You have purchased a fine quality power tool
which will do a wide variety of tasks difficult
to do with any other kind of power tool.
Foredom
®
Power Tools are manufactured to
high standards of precision and performance
and, with proper operation and maintenance,
will give you many years of trouble-free use.
Safety
Instructions
Before using your Foredom Bench Lathe, please
read all safety instructions. They are for your
protection and should always be followed to
reduce the risk of personal injury or damage to
the tool.
Always wear proper eye and face protection.
Safety glasses or face shields should be worn
whenever you operate a Foredom or any power
tool to prevent serious eye or face injuries. Do
not wear loose clothing or jewelry and be sure to
tie back long hair.
Always use a proper dust collection system to
minimize the accumulation of possibly flam-
mable or explosive dust. Wear a respirator to
pre vent the inhalation of dust particles or
other debris.
Keep work area clean and well lighted.
Clutter invites accidents. Good lighting helps
prevent them.
Reduce the risk of unintentional starting. Make
sure the Speed Control knob is in the OFF posi-
tion before plugging in the power cord. Always
disconnect the power cord before
servicing the lathe.
Never leave the lathe running unattended. Turn
the power off and don’t leave until it comes to a
complete stop.
Never operate an accessory at speeds above
its maximum speed rating. Only accessories
rated for 7,000 RPM or higher should be used
with the Bench Lathe. When properly used, all of
Foredom’s accessories can be operated at the
speeds listed in Foredom catalogs or on
the packaging.
Always determine the manufacturer’s speed
rating before using accessories other
than Foredom’s.
Never use or continue to use any accessory
which appears to be damaged, loose, vibrating,
or out of balance. Inspect each accessory for
cracks or flaws before using it.
Always insert the shank or arbor of an accesso-
ry or mandrel into the collet (or collet holder,
chuck or chuck arbor) as far as possible in order
to provide proper support. Tighten the collet or
chuck securely.
Always make sure that accessory tightening
tools such as the pin and wrench are removed
before the lathe is turned on.
Never use excessive side pressures which may
tend to bend or break the shank or arbor or an
accessory. Let the speed of the accessory do
the work.
Do not overload the lathe by jamming or using
excessive pressure on the polishing wheel, buff,
wheel, or accessory.
Do not apply long time continuous loading. This
can result in damage to the lathe.
Never operate your power tool during a percepti-
ble power decrease. Turn the power tool off and
do not use until power is fully restored.
Use proper grounding procedures. This tool is
grounded to protect the operator from electric
shock by providing a low resistance path to
ground if there is an insulation failure. The tool is
equipped with an approved 3-conductor cord and
a 3-prong grounding type plug to fit a matching
receptacle which is properly installed and
grounded in accordance with local codes and
ordinances. If the plug on the provided power
cord does not match the AC power outlet, do not
substitute another type power cord. Have the
outlet changed by a qualified electrician. Use only
3-wire extension cords that have 3-prong
grounding type plugs and 3-pole type plugs and
3-pole receptacles that accept the tool’s plug. For
long extension cords use heavier gage sizes. Too
small a size can cause too high a voltage drop,
which can affect performance and cause over-
heating. For North American cords, use 18 AWG
up to 100 ft, 16 AWG if longer (lower gage
number, heavier cord). For European cords, use
1.00mm sq. up to 30 meters, 1.5mm sq.
if longer. If the power cord or extension cord
is worn or damaged, immediately have it
repaired by a qualified electrician, or replaced.
Remove the power cord from the AC receptacle in
the rear of the base to expose the fuse holder
drawer. Use the blade of a small screwdriver in the
slot of the fuse holder and gently pry outward. The
active fuse is in the back of the drawer and a spare
fuse is in the front compartment. If the glass case of
the active fuse is darkened, the fuse is blown. From
the underside of the drawer, push out the blown
fuse using a small screwdriver.
Be sure that the lathe is not being overloaded, the
line voltage is not low, and the motor shaft turns
freely, and then replace the blown fuse with the
spare fuse. It is a good idea to always keep a spare
fuse in the front compartment to avoid lost time if
there is a future blown fuse. To avoid overloading
the motor and speed control, and possible fire dam-
age, always use the same type and ampere rating as
the original: 3 amp, 5 x 20mm, medium time
delay, Bussmann GMC-3A or equivalent fuse.
If, after replacement, the fuse blows when the speed
control knob is turned to the “Start” position, the
control or motor has a fault. The unit should be ana-
lyzed by a qualified technician, or returned to the
factory for service. See Repair Services.
Do not use a higher ampere fuse.
AC receptacle
with power cord
removed
Pry open
fuse drawer
Active
Fuse
Installation
Mount the BL lathe in a clean, dry location,
which is free of flammable vapors.
Mounting Base: The Bench Lathe comes with suc-
tion cup feet that help to secure the lathe to a
smooth work surface. To further prevent movement
while pressure is being applied to a buff or wheel,
the base should be bolted or screwed down to a
solid work bench or table. Use the four mounting
holes in the base for this purpose.
Assembly
BL Bench Lathes have 5/16” (8mm) straight
motor shafts and come with A-TM5 (left hand)
and A-TM6 (right hand) tapered spindles. These
precision made spindles are suitable for speeds
of 500 to 7,000 RPM. Similar spindles, supplied
for slower speed polishing motors, often do not
run as true which can cause vibration and be a
potential hazard. Using spindles and other
precision accessories supplied for slower
speed motors is not recommended with this
bench lathe.
Using Attachments: The supplied A-TM6 tapered
spindle, and optional A-CHA-5 collet holder,
Figure 1
If your unit is for use on less than 150 volts, it
has a plug that looks like sketch A in Figure 1.
An adapter (sketches B and C) can be tempo-
rarily used for connecting plugs as shown in
sketch A to 2-prong receptacles until a
qualified electrician installs an approved
3-prong receptacle. The green colored rigid
ear, lug, etc., extending from the adapter must
be connected to a permanent ground such as a
properly grounded outlet box. Some jurisdic-
tions, including Canada, prohibit the use of
3 to 2 prong adapters. Where prohibited,
they should not be used.
Use proper fusing procedures.
Spare
Fuse
