Mike
Actually I like the lathe, but why on earth would they not supply a working
maintenance manual or at least a decent section in the so-called manual they
provide? I am going to install a different belt on the drive one of these
days. Their proprietary belt is 4 times the cost of a comparable one here.
It is slightly shorter but there should be enough play to make it fit. I
think I will have to move the idler for the belt at the headstock but that
should be no sweat. The replacement for the pulley belt, the same technique
I used for lubricating the pulleys, is no worse than it is going to be to
replace the drive belt for my Record bowl lathe when it goes. These things
are obviously engineered with the intention that they will never need
repair. Thanks for the offer of putting the page back up but I have
succeeded in the rebuild already and I will likely put it up and leave it. I
still have lots of web space although I am in the middle of a large project.


--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

"Mike R. Courteau" wrote in message
ups.com...

Darrell Feltmate wrote:
There was a thread here lately on the Sears 15" Reeves drive lathe. I
lost
the thread, but I had the lathe jam on me tonight as in it would not
change
speeds. So I tore it down and took off the pulleys and lubricated the
thing
and then reassembled it. Considering the absurdity of the parts blow up
and
the manual this is not rocket science but it is creative dissassembly and
reverse. I got some pictures and will post a page. I think it will be a
help
to any one who uses a Reeves drive.


--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

Welcome to the Craftsman nightmare Darrell! I wrote a webpage a while
ago on stripping and even modifying the lathe to get around the high
cost of belts. It also included a discussion on the Reeves drive and
it's associated costs in Tylenol, ASA and Extra Strength Advil!

I had to take the page off my site for space considerations but if
it'll help, I can set it up again temporarily on an alternate site. Let
me know.

Mike

www.toymakersite.com
Ottawa, Canada