Power Feed Clutch Adjustment

I seem to be without operational power feed on my 16". I am not sure how to troubleshoot it. The star knob spins when not engaged and I can engage the selector and tighten the star knob to the point that I am moving the carriage or crossfeed by manually turning the star knob but she doesnt go under power feed! I cant find anywhere to read up on how to make sure it's in adjustment. I am not sure I have the star knob center screw set correctly either since it moves around a lot.

In the pic, The spring loaded handle is in neutral. Moving to pin hole above activates saddle/apron traverse, up and down ways.

Moving that handle to the down pin location activates crossfeed.

Whichever, only engage those while machine is off. Disengage while machine running, is ok.

If half nuts engaged, you can't move out of neutral with that lever. Half nuts must be disengaged.

During build did you have clutch assembly apart ? The reverse thread screw in star handle should be tight, but also large nut behind star handle can pull clutch assembly closer or further apart. tightening of star handle draws shaft toward outside of apron, and in doing so locks tight on clutch assembly.

Most likely need adjust large nut behind star handle. To a point where star handle can fully engage, and disengage.

texasgunsmith said:

Most likely need adjust large nut behind star handle. To a point where star handle can fully engage, and disengage.

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I am hoping that is it. The big nut just turns freely too! I cant seem to get it to do anything! I think I need to refer to the parts manual. Good to know the reverse thread nut s/b tight too! Thanks

the center screw, that takes flat head screw driver is reverse thread. Large nut behind star handle is regular thread.

i dont have a bunch of pics, but I got a few.

In pic 9, top left of parts, is shaft pointing up in the air, the flat plates at the bottom of it are the clutch plates. They are really dirty. They should be clean and debris free to engage properly. If one sticks in the star slots, or debris keeps from pressing on the next plate flatly, then it will slip.

The threads at top of shaft is where outer star handle spins on.

Looking in apron, bottom center gear. Before cleaning there's a lot of garbage that could stop good engagement.

The very center star shaped shaft is what Large outer nut connects too.

With outer star handle disengaged, grab it with both hands and pull towards you. Do you feel it move towrds you, and spring back as you let go ?

texasgunsmith said:

i dont have a bunch of pics, but I got a few.

In pic 9, top left of parts, is shaft pointing up in the air, the flat plates at the bottom of it are the clutch plates. They are really dirty. They should be clean and debris free to engage properly. If one sticks in the star slots, or debris keeps from pressing on the next plate flatly, then it will slip.

The threads at top of shaft is where outer star handle spins on.

Looking in apron, bottom center gear. Before cleaning there's a lot of garbage that could stop good engagement.

The very center star shaped shaft is what Large outer nut connects too.

With outer star handle disengaged, grab it with both hands and pull towards you. Do you feel it move towrds you, and spring back as you let go ?

View attachment 283260View attachment 283261View attachment 283262

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I can pull it out adn if i fiddle with it i can hear the plates rattling around when I tug on it. Does the big nut get tightened up against the apron body or the star handle?

EDIT: Nevermind it fell into place!I think I just had a lot of slop in there so a couple of the plates were off. I pulled and twisted and tightened and repeated a bunch of times until she started working! Yeah! Thanks again TGS!

Awesome.

Nut sort of tightens tightens to body, but its really pulling the outer shaft body. To check, I'd engage spring pin handle in the up position. Then hold large hand wheel the best you can, while wrench on nut to check if its tight.

Screwing and unscrewing the star handle is just a fancy way of pulling and pushing the skinnier internal shaft.

texasgunsmith said:

In the pic, The spring loaded handle is in neutral. Moving to pin hole above activates saddle/apron traverse, up and down ways.

Moving that handle to the down pin location activates crossfeed.

Whichever, only engage those while machine is off. Disengage while machine running, is ok.

Click to expand...

I could not find in "How to use a Lathe" where it said not to engage this lever under power. It has always surprised me that there is not a better users manual for the heavy 10 etc.

ksimolo said:

I could not find in "How to use a Lathe" where it said not to engage this lever under power. It has always surprised me that there is not a better users manual for the heavy 10 etc.

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Well, really, there's more than one way to skin a cat. You don't necessarily need to power off for that lever, but typically you need at least have reverse tumbler in neutral to keep lead screw from turning, and generally you need a few moments to set your depth of cut, or what ever if you are running multiple passes. And really I'd not change reverse tumbler position all while under power.

And the reverse tumbler, you really need to power off, to engage, to not have a terrible gear grinding noise.

Reverse tumbler, sliding gears, and just a general thing on gear changes, you really want to be power off to keep from grinding gears or blowing gear teeth off.

texasgunsmith said:

Well, really, there's more than one way to skin a cat. You don't necessarily need to power off for that lever, but typically you need at least have reverse tumbler in neutral to keep lead screw from turning, and generally you need a few moments to set your depth of cut, or what ever if you are running multiple passes. And really I'd not change reverse tumbler position all while under power.

And the reverse tumbler, you really need to power off, to engage, to not have a terrible gear grinding noise.

Reverse tumbler, sliding gears, and just a general thing on gear changes, you really want to be power off to keep from grinding gears or blowing gear teeth off.

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I am glad to hear of this power feed caution. I have been engaging mine for practice without stopping the lathe. It seems like a natural thing to engage it on the fly but if it's a no no then I'll stop to protect the machine. Mine rarely catches without a little help from whatever manual feed control goes along with it so maybe I dodged a bullet..or my slipping belt saved the day? This would seem to add a lot of starting and stopping of the motor. Was it this way for when the machines were new or is this practice because of how old they are and we're being extra cautious?

I change the direction of the power feed (cross to longitudinal and vice versa) under power all the time. There really isn't any problem doing it, because of the slow speed of the drive.

Now, the REVERSE GEAR lever and the QCGB levers MUST (and let me emphasize "MUST") be done with POWER OFF!

SLK001 said:

I change the direction of the power feed (cross to longitudinal and vice versa) under power all the time. There really isn't any problem doing it, because of the slow speed of the drive.

Now, the REVERSE GEAR lever and the QCGB levers MUST (and let me emphasize "MUST") be done with POWER OFF!

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Glad to hear this, it really works well on my big girl....it seems like natural machine operations on mine.

SLK001 said:

I change the direction of the power feed (cross to longitudinal and vice versa) under power all the time. There really isn't any problem doing it, because of the slow speed of the drive.

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I want to say you're right, because one trick I figured out for star handle clutch. I never disengage it. I leave locked in all the time. Probably not as useful for those with a lever clutch handle, but maybe. But as part of that I occasionally sort of bump longitudinal/crossfeed handle (me holding spring pin handle out) from engaged toward neutral and back.

I found when running a cut, close to where I want to stop, if I try to dis-engage with star handle, that the force to unlock the star handle, actually drives the cutting tool a little bit faster. That was making noticeable spots on work with a slight feed speed change.

What I do is leave it engaged. But I pull the spring pin handle on longitudinal/crossfeed handle. I pull it to get the pin of handle, out of its locking hole in apron. But I don't move it to neutral. I let apron bump into micrometer stop. When apron hits micrometer stop, it forces spring loaded handle to neutral position. No gear grinding, and the cut is real nice and even. And with the micrometer stop, I'm finishing the cut at the same exact spot, while making multiple cutting passes.

You must be paying attention though, if you don't have spring pin handle pulled, and you hit the stop. . . well somethings going to break.

I'd run test runs of this without actually cutting anything, just to get a feel for it first. Longitudinal cuts with a micrometer stop are easy this way. The same can be done on crossfeed cuts, but you might need to work out what and how you're going to use for a stop. Like if you're making multiple passes, how you stop at the exact same spot every time.

texasgunsmith said:

I'd run test runs of this without actually cutting anything, just to get a feel for it first. Longitudinal cuts with a micrometer stop are easy this way. The same can be done on crossfeed cuts, but you might need to work out what and how you're going to use for a stop. Like if you're making multiple passes, how you stop at the exact same spot every time.

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May only apply in certain situations with some relief!

Way I learned it is, always make sure the spindle and the leadscrew
are in neutral and not moving before shifting.
Or there will be expensive damage. $$$$

BTW that applies even on brand new machines,
because lathes are not like a car, they don't have synchronized gears.
And yes, I've driven stick shift all my life, including farm tractors and semis. With practice, operating a lathe gets to be second nature. Its just a few more things to shift, is all.

When I change the direction of the feed of the carriage under power, the clutch is out (analogous to the clutch of a car being pressed in).