Record CL4 tailstock 'niggle'

[Neil Dyball]

Hi All,

I have a CL4 which I'm generally very happy with. However, I do have a small niggle with the tailstock.

The 'wheel' which propels the quill(?) in and out has what appears to be a small thumb notch in it. When turning the wheel repeatedly during a drilling operation this is really inadequate. What it really needs is a handle on the wheel which projects out backwards, as I'm sure I've seen on other lathes although they may have been for metalworking. I hope that makes sense as I realise it's not very 'technospeak'.

Anybody else had this problem and got an easy solution, or know of an aftermarket solution? Unfortunately I don't have metalworking/welding skills or I'd have tried fabricating something.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[cambournepete]

My Coronet number 1 (?) has a handle just as you describe.
No idea if it's standard as it was there when I bought the lathe.

You could turn yourself a handle, bore a hole and drill a hole in wheel and attach it with a both - shouldn't be too hard.

Note that the wheel on my tailstock is at the end of the tailstock, rather than in a slot cut part way along (which seems kind of limiting to me).

 

[boysie39]

How about one of thoes nobs that people use on steering wheels of cars? REgards Boysie

 

[Anonymous]

Had the same frustration with a CL4... made a handle to fit,

sorry Neil, I just can't remember the details... rather than drill the cast wheel I think I shaped a wood filler for the gap between the 'spokes', sandwiched it between two shaped scraps of ply and bolted a turned handle on... watch the clearance, I recall having to do a bit of fiddling :wink:

 

[Neil Dyball]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Looks like I'll be turning a handle this weekend and bodging it to fit, unless I can find a friendly engineer to weld a metal one on!

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[dickm]

Looks like I'll be turning a handle this weekend and bodging it to fit, unless I can find a friendly engineer to weld a metal one on!

I'd be a bit careful welding - if it's a cast handwheel it would need to be heated well in advance to prevent cracking. Better to drill and tap a hole in the edge of the rim. Then you could either stick a bolt in as a temporary fix, or get your engineer to turn a nice metal handle.

 

[Mark Hancock]

Neil

I had the same issue with my old CL3. I simply used an old side handle off a hand drill. The cast handwheel on the lathe was very easy to drill and I attached the handle with a bolt and nylock nut so it rotates as the wheel rotates.

 

[cambournepete]

...my old CL3...

How nice to see a pro used such a lathe - makes me a bit happier with the Coronet...
I'd love a new lathe (Nova perhaps), but common sense says "no", even at DM Tools Show price