Impossible Pulley Alignment! (Help)

maur747 · Mar 15, 2020

Hi all,
My father and I are restoring a 1965 Workshop model B lathe.
We hastily took everything apart, painted it, and are in the final stages of putting it all back together.
However, there is something really weird with the countershaft alignment.
The lathe is horizontally driven, and all is bolted down to an original tubular steel bench.
The problem is, using the original holes in the bench, we can't move the countershaft left enough, so the pulleys can't align and the belt slips.

First we mounted the headstock so the stud gear will align with the gear on the banjo.
Then we moved the countershaft as left as possible on the bench (bolts A in the picture), and screwed the mounting screws (B in the picture) to the left as well. the pulley on the shaft is also positioned left as possible.
We are still about 5/8 inch short.
I've been searching for errors in the reassembly but couldn't find any.
Do you have any idea what is causing this misalignment? We are truly clueless.
Thanks in advance,
Maor

SLK001 · Mar 16, 2020

maur747 said:
Hi all,
My father and I are restoring a 1965 Workshop model B lathe.
We hastily took everything apart, painted it, and are in the final stages of putting it all back together.
However, there is something really weird with the countershaft alignment.
The lathe is horizontally driven, and all is bolted down to an original tubular steel bench.
The problem is, using the original holes in the bench, we can't move the countershaft left enough, so the pulleys can't align and the belt slips.

First we mounted the headstock so the stud gear will align with the gear on the banjo.
Then we moved the countershaft as left as possible on the bench (bolts A in the picture), and screwed the mounting screws (B in the picture) to the left as well. the pulley on the shaft is also positioned left as possible.
We are still about 5/8 inch short.
I've been searching for errors in the reassembly but couldn't find any.
Do you have any idea what is causing this misalignment? We are truly clueless.
Thanks in advance,
Maor

Half your pictures are not showing up with enough detail to be able to make any educated guesses. Move your pictures into an album and post them full size.

pavt · Mar 16, 2020

is it possible to shift the lathe 5/8 to the right and leave the countershaft where it is?

Conrad Hoffman · Mar 16, 2020

Do you know for a fact that it was right to begin with?

tommy1010 · Mar 16, 2020

Do you have the feet on right? Those style of feet under the bed will shift the bed 5/8 of an inch if installed wrong.

packrat2 · Mar 16, 2020

QUITE "We hastily took everything apart, painted it, and are in the final stages of putting it all back together."

Looks like a nice lathe, did anyone think of taking a photo of the lathe before hastily taking it apart.??

mcload · Mar 16, 2020

Did the Pully Cone Shift?

I agree that better photos would be helpful.

One possible cause is that the pulley cone (on horizontal drive) has shifted on its shaft.
There is a setscrew and a jam nut securing the 3-step pulley to the shaft.
Depending on the direction you need to go, you could move the pulley into alignment, I think.

If you do, I'd go back and find the "new" mark left by setscrew, and file a flat for it on the shaft.
Or just relocate the entire horizontal drive to where it is correct. Will be much easier with motor temporarily
off the base plate.

PMc

Sorry, just read that you need to go left some more. Can't imagine what is causing the problem.
I included a photo of a 1959 9" B-Model lathe I just picked up, showing orientation of the left mounting foot.
These are "as found" photos.

View attachment 281986

iwananew10K · Mar 16, 2020

tommy1010 nailed it i do believe.

k3vyl · Mar 16, 2020

Looking at that last picture, it looks like you might have room to center the machine in the chip pan then align the drive unit to it.The whole job will look better.
Set it up to see if it will work,then mark and drill the cabinet.

promacjoe · Mar 17, 2020

Those bed feet look strange, like one has been changed. If so, try swapping them. Also make sure your headstock is in the right place. Aligned with the gears.

garyphansen · Mar 17, 2020

That bench was made for a heavy ten.

Illinoyance · Mar 17, 2020

If all else fails use a file to make the holes in the chip pan into slots. Also use washers under the bolt heads that go through the slotted holes.

maur747 · Mar 17, 2020

It was the feet

tommy 1010 indeed nailed it.
I've turned around each foot 180 degrees and now it fits well.
The reason I haven't thought of doing this is that the right foot is a leveling foot, and as such has two tiny screws to accommodate a small "Leveling Screw" label (which is unfortunately missing) on one side.
I was certain that this side should face the operator, but now its facing the opposite side!

(Attached three photos of the tailstock end feet. two of the back side, showing the tiny screws, and one of the front side)

On a side note, this lathe is really strange.
The Tubular Steel Bench was made for 9" and 10" lathes, but up to 3.5 feet long bed. This lathe is 4 feet long.
Moreover, I didn't see any other 9" with a leveling foot.
the last 5 digits of the serial number is "NBX10". The "X" stands for "special", so i guess this accounts for the weird fusion between the two sizes.

Anyway, Thank you all for taking the time to help me. It's been a very warm welcome to this forum (:

SLK001 · Mar 17, 2020

maur747 said:
I was certain that this side should face the operator, but now its facing the opposite side!

They are supposed to face the operator. Now all you have to do is swap the feet (tail stock foot to the head and vice versa).

maur747 · Mar 17, 2020

SLK001 said:
They are supposed to face the operator. Now all you have to do is swap the feet (tail stock foot to the head and vice versa).

So the leveling foot should be at the headstock end?

SLK001 · Mar 17, 2020

maur747 said:
So the leveling foot should be at the headstock end?

It looks like they both have levelers.

maur747 · Mar 18, 2020

Only one levelling foot

SLK001 said:
It looks like they both have levelers.

Nope, only one has. The pictures are of the same foot. If I'll swap them the levelling foot will be at the headstock end and a regular foot will he at the tailstock end.

SLK001 · Mar 18, 2020

maur747 said:
Nope, only one has. The pictures are of the same foot. If I'll swap them the levelling foot will be at the headstock end and a regular foot will he at the tailstock end.

If there is only one leveler, it needs to go at the tailstock end, regardless of the tag's position.

Impossible Pulley Alignment! (Help)

Plastic

Attachments

Stainless

Stainless

Diamond

Stainless

Hot Rolled

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Stainless

Stainless

Titanium

Stainless

Plastic

Attachments

Stainless

Plastic

Stainless

Plastic

Stainless

Similar threads