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Harvey t60-s banjo

Joined
Jan 23, 2020
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Shingletown CA
I have had two banjos sent to me from Harvey lathes. I am on the third one and it has yet cracked again under the front handle that tightens the banjo down to the bed. It cracks on the cast iron just below the bushing for the handle. You would think maybe they could ad a bit of cast iron above and below this bushing so it doesn't crack there. It caused the banjo to go wonky when tightened down, especially when the front of the banjo is over the bed. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm thinking of getting a oneway banjo to replace it, but the prices now are approaching the cost of a mars rover. JB weld only goes so far.
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
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My Grizzly G0800 [Harvey T-60 Clone] has not had any issues whatsoever. I know that cast iron can be welded, using flux core wire, and pre heating the cast part. If you could find a competent welder, that likely can be repaired. A Oneway banjo is a great apparatus….I have one for my G0766.
 
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I like the wedges on the Robust lathe for tightening up rather than the set screw that is more common. I know PM went to a wedge system with the C model. They would be worth looking at.

robo hippy
 

hockenbery

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I like the wedges on the Robust lathe for tightening up rather than the set screw that is more common. I know PM went to a wedge system with the C model. They would be worth looking at.

robo hippy
Powermatic actually went back to the wedge they had on the first 3520. Not sure why they went to the screw.

The wedges are really good but the ONEWAY lock is a lot better. ONEWAY owners Never have to worry about the wedges moving to block the hole while a tool post is out.
 
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Al, I had one of the very early 3520A models. It had no wedges. I needed 2 lock/set screws to keep the tool rest from vibrating down. Pretty sure the B model was the same. The C changed to the sliding wedges. Have had almost no time on a Oneway. I did like their lever on the tailstock.

robo hippy
 

hockenbery

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Al, I had one of the very early 3520A models. It had no wedges. I needed 2 lock/set screws to keep the tool rest from vibrating down. Pretty sure the B model was the same. The C changed to the sliding wedges. Have had almost no time on a Oneway. I did like their lever on the tailstock.

robo hippy

Rudy Lopez bought a used 3520 It may have preceded the 3520A it had the wedges.
Rudy brought this machine to my shop for a class we were running.

I learned a trick from Lyle Jamieson when he used my Woodfast same screw lock for the tool post.
Tap lock lever with a tool handle. Works for the powermatics.
Whenever I demo on a machine with a screw lock I automatically icaly tap the lock lever for a solid hold.
 
Joined
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My A had a set screw thing that had a brass insert inside the screw where it seated against the tool rest post. Don't think that helped. The softer metal of the handles on them is a design fail as the softer metal is eaten by the hard set screw metal. My A did have a small fan under the phase converter, and I had to put a screen over the top of the baffle to keep shavings from getting down in there and turning off the fan. I am trying to remember when I first had it, but a banjo, maybe from Robust, had a kerf in the upper part of the banjo and the idea was that it would pinch around the tool rest post for a better grip. I think Laguna does this now, but not positive. I didn't think it worked any better than the standard handles.

robo hippy
 
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