The leadscrew gearbox was getting a bit low on oil and as the oil was still the original I decided an oil change was in order. Nothing too complicated but it led on to another small mod to the lathe which I wrote up for anyone who needs new oil.
WM250 Oil Change
Cam & Lever Tailstock – WM250
This is a modification I should have made years ago. At long last I have relegated the spanner to the drawer with it’s companions.
I have detailed how to modify the lathe tailstock to get rid of the old nut and bolt and replace it with a lever and cam – much better. This mod involves milling a pocket and drilling holes in the tailstock, so probably not something to do if the lathe is still under warranty. Of course lucky owners of the latest model WM250 already have this as standard. I have included some drawings which of are based on my lathe but could be easily adapted to other similar Chinese lathes, probably even the multitude of mini-lathes out there.
Small Projects For The Lathe
I have added a new page with some simple projects for use on the lathe. Nothing revolutionary but may be of use to you. The most useful is probably the saddle stop which is an aid for turning up to a shoulder or setting repeatable lengths.
Go to Lathe Projects