I have a Delta 46-715, 14 inch variable speed lathe, but it is stuck on one speed. I haven’t used it for about 5 years, but a couple of recent videos convinced me I should give it another try. The speed control handle will move back and forth, the amount of backlash. I’ve taken it off and the spline on the end of the shaft is fine, and it engages the grooved rod ok. With the cover off, I can see the grooved rod move a bit, and the follower rod on the other side moves the same amount in or out, as the push collar wiggles a bit, but it won’t push the pulley along the shaft. I sprayed WD40 both sides of the pulley,tapped both sides with a dead blow, off and on for a few days now but can’t make it move. It turns just fine, no noise or smoke, and the pulley doesn’t get hot, so I’m sure the bearings are fine. Can someone help me? Please?
Seems like Delta parts are the proverbial needles in the haystack nowadays, so hoping it doesn’t go that far.
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
I have the Grizzly G0462, which from your description, seems like the same mechanical variable speed mechanism. I bought mine about 16 years ago and hadn’t used it for 8 years or so. I could change the speed but it was very difficult and it seemed like something was wrong. I tried the WD-40 thing and it didn’t help either. I finally disassembled the whole pulley mechanism and the one “half-pulley” connected to the control rod and follower was the culprit. I had to use a couple of F-clamps and and a lot of prying and tapping to get it off the shaft.
Once it was removed I used WD-40 and 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper on the shaft and the pulley to get it sliding freely. The keyway was also sticking so I did some carful filing to address that. In the end it now moves effortlessly.
One other thing. The end of the shaft that the follower rides on has a spring loaded ball bearing that, according the the instructions, is to allow you to squirt oil into to lubricate the shaft. In my case you have to remove the cover to get to it. I didn’t think 3-in-1 oil was the best choice so I used bearing grease, thinly applied.
Hope this helps.
Sounds like a bunk reeves drive. Delta is now owned by a Taiwanese manufacturer named " Chang". Not even Stanley Black and Decker anymore-but that machine was still being manufactured into this century and I would think that you could still find parts...if ereplacement doesn't have it that pretty much means that your machine is no longer factory supported and it's a pretty good bet that it's not. I know late versions had a pot metal reeves drive that people complained about. There may be aftermarket or ebay and there are sites like this one of people that fix up old machines. "Vintage Machinery" might be the name of one. Fortunately for you Delta was a pretty common brand. Unfortunately you might be able to find a whole other machine for what you might pay for parts. It seem that on ebay there are people that dismantle old machines and then sell off parts. I just recently bought a Jet in good shape for $200 . I see 2 and 3 hundred dollar lathes on ebay all the time! It was close by and I didn't need it but for 2 bills I figured what the hell!
Look up Reeves drive, and see if there are tutorials on unsticking one. I have no personal tips. But you'll have more luck with Reeves drive queries than your specific lathe model.
Thank you for the tips, and I will certainly look up the Reeves drive, I didn't know that name. For next time. It is now a moot point as it has become a warning to always use your guards. I was using it at the one speed I had without any problems and had left the back plate off so I could check once in a while to see if there were any changes, when one half of the pulley exploded. Fortunately the housing is about 5/16th steel and 7 or 8 pieces went back to the wall and only one bounced back at me but not hard enough to hurt through my sweater.
On this page under related posts there is a link to variable speed lathes, where one fellow advises that these pulleys can self destruct and I can vouch for that. On the plus side, I have good sturdy base for a small secondary work bench, and I don't need a lathe to make another top.