Bill Rubenstein wrote:
Actually, I had another use for a third hand when turning on a PM 3520.
Getting the tailstock back on the machine took one hand to hold it up,
another one underneath it to hold the locking plate in the right
alignment and a third one to hold the cam lock bar up so you could slide
the tailstock on the ways.


Hi Bill,

There are several solutions to that problem. You can add some rubber
washers to the bar that passes through the tailstock body to create a bit
of friction that will hold the handle straight when you want it to stay
put. You can turn a longish sort of knob to replace the round one, thread
it onto the bar, and then unscrew it slightly to bear against the top of
the tailstock to hold it there. My solution is simply to pick up the
tailstock by the cam lever rather than the body of the tailstock or the
handwheel - couldn't be easier.

happy turning,

-mike paulson, fort collins, co