WEN Lathe tailstock quill hard to move

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corpaul

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2024
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3
Location
Edmonton
Hi,

I bought a used WEN lathe recently and have enjoyed it so far for pen turning. I have one annoying problem with it though, the tailstock quill is often very difficult to move (in either direction). I lock the spindle lock, and then back it off 1/4-1/2 turn as instructed, but then I can hear a slight grinding sound when I rotate the handwheel/knob, and I can see the set screws that are supposed to hold the wheel in place (I assume) are engaged as well which I assume produces the grinding sound (as one of them tightens, depending on which direction I turn the knob).

It feels like this should be easy to fix but I'm not sure what to do. Has anyone experienced the same and how can I fix this?
 
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corpaul said:
Hi,

I bought a used WEN lathe recently and have enjoyed it so far for pen turning. I have one annoying problem with it though, the tailstock quill is often very difficult to move (in either direction). I lock the spindle lock, and then back it off 1/4-1/2 turn as instructed, but then I can hear a slight grinding sound when I rotate the handwheel/knob, and I can see the set screws that are supposed to hold the wheel in place (I assume) are engaged as well which I assume produces the grinding sound (as one of them tightens, depending on which direction I turn the knob).

It feels like this should be easy to fix but I'm not sure what to do. Has anyone experienced the same and how can I fix this?
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This is part of routine maintenance on a wood lathe. Over time the groove the set screw rides in turn up a burr. You need to disassemble the tailstock. Sand that burr off and re lubricant it all. All wood lathes are similar on the disassembly. I would see if you can find a video on your particular lathe. It'll make a world of difference.
 
Thank you, I thought the problem was with the set screw so I replaced those but hadn't considered the problem would be with the groove itself. Will have a look tonight and report back.
 
It likely also needs some general cleanup. Debris and lubricant can get together and make a sticky mess between the quill parts. It's better not to oil it when you put it back together. A little paste wax or similar will work best to not attract more dirt/dust.
 
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