# Help. The Banjo on my lathe slides poorly.



## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

It slides better on the ends and hardly at all in the middle. I have waxed the bed, it helped some.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

You need to give us the make and model of your lathe. Different lathes have a different system. My Fay and Egan lathe has about a 7" long bolt that goes to the bottom of it and if I don't loosen the bolt enough it gets on a angle and binds making the banjo slide poorly.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

In this picture the handle is locked.






this is the screw setting in the first picture.






If I loosen the screw to this point it slides good on both ends, but still not the middle.I don't want it this loose because I can't lock the banjo with the handle over the bed. I am starting to think the bed is thicker in the middle. The lathe is a jet 1642.


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## 44260 (Aug 29, 2013)

I would look under the bed where the round black disc would clamp down and see if there is extra high rough spots in the middle of the bed where the casting may be a little thicker then the rest of the bed. You would have to get underneath the lathe to grind these spots down with a metal grinder of some sort (Dremel tool, 4" right angle grinder).


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## 44260 (Aug 29, 2013)

I should have added a little advice. Do NOT stick your finger down from the top side of the bed to feel the underside!!!!!! If there is a rough edge it can slice your finger open!!!!!! I would use a pair of calipers or make some sort of C-shaped jig from a piece of wood the thickness of the bed ways at either end of the bed and slide it towards the middle until it gets tight and mark this spot. Do the same from the other end of the bed and mark the tight spot again. Look under the bed between these 2 marks and see what you can find.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

dirty-curty said:


> I should have added a little advice. Do NOT stick your finger down from the top side of the bed to feel the underside!!!!!! If there is a rough edge it can slice your finger open!!!!!! I would use a pair of calipers or make some sort of C-shaped jig from a piece of wood the thickness of the bed ways at either end of the bed and slide it towards the middle until it gets tight and mark this spot. Do the same from the other end of the bed and mark the tight spot again. Look under the bed between these 2 marks and see what you can find.


I took a pair of calipers and measured the thickness of the bed every few inches on both sides. It is thicker in the middle but only by about 15 thousandths.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

I use WD40 and steel wool on mine with great sucess:thumbsup:
maybe the wax has built up or something possibly??


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## 44260 (Aug 29, 2013)

Slide the banjo from one end of the bed to the center till it gets snug and stop. See if the bolt hanging down with the disc on it is cocked at an angle causing it to bind up. Then slide the banjo back to the starting point and investigate further what is causing the bolt to cock and bind up the disc.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I bought the lathe used about a month ago, and it had rust on the bed. I cleaned it up slick then and have only waxed it twice. The banjo has never worked right. My grandpa owns a machine shop so I think I am going to build a bigger, longer, stronger, better banjo.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I believe I would loosen this nut a quarter turn and see if that fixed the problem.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I all ready did it helped but then the handle goes to far down to lock.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Maybe what is going on is where the handle fits on is splined and it needs to be removed and rotated left a few notches so when it locks in place it doesn't go too far down.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

No it is on a key way so only one notch.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Have you waxed the bottom of the bed where the disc slides as it moves? Also you might try laying a mill file flat on the underside and taking off any roughness that may have developed over time from locking the banjo down tight. Then fine emery cloth to polish it and wax it.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

Gary Beasley said:


> Have you waxed the bottom of the bed where the disc slides as it moves? Also you might try laying a mill file flat on the underside and taking off any roughness that may have developed over time from locking the banjo down tight. Then fine emery cloth to polish it and wax it.


No i haven't, I will try that later there is loose paint on the bottom also.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

hwebb99 said:


> No it is on a key way so only one notch.


 Well then it might be the bolt #31 or the tool support rod #16 or both are worn to a point where it needs too much travel to lock the banjo down. The rod is a cam which puts pressure on the bolt to tighten it down. http://www.ereplacementparts.com/jet-jwl1642evs-708359-wood-lathe-parts-c-32652_32854_155051.html


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

Also, flip the disk over. Sometimes they get grooves and burs which will cause them to hang.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

Thanks for the help guys. I think the insides are messed up and need replaced.


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## bond3737 (Nov 13, 2009)

On the end of the banjo not the tool rest side there should be a nut. Unscrew the nut unscrew the handle you use to clamp the banjo down. Take off the locking cam so you are just left with the bar. Look at the bar. Im guessin youll see little rings all around the bar. take a piece of 4 ot steel wool and rub that puppy down real good and then put on some machine oil. Dinged is dinged and there's no permanent fix but this allows for smooth movement for a while. Don't use wax on the bar, gums up the works just a healthy slathering of oil should cut the mustard Hope it helps! happy turnin, 
Bond


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I think the worst problem it this piece ( the circle part) is bent.






The bushing is in bad shape.












I made this piece and the bushing. This piece was just a fail.






The rod however isn't bad.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

Rather than fix a all of that I think I am just going to build another one.


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