Axminster AC370WL wood lathe. Speed lever issue.

[Cefn.]

Hi all. I have a problem with the speed lever action on my Axminster Craft AC370WL. It is getting harder and harder to adjust the lever to faster and slower the lathe. I have removed the covers and cleaned out the dust and there are no obvious faults that I can see. Has anyone else had this problem and if so, how to rectify it please. I am reluctant to return it to Axminster at High Wycombe as I'll lose the lathe for another month or so. It is out of warranty. Many thanks in advance.

 

[Tris]

I'm not familiar with that exact model but if it's a reeves drive then it may be in need of a bit of lubrication where the pulley halves slide on their shafts. A spray can of grease with a thin nozzle should get it where it is needed but use it sparingly

 

[Vulcan]

Check out page 15.

https://www.axminstertools.com/media/downloads/105116_manual.pdf

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

I just solved a similar issue with the same lathe. Each gear in the mechanism is two conical discs that interlaces together, the belt then rides in the groove created by the discs interlacing. The further apart the discs, the smaller the gear, and the closer together, the bigger the gear. The speed lever controls the slave gear, and the drive gear matches the inverse of the slave gear by way of a spring. In my case, the drive gear had gummed up and the spring had no effect. As a result, the speed lever could be changed, and that would result in the belt slipping, until it got to the point where the belt was always slipping.

I used WD40 and a nylon faced hammer to free spring side disc and gave everything else a good spray whilst I was at it, and the solved my situation.

In your case, you say that the lever action is hard to adjust, so it sounds to me like you have the opposite problem, where the disc on the slave side is gummed up. I would suggest a similar "oil and hammer" solution should do the trick.

 

[alex robinson]

I just solved a similar issue with the same lathe. Each gear in the mechanism is two conical discs that interlaces together, the belt then rides in the groove created by the discs interlacing. The further apart the discs, the smaller the gear, and the closer together, the bigger the gear. The speed lever controls the slave gear, and the drive gear matches the inverse of the slave gear by way of a spring. In my case, the drive gear had gummed up and the spring had no effect. As a result, the speed lever could be changed, and that would result in the belt slipping, until it got to the point where the belt was always slipping.

I used WD40 and a nylon faced hammer to free spring side disc and gave everything else a good spray whilst I was at it, and the solved my situation.

In your case, you say that the lever action is hard to adjust, so it sounds to me like you have the opposite problem, where the disc on the slave side is gummed up. I would suggest a similar "oil and hammer" solution should do the trick.

I agree. I used to have a similar model and they got stuck occasionally. Be very gentle with the hammer though - the cast drive cones are notoriously brittle!

 

[okeydokey]

NEVER LEVER OR BANG OR HIT THE CONICAL REEVES DISCS IN ANY WAY. they WILL snap.

WD 40 on the shaft will lubricate sufficiently and as you move the speed lever while the lathe is running it will gradually move along the shaft and under where the pulley runs.
Also follow the link from Vulcan

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

Be very gentle with the hammer though - the cast drive cones are notoriously brittle!

sounds like I got quite lucky then, I was having to bang harder and hard to get the spring side one to move

 

[Dave Morgan]

Check the end of the motor spindle, there should be a lube aperture, it needs a special grease gun but you can push in the ball bearing and drip in oil if you get it horizontal. The spindle is partially hollow and has a small hole under the sliding pulley .