Manual lathe clutch retrofit?

I'm wondering if anyone has ever fit a new clutch to their manual lathe? I have an old 8 speed Hendey and at the moment my weakest link is the clutch.

Its an odd style and I'm having trouble finding any information on it.

I have brass shifting forks and a control arm that push tapered keys into a sleave, spreading and clamping on a spindle. Ive tried adjusting via tightening the sleave and shim at the forks with no luck.

Is there is a clutch type I could make or buy that would lend itself to the current setup? The extent of my knowledge of clutches is whats in my truck and lathe, so if someone smarter than me could give input please do. I can have the thing apart and together in a minute to show the assembly if needed too.

I'm mid 130pc job and dicking with the control lever is getting very frustrating.

Thanks,
Dalton

(Sorry if this would be better in antique, but my focus was more clutches modern or otherwise than the old machine.)

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I have replaced a old mechanical clutch on a very old lathe I had many years ago with a Warner clutch-brake unit. It was a expensive changeover 40 something years ago, I can imagine what it would cost today!!! It did require modifying shafts, brackets, and so on to make it work. The one problem it created on the lathe I had, because of the gear reduction the old clutch had built into it, it increased speeds to almost double the original speeds!!! The old gearhead lathe sounded like a thrashing machine in the near highest speed. In fact, I couldn't get it to run in the highest speed, the motor couldn't handle it along with the thoughts it would destroy itself within.
Yes, it's always possible to convert one, just depends on how much time and money you want to throw at it.

There are 8 speeds with no clutch (no parts there to work a clutch) as seen here. I don't know if you turn the motor on and off or you work the head stock lever closest to chuck

johnoder said:

There are 8 speeds with no clutch (no parts there to work a clutch) as seen here. I don't know if you turn the motor on and off or you work the head stock lever closest to chuck

View attachment 316943

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I think without clutch you would have to use the on off at motor otherwise you'd be clashing gears everytime you engaged.

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MoriMillMan said:

I think without clutch you would have to use the on off at motor otherwise you'd be clashing gears everytime you engaged.

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Says plainly you can start and stop spindle with that lever closest to chuck



You could give it a try and see if you liked it.

johnoder said:

Says plainly you can start and stop spindle with that lever closest to chuck

View attachment 316962

You could give it a try and see if you liked it.

Click to expand...

Ya it would work fine in low but lately all my work has been high gear. Ive used it before and its pretty rough on those gears above 200rpm or so.

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