WM-250 Tailstock

[Richard TearleParticipant @richardtearle34096]

Hello

I have a Warco WM-250, and due to health problems I’ve not been able to lift it into position, but hopefully next week that’s all going to change.

I’ve been slowly removing, cleaning and re-lubricating all of the parts I felt happy with. This has been going very well. That is until it came this afternoon to refitting the tailstock. I just can’t seem to get it back on again properly.

The tailstock locking arrangement on my lathe is different to that shown in the manual, as my lathe’s tailstock has a cam-lock device for fixing it to the lathe bed. I made some notes when taking it apart, and I’ve followed these in reverse order, but still no luck.

With it all assembled as I think it was, either the tailstock doesn’t make it onto the lathe bed as the casting is too close to the base of the tailstock, or it’s too loose and the camlock doesn’t work. Also in this state sliding the tailstock along the bed jams it when the casting hits the first web in the bed casting.

Does anyone know how it should have gone together ?

I’ll be emailing Warco as well, but was I have the lifting equipment arriving on Tuesday and it’s the Easter weekend, I’d like to get this sorted sooner rather than later.

Thanks in advance.

[Richard TearleParticipant @richardtearle34096]

I’ve got it off, now I can’t get it on again!

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

It sounds very similar to the Smart and Brown tailstock I had the same problem with. And the first question to ask is whether you can actually get at the adjuster when it’s on the lathe? This is often quite a difficult adjustment to make, and trial and error is often the name of the game. With some cam-lock adjusters the adjustment range is fixed, and it’s that clamping plate you have to get right, often before you slide it onto the bed, and there’s no way around this. And when you’ve got it adjusted right, it’s an almighty pain to slide back onto the bed anyway because the alignment has to be spot-on.

 

One thing you might want to consider is that the clamping plate generally doesn’t extend to the front of the tailstock anyway, and that if you can get the first part on and to stay there whilst you adjust the plate behind it (but still off the end of the lathe), you are likely to get to a correct alignment a lot sooner. But…

 

It’s not worth rushing this. You either need somebody else with a bit of heft to give you a hand, or wait for a sensible lifting arrangement – don’t knacker yourself, because you’ll only get cross with it and make things worse. Well you will if you’re anything like me, anyway…

[Richard TearleParticipant @richardtearle34096]

Thanks both.

I noticed one mistake – a flanged washer was upside down, although firstly correcting that didn’t make a difference. Also the clamping plate/casting is handed, so one way would jam as it slid along the bed; the other wouldn’t. The nut on the bottom of the casting sits in a recess, so that it needs to be set before the tailstock is slide back onto the bed. Which I’ve now managed, although I’m not sure how! It’s a bit odd now, as the lever is loose to lock the tailstock to the bed, and pushed hard to the rear to allow the tailstock to move. All a bit odd, but at least it’s now working.

I think I’ll still contact Warco to see if they have an updated assembly diagram for the tailstock.

And to not rushing it – you’re right! Luckily my wife noticed the signs of frustration and I was called in for a cup of tea and a ponder.

Again many thanks!

Edited By Richard Tearle on 24/04/2011 14:18:36

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by Richard Tearle on 24/04/2011 14:18:18:

 

The nut on the bottom of the casting sits in a recess, so that it needs to be set before the tailstock is slide back onto the bed. Which I’ve now managed, although I’m not sure how! It’s a bit odd now, as the lever is loose to lock the tailstock to the bed, and pushed hard to the rear to allow the tailstock to move. All a bit odd, but at least it’s now working.

Hehe! That’s exactly what I managed to do with the S&B one, and it’s still like it! I only use that lathe now in emergencies, but I have to remember that the locking is the other way around to just about every other lathe in existence. It’s not really a problem – seems to work fine that way around, and its owner (who uses it rather more than I do) doesn’t complain, so it’s staying that way.

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