# Lathe Might Need New Bearings!!!



## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

So I have a 1 yr old Rikon 70-220 VSR lathe. I bought this lathe new. It bogs down under pressure from me…Not so much under higher
Speeds….but still bogs down. And from when it was brand new it has made noizes like tiny marbles
Are inside the motor or from headstock spindle.

I am not the greatest sharpener on the block…..but i am better than a year ago
I take that back as I may be the best sharpener of lathe tools on my block…...

So this could be operator error…...but the operator is not causing the marbles sounds.
Which makes me think. Bearings.

Any and all opinions and thoughts, advice, ramblings, suggestions, etc…... will be greatly appreciated.

Thnx

Mike in Bonney lake, Wa


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## mike02130 (Jul 23, 2016)

With the lathe running and sounds like marbles, put a bit of sideways pressure on the spindle. If the noise stops then it's most likely the bearings. I don't know if bad bearings would bog it down.


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

Take the belt off and spin the head stock and motor separately by hand. You should be able to hear and feel if the bearings are bad. Should be fairly quiet and smooth when spinning by hand, if not bearings are going bad.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

That seems very premature, does it have any factory warranty remaining? From my experience lathe head stock bearings can be quite expensive, not sure about Rikon specifically but lathes in general.


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## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

I forgot to say the bogging down is happening while turning wood….
And I am on my way out now to try the "sideways pressure test" 
Back in 5..

Thanks all

Keep those cards and notes rolling in….

Mike


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## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

Maybe good luck here…....

Trying the "Sideways Pressure" test was a tuff one as I found the marbles to still
Be present…..
But when I took the belt off " Voila!"....no marbles!!!!!!!! YAY….....

I will be turning again tomorrow….and wii check the "bogging down" maybe it is a too tight
Belt causing my prob.

As for the price of bearings…....I have seen them for only about $7.00 -$10.00. A piece Which is not bad…..
Do not remember where I saw that…tho

Thanks all again. The LJ way solves another one hopefully….

Later

Mike


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

It'll have radial bearings, probably 6000 series. I've changed bearings in a few lathes, it's no big deal. Don't use the cheap roller skate bearings, buy something quality like NTN.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

You can use a solid wood spindle as a stethoscope. Don't touch any moving parts. Put one end against the housing and the other up to your ear. It works.

You may be tightening the tailstock too much.


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## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

Thank you all for you great suggestions….

Mlyle


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

Be sure to buy name brand bearings. I recently purchased some bearings for a jointer from a site call VBX.com and got their brand bearing and they were junk. I ended up getting MRC bearings, night and day difference in quality.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Here is a list of bearing manufacturers that I buy for my machines. My hobby is woodworking, not replacing bearings, so I spend a little more and do it a lot less often. I make sure the bearing comes from the US, Germany, or Japan; no China bearings for me. If you really need to stretch a dollar, I've had good luck buying bearings from ebay. Just look for a reputable seller with good feedback.

• Timken/Fafnir
• NSK
• NTN
• ***************
• SKF
• Nachi
• Koyo (JTEKT)


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

MRC is a SKF company. The MRC bearings I got were marked made in France.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Yeah I didn't mean to imply anything negative about MRC and I'll add it to my list, but when they show up in my searches, they are always many times the cost of other brands, for no apparent reason and I can't always verify COO. So if the choice is between a $15 NTN from Japan and a $35 MRC unmarked, the NSK is an easy choice. I have bought other brands, bearings for the Comet II were INA, made in Taiwan. Once I reluctantly bought an NSK China bearing because it was OEM and unusual (6002DW). DW is a thin walled rubber sealed bearing that falls between ZZ and RS, it has less friction but good dust protection, not common. But I always go for the top brands first, those I previously listed.


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## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

I turned a maple platter for about 2 hrs yesterday. I was hoping the marbles sounds had gone away. Buti was not that
Lucky…..as the marbling continues..
The bogging down of the headstock spindle did quit with lessoning the pressure on the belt lock.

That said..

I now do believe I need new bearings…as the noise co m ing from the headstock can be only bearings.

So that brings up a new question for me….how does one order bearings?
I have a # number for the bearings. 6204-R5….listed on the bearing itself. .and I have the mfgs # from the
Parts list…..I emailed Rikon. They have not responded yet….I will call them tomorrow.

Tho these bearings did not last long and I am not sure I want to replace them with the same bearings that
Rikon put in my lathe…

I do not want to remove the onboard bearings just yet as I am not ready for the down time of
My lathe till I answer these questions.

Be very easy if I could just remove the pair of bearings an go down to the local lathe bearing store.
But I cant find that store in my town…ha

I think they have a id of 1/2"

All will be revealed soon I am sure…..

And soon I will upgrade to Powermatic. And the rikon will be a pen or buffing station

Again any any info and advice will help and I will be forever greatful.

Mike


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

Just do a search for 6204-R5 bearing. A quick search showed prices of $2-$8. Check with local auto parts stores or farm machinery repair. They aren't lathe bearings, there are caged ball bearings used in all kinds of equipment. You do want to replace them with double sealed bearings, i.e. rubber seal on each side.

Unless you did something very wrong and unusual to overload the bearings, they should not be going out. A "bad" one could have been installed by the factory (it happens, all mfg has a failure rate) or there could be a bigger issue with the lathe. If things come apart and go back together without issue, the new bearing will probably live a long and happy life.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Rikon lathes have a history of bearings going early.

Are you sure it's not 6204-RS. What brand is the bearing?


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Just an FYI passed on to me by the fine folks at Accurate Bearing... most all top-tier bearing manufacturers are now so precise due to automation, there is not a lot of difference between them. I was going to order some SKF bearings for a machine I was rebuilding, and was recommended going with Nachi's for less cash. Same quality, less money. For some manufacturers, like SKF, you are paying a premium just for the name. YMMV.

Cheers,
Brad

PS: Never, ever order bearings from the manufacturer or an aftermarket supplier for a specific machine… unless you want to pay double, triple, or even more for them than you would at a reputable bearing supplier. The manufacturer of the machine didn't make those bearings, and they usually just source the cheapest bearings they can find, mark them up significantly, and pass them on to the unsuspecting customer.


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## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

Rick…..I went back and looked at my lathe again…..I can see the bearing on the left end of my lathe … the

number is 6204-RS…...thank you ….the S looked like a 5…. but is def an S.
So thanks forvthat

As to purchasing bearings..I was concerned as to whether the bearings were mm or in…..

But on the "big bearing store" website I see the bearings are metric….

The two bearings I need are different according to Rikon Part Sheet.

6204-2RS. And. 6005-2RS

The plot thickens

You are all helping me do my due diligence.

I love this website…....thanks Lumberjocks

Thanks all

Mike


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

In another thread, Wildwood said it takes 6204 and 6005, not sure where he got the info but it seems to check out. 
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/71121

6204 (204) and 6005 are very common. There are scads of them for $8-12 on ebay. Or you can call Accurate or any other bearing reseller and they'll send you what you need, although you might a pay a little more.

My Comet II used 6005-2Z and these are the bearings I bought for it, INA, made in Taiwan. I paid $3.99 each + $3.50 shipping. INA is owned by the same company that owns ***************, and they are a good quality bearing to the best of my knowledge.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

I really don't think any of the bearings mentioned on this thread are designed for the lateral forces encountered with a lathe. Robust uses in their live centers a bearing that has different races to help with the forces applied while turning. The link shows a picture of what I'm trying to convey. Look for the cutaway picture with the blue arrows. I know that it's for a live center, but the headstock bearings should be about the same.

http://www.turnrobust.com/product/live-center/#

......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

That is called a radial thrust caged ball design. Didnt check the design of the 6204 or 6005, but they are likely just radial caged ball design. The primary thrust load on the spindle brgs is from the tailstock. Might be worth researching the brg design used in some higher end lathes to see if thrust brgs are used. I would think in the OP's case it should be a warranty item.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Bigger or better lathes often have tapered roller bearings. Small and mid size lathes, drill presses, routers, sanders, saws, most everything else, use radial ball bearings which are fine. I got a crash course when I started restoring lathes.

My WAG, is that if Rikon lathes are eating bearings, it could be because they are going cheap or maybe the RS bearings are too high friction for lathes and metal shielded would be better. All my lathes (that used ball bearings) had metal shielded, ZZ, bearings. I only mention it because if it were my lathe I would replace the RS bearings with high quality ZZ.


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## JollyGreen67 (Nov 1, 2010)

Robust is the only mfg that will warranty lathe bearings.


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## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

I have not even talked to Rikon about if the warranty covers …my problem…...due to the
Hassel of sending a lathe back…..ugh jus t packaging it up would be
Ridiculously troublesome..
This lathe …I have to partially remove the spindle…to change the belt..so removing the bgs along with
The belt ..Well all that is easier than sendinga lathe back to a mfgr…..IMHO..

And I may have caused the prob…by having the belt too tight…...as I did have it pretty tight.

The bogging down or belt slipping continues…

So I believe I need to replace bearings and replace the belt…...and do the work myself to learn the
Procedure anyway.

Thanks for all your ideas and help and thanks for listening to my ramblings.

I am a pretty new woodturner so this is def a learning exp for moi…..

Who knows I may need help putting it back together…..lol

Stay tuned…..

Mike


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## tonylumps (Feb 11, 2016)

I just upgraded from a 70-100 to the 70-220VSR.I bought a set of bearings for the 100 because I heard about a bearing problem with that lathe.Well still have the bearings in the package.But guess what i am ordering a set for the new lathe also.Cheap insurance.Correct me if i am wrong.The owners manual states that to change the belt you have to pull the shaft on the 220.I think i would change the bearings if I wore out a belt just to save the grief of doing it again.


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## gator9t9 (Apr 4, 2008)

My new lathe bearings just shipped…...

I agree " change bearings. Change belt" .or "change belt change bearings."

Hopefully the next thing I change will be Powermatic Lathe…replaces the. Rikon..

I am going for the gold….soon

Mike


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## tonylumps (Feb 11, 2016)

Just got my insurance bearings for the 70-220. Mike i was wandering if you installed your bearings.Did it solve the problem


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