Bart
Sounds like you have one of those Canadian Tire single tube jobs. I have
had one for seven or eight years and still use it for a lot of the
spindle work. likely you have mushroomed the brass pin at the end of the
bolt that tightens the banjo base. Not the five string, the lathe.
Remove the end support of the tube and withdraw the banjo from the tube.
Remove the locking screw. drift the mushroomed pin out of the the hole.
Replace the brass pin with a 1/4" long piece of brass rod. Reassemble
and keep on turning and picking, but not at the same time.
--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
http://www.aroundthewoods.com