Powermatic tail stock

[Rob Grindler]

The tail stock on my Powermatic has seized up ,and I can not turn it.Has anyone had this problem and has anyone taken it apart by pounding the shaft out?

[Roger Chandler]

A call to Powermatic Tech support will yield a proceedure and a walk through with the tech person guiding you on the phone.......that way you will be assured that your take down and fix will be correct! Good folks there at Powermatic!

[John K Jordan]

I've seen several threads about this, perhaps try a search? (tailstock quill, freeze up, stuck, etc) It may have been on another forum.

Does the quill move at all? Does the wheel rotate?

The PM3520b I just bought used had a tight but not yet seized quill I removed the set screw on the side (which can jam the quill if too tight) and took it apart, cleaned and lubed, reassembled and adjusted and it works smoothly now. I would be afraid to take a hammer to it

PS, I do see one thread on another forum from a few months ago that discusses this. I don't know if the princes of this forum look down on publicly mentioning another forum but if you can't find what you need send a private message to me and I'll give you the link. I remember some other past threads, one about a bent threaded shaft but I don't see that at the moment. I wonder if the shaft got bent by pounding with a hammer.

JKJ

[Rob Grindler]

Thanks for the help,I did find some other discussions about this and I'll have to call Tech support tomorrow, and see what they say.I did take the whole assay shaft out and it is seized right up ,nothing screws.

[robert baccus]

Very probably the set screw and square key on the backside lockscrew. The head often distorts.

[Josh Bowman]

Not saying this is your problem, but a friend of mine calls me about once a year with a stuck tail stock quill on his PM 3530b He has a Nova live center that he tries to eject by cranking the quill back......needless to say, he backs the quills milled slot into the set screw, since the center is too short and won't self eject. To fix the problem I remind him that he simply has to remove the set screw, hold the quill and crank forward. Then run the set scew back into the slot until turning the quill slows a bit, then back the set screw out a bit, until the quill turns freely. He's now marked his quill shaft and says he won't crank it in beyond that mark. We'll see later in the year if that works.

[John K Jordan]

.. the center is too short and won't self eject.

I would be inclined to fix that. If welding a short extension on the end is not an easy option for him, I think gluing on a piece of hardwood on the end could provide the length needed to eject.

If the live center has a thru hole that didn't get used, a fella handy with a lathe could turn a little extension with a tenon that fit the hole for alignment and strength, nice and neat.

JKJ

[Josh Bowman]

If the live center has a thru hole that didn't get used, a fella handy with a lathe could turn a little extension with a tenon that fit the hole for alignment and strength, nice and neat.

JKJ

You know, John, you got me thinking. You could thread the hole in the end of the (I called this a Nova above, but it's a pen turning center) live center and machine or even put a small bolt in the hole to extend it. Then if when you needed the hole to pop out the points, simple turn the bolt out. I went to the shop and tapped the hole with a 3/8" 16 and turned a bolts head round so it would fit in the tail stock. This works like a champ, just adjust the bolt to near the original live centers MT-2 length.
Sorry to the OP if this was not your problem........but it solved mine and a friends!live center mod.jpg

[Hilel Salomon]

I had somewhat of the same problem, although mine moved with difficulty. Took it to Mann Tool and they found several burrs on the quill, fixed it and it moves smoothly. Previously, I lubed it and, for a very brief while, that helped. I would, however, check the quill out.

[Rob Grindler]

So I called tech support this morning and the guy said to crank on it to free it up.He said if I have to ,to take the handle off and use vise grips.I put vise grips on it and had to also put an extension on the vise grips for leverage.It took some grunt ,but it did come free.From now on I won't retract it past the zero mark.