A neighbour has asked me to look at his lathe, as the speed control is jammed. He bought this new around 2005.
I believe the design of speed control is known as Variomatic. There is a lever which can be turned to select one of 10 fixed speeds. This lever operates a worm drive which moves a circular aluminium pulley along the main spindle, however this pulley (called the “Pulley-Spindle Right” in Ax’s manual) is jammed fast. It’s located with a steel key slotted into the spindle.
I’ve spent several hours trying to free it, but it’s difficult to get to. Tried heat with no luck.
Just wondered if anyone has experienced a similar issue before I give up?
Would appreciate any feedback.
I have one of these lathes. It used to be a nightmare. In your situation i would smash all 4 ally parts off and get new ones ,they are not expensive. Thoroughly clean the 2 spindles and lubricate with axminsters DRY silicone spray before and after assembly, most important is to get some filter wool to fill the gap between the motor and the pully cover as its the wood dust getting in that causes the problem. The lathe should work fine for ages but the speed control will begin to stiffen over time as the drive belt wears and causes rubbery dust. When it stiffens,remove cover, vacume and lube. Happy turning.
This type of speed control are commonly called Reeves drives. You can only change speeds with the lathe running. This types of drive requires regular maintenance, including removing any wood dust and lubricating the drive shafts.
