Jet 1442 Question

Re: Jet 1442 Question

ben d.

I had owned one of those for several years and what wears out about the pulleys is the hole that slides on the spindle shaft and on the motor shaft get wore out because of the lack of lubrication. You should take the pulleys off clean them out and new grease put in them. The motor pulley is the worst for wear and is the easiest to get to and not hard to service the spindle pulley is some harder but not bad to do.

You should look at using some weather stripping to seal up the poor fit of the pulley shield to the lathe head as that is where most of the dust comes from that starts the problem.

Keep them lubed up and they should last a good while with no problem.

ben d.

Re: Jet 1442 Question

Glass Cannon

Thank you for that information, ben d.

I do suspect that the pulleys are worn out in that way, yes.

I am getting a very strong knocking/banging sound about 50% of the time that the lathe is being used, and it seems to be coming from the spindle pulleys (not 100% certain of that, but strongly suspect it).

I should note that I have completely stripped the lathe and lubricated all parts. I've even stripped all of the original paint, repainted it and replaced the original decals/stickers.

It looks very nice now, basically like a brand new one.

I realize that these lathes are not the latest and greatest, but I am very proud to own it, and would like to keep it for as long as I can.

I would love to purchase a modern lathe with electronic variable speed, but I simply cannot afford to do that.

I've very happy with everything about the 1442 (minus the Reeves drive) and I am hoping that a new set of pulleys will last me for quite some time. I have very little money, and cannot afford to replace these more than once or twice, I'm afraid.

I would love to convert the lathe over to a VFD setup, but I am hoping that I can get a few years out of the new pulleys and hold off on that plan for a while.

Re: Jet 1442 Question

Don Orr

I know of, and have turned on, at least 2 of these machines that have been in intermittent service for many years, mostly without any maintenance, and have performed well. I think you should get a good deal of service from yours with new pulleys and good maintenance. These are sturdy lathes and a good value. If this lathe will see heavy use then you may not get as long a life out of the pulleys, but for hobby work like many of us do it will do well. Enjoy!

Re: Jet 1442 Question

bill tucker

This is a solid machine and should give you many years of trouble free service. Back when I was turning on one, someone suggested that the reeves drive be "run through the gears" once each session, meaning that it should be run up from slow to fast and back with no load. I'm not sure that following this advise was the reason, but the lathe always performed well. Hope you have fun and stay safe.

Re: Jet 1442 Question

Glass Cannon

Thanks for the additional information and thoughts, everybody.

I actually enjoy doing maintenance on my lathes (I probably spend about an hour per week just doing routine maintenance) so I'm glad to hear that a new set of pulleys plus basic maintenance should keep me running smoothly for a while.

I was able to purchase the lathe for $500, so spending an additional hundred here or there to get it into top shape will still provide me with a lot of lathe for the amount of money I have invested in it, in my opinion.

I have read about running the lathe through its full range of speeds once a day, yes, but thank you for that.

I'm assuming that is done to prevent the pulley from getting stuck on the spindle/key over time. I've been using 3-IN-ONE PTFE to lube mine, and it seems to be working quite well, so far.

I have it looking like new, but just need to eliminate the knocking sound before I am done. Other than the knock, it works just fine and has enough swing/distance between centers to turn the things that I turn.

Re: Jet 1442 Question

ben d.

There are 3 bearings in the head itself, 1 ea. on the outer end of the spindle shaft and 1 on the shifter fork that changes the speed and that is probably where the knock is coming from had the same thing on mine one time. If you order pulleys be sure to order the keys for the shaft and the motor shaft as they are not standard keys. Bearings can be purchased locally. Pulleys are sold in sets and will most likely will have to be slightly reamed or sanded out to fit. I was told this was for compensating for shaft wear and you can get a good fit of the pulley to the shaft.

ben d.

Re: Jet 1442 Question

mikeee12345

The knocking sound can also be caused by the bad pulleys rattling against the belt.

Running the lathe while it is making that noise will usually shred the belt and cause

the pulleys to fail. You might want to order an extra set of pulleys and keep an extra

set on hand. The pulleys are the most common item to fail on these drive types. The

on/off switch is another common item that is worth while having a spare on hand.

Re: Jet 1442 Question

Glass Cannon

Thanks for the info, guys.

I am getting some pretty heavy fraying on a new (about 5 hours run time) Gates belt, which was one of the reasons I suspected I have a pulley issue.

I also have concerns about the shifting lever bracket that ben d mentioned, though. It is the one part that I did not remove when I repainted the lathe, so I was not able to give it any kind of inspection.

Are you saying that the bearing failed on yours ben d, and that is what caused your knock? Or was it some other type of issue related to that part?

It might also be helpful to point out that this issue just started in the last few weeks, the lathe did not knock before then. Part of me wonders if I have assembled something slightly out of alignment during reassembly (after repainting the lathe) but I cannot find anything that appears to be misaligned.

Re: Jet 1442 Question

ben d.

I would suggest that you remove the spindle and at least turn the inner bearing by hand and see if you feel a rough spot or a slight catch in the bearing. If the pulleys were causing all of it then they should be somewhat sloppy on the shafts which would let the ribs of the pulleys tick together. If I was going that far I would remove the shifter and replace the bearing anyway as it is not expensive. Just be sure when you re-assemble it the set screw is in the slot on the shifter rail.

A bit of belt fray on the edge is normal I would say because the spring tension is what is putting a squeeze on the belt, all of mine did and I used gates belts also from a parts store.

ben d.

You're starting to see why not a popular lathe

Dick Coers

And you get to do this maintenance and repair every few years if you use it a lot!

Re: Jet 1442 Question

mikeee12345

When the reeves pulleys have excessive wear they will start to eat the belts quickly.

The range of speed selected which displays the noise is the area on the reeves pulleys

that have extensive wear causing the noise. The reeves pulleys are flexing back and forth

on the outside edge of the belt causing the noise and the excessive wear on the belt. The

belt usually shreds to pieces and the pulleys can fragment when the belt lets go. Any slop

in the reeves splines and the shaft hub clearance will slowly cause this problem. Regular

maintenance and cleaning of the shaft and reeves pulleys will extend the life. The die cast

pulleys have a rated life cycle and their is no getting around the issue. The old cast iron or

steel pulleys lasted a long time but were expensive to manufacture.

Re: You're starting to see why not a popular lathe

Glass Cannon

Yes, I was familiar with the Reeves drive issues before I made the purchase. I have been woodturning for years and had read various posts on the topic, and then did further research before purchasing the 1442.

I will be happy if I am able to get several years out of a new set of pulleys. Once those pulleys start to show signs of wear, I intend to install a VFD and a new motor, which would eliminate the issues associated with the Reeves drive.

In the end, it all comes down to a matter of money, for me. I have very little of it, and I use a lathe to make it, so I have very few options available to me at this time and must make do with what I have.

Thanks again for the info and comments guys, I appreciate it.

A lathe doesn't cost me money, it makes it

Dick Coers

I understand your position, but for me, I've paid for my Oneway 2436 many times over. Nothing frustrates me more than a poorly designed machine. Not only will you have constant issues with the reeves drive, but it is also very short. That machine can also be a safety hazard because of the high rpm it spins at the low setting when doing any bowls. It can be fine for making Christmas ornaments and pens if you put it up on blocks.

Re: A lathe doesn't cost me money, it makes it

Glass Cannon

I would love to own a nicer lathe, but it simply is not possible.

Just replacing the pulleys on my 1442 will require me to sell one of my other possessions, but it will be well worth it to me if I get a couple years of turning from the lathe.

I do not have any way to pay for a $2000+ lathe, and mini/midi lathes are not able to turn the things that I make. I was fine with paying $500 for the 1442, knowing that it would most likely require some parts replacement over time, but would also allow me to turn what I needed to.

While I would love to own a better lathe, I feel very blessed to own this one, and I am encouraged to hear that others have gotten multiple years from their pulleys.

I believe I read that Richard Findley even turned on a 1442 professionally for some time and spoke rather fondly of it (despite its limitations), so that is nice to hear, as well.

I do understand and appreciate the opinions and advice that I have been given, however. It's just that I am very limited in what I can afford, and must make my decisions based on that.