece of scrap wood which fits between the upper rails. Drill a tight hole for the bolt shaft. Use a piece of PVC pipe to hold this at the rail elevation.












Assuming you can't find the replacement parts....
I would weld a thicker plate that fits in the "T" slot, to the bolt after removing the head. It could be round like the photo or square ...not sure. This will keep the bolt vertical and still allow the banjo to slide. You could increase the bolt diameter also.

The idea of a wooden block that slides in the channel between the ways seem good to me also. My impression is that the improv is just undersized and not rigid enough to prevent racking when tightened.

The unit above doesn't seem right somehow. The round plate is too large to fit in the "T" slot, the handle would have to be on the bottom and the center piece should fit in the "T" slot. The handle would be in the way of the work piece if on top. Just doesn't make sense to me.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Shop Dad said:


> Can you just add a collar (maybe nylon tube or something like that) on the bolt so it is between the upper part between the rails and the lower part that you are tightening?
> 
> Looks like a beauty of a lathe by the way.


It's not that good but it gets the job done. When I was in school I attempted to make a lathe and the teacher gave me the tool rest and tailstock for a lathe they no longer had in the school. After getting out of school I was still tweaking the homemade lathe and the machine company I was buying parts from said he had an old lathe in the back he would sell me for 10 bucks. It happened to be one of the old lathes from the school that the tailstock and toolrest was from. It was missing the headstock and motor and the parts between for the flat belts. I cut the headstock off my homemade lathe and mounted in on it and used it for a number of years and finally bought a headstock from a craftsman lathe and fitted it on it. It works pretty good now except for the tool rest coming loose. That’s the way some of my projects go. I only started it in 1971. I’ll get it there sooner or later. No, if I did more lathe work I would have bought one long ago. As it is, it sometimes sits for a couple of years without being used.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Could you add a little self-stick teflon on the sides of the piece which is loose in the tracks, just enough to tighten it up so the bolt stays centered and closer to vertical?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> Assuming you can't find the replacement parts....
> I would weld a thicker plate that fits in the "T" slot, to the bolt after removing the head. It could be round like the photo or square ...not sure. This will keep the bolt vertical and still allow the banjo to slide. You could increase the bolt diameter also.
> 
> The idea of a wooden block that slides in the channel between the ways seem good to me also. My impression is that the improv is just undersized and not rigid enough to prevent racking when tightened.
> ...


 That's a good idea. I always assumed there was some mechanism between the toolrest and the underside of the lathe that kept the bolt plumb. I think the end of the bolt was round so you could swivel the tool rest at different angles and wouldn't affect the position which the handle locked it down. I will see just how big I can make the head to see if it helps. The piece shown in the picture in the middle I'm sure was there to keep the bolt from rotating when it was tightened. I had that problem with the carriage bolt I used and had to put a pin in it to keep it from rotating.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

From your picture it looks like the the tool rest base is on backward. The height adjustment should be out front, and the base should straddle both rails. As Bill says... Just sayin'.









 







.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> From your picture it looks like the the tool rest base is on backward. The height adjustment should be out front, and the base should straddle both rails. As Bill says... Just sayin'.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I thought you were kidding. Dave explained it in post 5. The tool rest is just turned around backwards and the mechanism is in front of the lathe to take the picture. The bolt goes through the center of the lathe bed and the nut is on the underside. The problem I'm having is if the bolt is tighten down on a angle it won't stay tight. At present there is nothing keeping the bolt plumb and it doesn't look like Fay/Egan had it designed much better. Until today I never knew how it was intended.


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## wood shavings (Mar 20, 2009)

Easy fix to your problem from your handle run a threaded rod or if you can find a self locking nut (one with the nylon inside of it) that should stop the nut from vibrating loose .

Jerry


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

wood shavings said:


> Easy fix to your problem from your handle run a threaded rod or if you can find a self locking nut (one with the nylon inside of it) that should stop the nut from vibrating loose .
> 
> Jerry


 It's not really vibration causing the nut to unscrew. The problem I'm having is the bolt would tighten down on such of a angle it wouldn't stay. Seeing how it was originally designed now I cut the head off the carriage bolt and made a larger round head for it and also welded a square steel plate under it to fit between the sides of the bed. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but it appears to keep the bolt a lot more plumb now. I haven't decided on a handle for it yet but I leaning toward welding a socket to the nut and just using a wratchet to operate it.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> It's not really vibration causing the nut to unscrew. The problem I'm having is the bolt would tighten down on such of a angle it wouldn't stay. Seeing how it was originally designed now I cut the head off the carriage bolt and made a larger round head for it and also welded a square steel plate under it to fit between the sides of the bed. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but it appears to keep the bolt a lot more plumb now. I haven't decided on a handle for it yet but I leaning toward welding a socket to the nut and just using a wratchet to operate it.


I like the progress. This looks like it should work well. :thumbsup:

If you have an excess sockets which just fit over the bolt shaft, you could just weld a socket to the bolt and then use the ratchet head.

I do enjoy a problem thread having a good conclusion. :icon_smile:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Dave Paine said:


> I like the progress. This looks like it should work well. :thumbsup:
> 
> If you have an excess sockets which just fit over the bolt shaft, you could just weld a socket to the bolt and then use the ratchet head.
> 
> I do enjoy a problem thread having a good conclusion. :icon_smile:


 Thanks to you finding a picture of the parts it originally had, it gave me the idea of what was needed. 

This picture is how I perceive Fay/Egan had it.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> Thanks to you finding a picture of the parts it originally had, it gave me the idea of what was needed.
> 
> This picture is how I perceive Fay/Egan had it.


Happy to be able to contribute to the solution. Helping each other is one of the intended objectives of the forum. 

In this case I got lucky with a search. I never expected an EBay listing with the specific hardware. Sometimes we get lucky.

Nice work on the picture to show how the original hardware was configured. :thumbsup:


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