Delta tools are cheap pieces of c--p!

Sunday afternoon I mounted up a large block of maple onto my Delta lathe... hoping to turn it into a rough bowl before supper. I flipped the switch, started roughing the thing out and then went to switch the machine off so I could adjust the tool rest. It would not turn off. I lifted up the safety cover on the switch and tried to move the inner switch manually, but it came off in my hands. I had to unplug the machine to get it to stop. So much for getting the bowl done. Last night I removed the switch. Turns out that one of the throws on the SPDT switch has disintegrated. The box containing the switches is huge. This makes it look heavy duty, but the actual switch is tiny. How Delta expected this to last when switching a 3/4 horse motor is beyond me. Anyway, I wired the plug directly to the motor, and plugged it into the switched outlet beside the lathe that I had installed for the light. By using the wall switch I now have a working lathe again and managed to finish (roughing) the bowl. I'll have to rig up something better because I am sure to burn out the wall switch before long in this configuration. The lathe is still under waranty, so I shall see how long it takes to get a replacement part. Seems every Delta tool I have bought recently has either quality or design flaws...

Newfoundland.

Western Brook Pond: I have finally updated my website with our Gros Morne hike report. Go to: http://www.drunkcity.com/~mbowler/hiking/gros_morne_2004/gros_morne_2004.html for the whole spiel.