How (Not) To Replace The V-Belt On The 46-140

Someone once asked me for advice on how to remove the headstock spindle in order to replace a worn V-belt. I have personally not had occasion to do that and to be frank I really don't want to risk accidental damage to the spindle itself or to the headstock casting. So if and when the time comes for me to replace the belt on my lathe I'm first going to give one of those flexible link belts a try. Even if it doesn't work out I can always reuse the link belt on my tablesaw.

For those of you who have already determined for yourselves that you're going to install a new V-belt and must therefore remove the spindle to accomplish that task, know that the owner's manual will be of no help to you on this subject. Judging by the lack of information there I'm going to assume that the lathe came from the factory with the V-belt and headstock spindle already in place.

The parts schematic is the only official source of information on disassembly that I know of, but sadly it offers no verbal guidance about the process.

Here's a link to a thread over at OWWM that discusses how to remove the headstock spindle and bearings. (It's not obvious from the thread's title, but a response to the OP's question discusses the 46-140 specifically.) That response may or may not be the complete and authoritative word on the subject but it's all I could find. If you're at all unsure about something posted there don't hesitate to contact the author(s) of that thread via the OWWM site as most OWWMer's are rather helpful folks and are more than willing to share what they know or have learned. If you come upon this article some months or years from the date of this posting, do a thorough search of the OWWM site to see whether or not someone may have subsequently raised this issue. Of course, if you find something really good and useful it would be most appreciated if you would mention it or link to it in a comment to this article. (Refer OWWMer's here, or readers of this blog there, I don't care, as long as the new information you've come across is duly noted for posterity.)

Pen Turning On The 46-140 Lathe With A Plain-End Pen Mandrel

There are three basic types of pen mandrel, as defined by the method of mounting to the headstock: those having a morse taper shank, those having a threaded female socket, and those having no mounting fixture at all -- the so-called "plain end."

In other words, a "plain end" pen mandrel is basically just a length of straight and smooth round rod with no obvious means of mounting to the 46-140's headstock.

Here's where you get creative. I will explain two similar methods, one for use with a scroll chuck, the other for mounting directly to the headstock spindle.

Let's suppose that you happen to have a scroll chuck with an ordinary 50mm jaw set. Rough turn round and then face off a thick hardwood dowel. Cut off a 3 inch length of it and grasp it in your scroll chuck jaws. Turn down a 1/2-inch long tenon at the tailstock end of that dowel. Drill a 3/4-inch deep hole in the center of that tenon that is just large enough to accept the smooth end of the pen mandrel. Aim for a snug fit. You don't want any play in that hole and it must be perfectly centered. Secure the mandrel in the wood block with a set screw driven into the tenon perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Here's a photo of the finished item. You can see the "tooth marks" where the scroll chuck's jaws grasp the block.

With the mandrel now secured in the wood block, add your pen blank, spacers, etc., tighten it all up, place the dimpled end of the mandrel rod on the point of your tailstock center, and turn your pen.

Alternatively, let's suppose that you have only the factory spur drive center. Unscrew it and set it aside. Now simply tap a hardwood block that is at least 4 inches long by 2 inches square with an ordinary 7/8-14 machinist's tap. Screw it on to the headstock and then follow the above instructions for turning a tenon, etc.

Necessary Fixture-Making Tools

As an alternative to manufactured faceplates and other accessories, with the following tools you will be able to create just about any kind work holding jig or fixture that you might possibly need.

• 7/8-14 right hand, carbon or high-speed steel machinist tap -- for making inboard headstock accessories.
  
  
• Morse Taper #1 finishing reamer -- for making headstock fixtures that will hold objects having Morse Taper shanks (e.g. pen mandrels, drill chucks).
  
  
• 3/4-16 left hand, carbon or high-speed steel machinist tap -- for making outboard headstock accessories.
  
  
• hot melt glue gun and high-strength glue sticks -- for making wooden glue blocks that will hold workpieces without your having to use a tailstock.

The examples of the jigs and fixtures that I will describe in subsequent articles have been created using one or more of the above.

If you have the time and patience, the right hand taps especially can be found quite cheaply on eBay (two or three for the price of one). The left-hand tap and finish reamer are not so cheaply obtained, in which case it is good to cultivate friends who are seriously into souping up cars, ATVs or dune buggies.

Scroll Chucks for the 46-140

Although there are several types of scroll chucks on the market, there are only two companies that I am personally aware of that manufacture chucks that will accommodate a 7/8-14 tpi headstock. They are Teknatool and Oneway, both of which provide high quality products. I happen to own the Nova G3 by Teknatool, pictured below, and I am quite pleased with it.

Pictured above and starting clockwise from the bottom are my (well used at this point) G3 with 50mm jaw set, 7/8-14 spindle adapter, woodworm screw insert, spur center insert, and T handle chuck key. All of the items in the photo were sold as a single package. I bought mine from Woodcraft about five years ago. They still carry it. Amazon has them, too.

The G3, like many other scroll chucks, requires a headstock spindle adapter to fit this or any other lathe headstock. These adapters are standard accessories that are manufactured by Teknatool. Depending upon where you buy your G3 chuck, the spindle adapter may or may not be included as part of your package. So be sure to check. Here is a link to Teknatool's list of spindle adapters for its various chucks. It may well be the case that you'll have to speak by phone with a sales representative from the company you buy from since their web sites (usually the U.S. sites) frequently do not list the 7/8-14 adapters -- giving the impression perhaps that they are simply not available, which is clearly not the case.

The advantage of the spindle adapter of course it that if you move up to a different or larger lathe at some point in the future all you'll have to do to take your scroll chuck with you is buy the requisite adapter for the new machine.

Additionally, there are all sorts of available jaw sets for this chuck. Personally, I only own the 50mm "standard" jaw set. Changing jaw sets is mostly a matter of unscrewing, re-inserting (and not misplacing) eight machine screws and doing a little alignment of each jaw part. It's not difficult by any means but it's a sufficiently time consuming operation that you would reasonably try to avoid doing so more than once during a given work session.

A Canadian company named Oneway sells three different models of scroll chuck (the Oneway, the Talon and the Stronghold). Here is a link to the Oneway spindle adapter chart where you will find adapters for just about every spindle size there is. All of these items may be purchased from online retailers such as Rockler and Woodcraft. Here's a link to Oneway's complete list of Canadian, US and international resellers. Various types of jaw sets are also available for each of these models of scroll chuck.

In my estimation the sole drawback of using a scroll chuck is that the chuck body extends out from the headstock far enough to essentially consume most of the "gap" in the lathe bed. In other words, if you intend to turn lots of bowls or platters with this lathe then you might be better off buying or making a faceplate or a "longworth" chuck so as to maximize the depth and diameter of the pieces you'll be able to turn.

Source of Accessories In The U.S.

Updated 25-Oct-2010

Busy Bee's web site says that they will ship internationally. You have to phone them however to ascertain shipping costs. I don't know how recent this development is or how expensive it is, but I just happened to notice it this evening. Anyway, at least there is a theoretical possibility that owners of the 46-140 and Beaver 3400 lathes can get parts a little more easily.

N.B. After doing a little more searching I have learned that the Grizzly and Busy Bee faceplates are Steelex brand. These faceplates and their respective inserts will occasionally turn up on Amazon and eBay and various other online tool retailers.

• 8-inch faceplate (unthreaded)
  
  
• 4-jaw independent chuck (unthreaded)
  
  
• 7/8-14 spindle adapter (for inboard use)
  
  
• 3/4-16 left hand spindle adapter (for outboard use)

I personally do not own any of the above so I can't vouch for the quality of the items. If you have one or more of these you are invited to post a comment to this article for the benefit of those who follow.

I have since acquired a Steelex faceplate. See this post.

Canadian Source of Parts and Accessories

N.B Hyperlinks updated as of 21-Sep-2010.

U.S. Shipping info added 25-Oct-2010

Busy Bee of Canada stocks a number of 7/8-14 RH and 3/4-16 LH headstock accessories as well as Nova and Oneway scroll chucks, accessory jaw sets and standard Morse Taper tooling. Since the 46-140 was manufactured in Ontario it makes sense you'll be more likely to find parts and accessories there. Their web site says that they now ship to the U.S. and generally internationally, which formerly had not been the case, however it is necessary to phone them to find out the shipping costs involved.

• 6-inch faceplates (already threaded for 7/8-14)
  
  
• 8-inch faceplate (unthreaded) and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter (for inboard turning) or required 3/4-16 left hand spindle adapter (for outboard turning)
  
  
• 6-inch, 4-jaw independent chuck (for holding square and irregularly shaped objects) and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter or required 3/4-16 left hand spindle adapter (for outboard turning)
  
  
• 6-inch, 3-jaw independent chuck (for holding square and irregularly shaped objects) and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter or required 3/4-16 left hand spindle adapter (for outboard turning)
  
  
• 7/8-14 insert for Nova scroll chucks
  
  
• Cole jaw set for Nova chucks
  
  
• No-name brand scroll chuck and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter.
  
  
• Accessory pin jaw set for no-name scroll chuck, above.
  
  
• MT#1 live tailstock center

Owner's Manual

The OWWM site has scans of the 22 page owner's manual, parts schematic, and safety sheet that accompanied these lathes.