Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Desperately need help
ken chase
>I'm afraid I won't be able to use my new Powermatic until some kind member of this board explains how I remove the face plate! A wrench came but no explanation in the manual how to use it. Not much in the manual about the lathe. An e-mail would be greatly appreciated. I want to turn this baby on so bad I can taste it.
Thanks
Ken Chase
Re: Desperately need help
George Balock
>Ken,
I know that the Powermatics have a spindle lock. Just lock the spindle and use the wrench.
George
Re: Desperately need help
John Lucas
>George is right. The spindle lock is the black button above the Red start button. Push it in and rotate the spindle until it locks. Then hold it in and put the wrenck on and screw the faceplate off CCW.
Re: Desperately need help
ken chase
>I'm told a set screw is in the face plate and must be removed before the wrench is used or the threads can be damaged. Could someone verify and tell me what tool I need to get the screw out. What size?
The manual did not mention this. My instructor Steve Dunn cautioned me about this.
Thanks for the help
Ken
Re: Desperately need help
Jim Ketron
>Get you an allen wrench and back it out! im not sure what size it is but if you dont have any allen wrenches buy one of the sets that fold up!
BE CAREFUL!!!!
Chris K. in MD
>be careful, there are actually TWO set screws in the face plate one on the flat for the wrench and one at 90 degrees to it on the curved part. The size allen wrench required is 1/8" (at least for mine it was)
Chris
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
ken chase
>Chris: I feel like I've lost my mind. I placed a 1/8" allen wrench and it doesn't really feel like it has engaged anything. Should the screw be visible?
I'm wondering if there are no screws. I'm worried I'll damage the threads if there are and don't feel I can proceed. Are these things difficult to extract? Should it be a struggle? This is making me really feel stupid. Thanks for your post and if you have answers please post again. I will be most appreciative.
Ken Chase
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
JL
>The allen screws are set deeply and have some sort of coating. Get both of them out most of the way.
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
ken chase
>Thanks. So I shouldn't be able to see them if they
are set deep in that hole. Usually when an allen wrench engages the screw you can feel it. In this instance I don't. At this rate the new lathe won't get much use, or any.
Appreciate the post
Ken
Ken, that lathe is a piece of...
Clem Wixted, Jonesboro, AR
>...junk.
Pack it up and ship it to me. I'll take care of it for you! :-)
Just kidding. I'm picking mine up next week, a used one. Thanks for your posts, it will help me when I check mine out.
The frustration will be over soon and you will look back at this and have a little smile on you face.
Clem
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
Dick Hines
>There 2 screws and they are 3mm. Forget the folding allen wrenches get a set of T top ones. Northern has them in a set. Also get a magnet to stick to the side of the lathe so you will have place to stick the wrench. I used some horse shoe magnets from work.
I use a combonation of metric and us size allen wrenches so I have 5-6 stuck on the side of my tool box also.
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
Chris K. in MD
>Ken the setscrews are pretty tight on the 1/8" allen key. Try the one on the flat first its easier to see since its not as deep. It should slide in about 1/8" when you have it right. Check your email, Ill send you my phone number.
Chris
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
ken chase
>thanks. Can I get these at the local home depot?
I don't have time to wait for shipping.
Ken
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
Dick Hines
>T handle allen wrenches or magnits? The T handle allen wrenches may be in the tool dept. of any good hardware store. The magnits I don't know I got mine from work.
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!
John K Jordan
>>Also get a magnet to stick to the side of the
>lathe so you will have place to stick the wrench.
Those very inexpensive (these days!) rare earth magnets are great for this. I use them for allens, dental pics, wire for friction burning, chuck wrenches, calipers, etc.
JKJ in East TN
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!"follow up"
ken chase
>John:
Thanks to you and all the other wonderful people on this board who offered help. I spoke to Powermatic this morning and was told there are no set screws in the face plate. The tech. told me to hold the small wheel at the back of the head stock while wrenching the face plate loose. He said not to use the button on the head stock that locks the spindle. I thought that was the purpose of the button and still confused.
Ken
Re: BE CAREFUL!!!!"follow up"
John K Jordan
>>He said not to use the button on the head stock
>that locks the spindle. I thought that was the
>purpose of the button and still confused.
I'm confused too. I use the spindle lock every time I fasten or remove a chuck, faceplate, or other threaded attachment. Everyone I know does the same. Maybe you talked to a salesman or manager instead of a real person.
One little tip when mounting a threaded attachment like a chuck - if you find it difficult to remove because the back binds on the spindle, add some kind of washer before tightening the threads. I've seen special fiber spindle washers for sale, but one cut from cardboard or gasket material will work just as well. I use a big rubber o-ring since it was handy. Without some kind of washer, the attachment can bind, metal-to-metal, and be VERY difficult to remove.
JKJ in East TN
Steve Dunn?
Chuck Nickerson
>That means you're in Southern Cal. Do you attend any of the local turning clubs?
