I went to use the Craftsman lathe today and as soon as I flipped the power switch there was a horrible squealing. I eventually figured out that the key on the motor pulley and the set screw that retain it were both missing. I found the key on the ground and reinstalled it, but I wasn’t able to find the screw. It works for now, but we should really get another set screw before it falls out again. I would’ve run to the hardware store and grabbed one already, but they’re closed today.
Also, unrelatedly, the chuck key is worn out and doesn’t really fit the chuck anymore. I had to improvise with the shank of a tool bit and a crescent wrench to get it tightened. Should probably find/make a new one, or mill new flats on the current one.
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Actually, correction, the chuck key seems like it might still fit the three jaw chuck okay. The screws in the four jaw chuck are slightly looser and it doesn’t quite fit those.
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Update: the belt kept slipping off the pulley because it was sliding on the motor shaft. I looked around one more time and realized that the set screws on the tool holders were the same thread as the pulley, so I borrowed one of those. The pulley is “fixed” now, but we probably still want to get a new screw so we can return that one back to the tool holder it came from.
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Or put the replacement set screw in the tool holder.
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Thanks for taking care of the lathe. I’ll see if I can figure out what kind of thread is on those set screws and see about getting a master index with those and other set screws to help with other pieces of equipment.
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If there’s enough depth, it’s a good idea to put a second set screw on that key to keep the first one from backing off.
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