Drive and Tailstock Alignment

[arniez]

Hi,

Just bought a second hand lathe and after a good clean up and setting up I noticed the drive and tail stock do not line up. The tail stock is about 4mm below the drive centre. The motor has been adjusted to its limit. How important is it to have the two centres lined up.

Regards Arnie!

[Ozkaban]

Quite a lot if you're doing spindle work, or even bowl work where you use the tailstock for support.

It makes the turnings oval. If you try a pen, you'll really notice it.

Can you post a pic of the lathe? What sort is it?

Cheers,
Dave

[TTIT]

:o 4mm is a long way out :o You sure everything is assembled correctly???? :?

[Texian]

That does sound like something missing or something added where it shouldn't be.

[artme]

Hi,

Just bought a second hand lathe and after a good clean up and setting up I noticed the drive and tail stock do not line up. The tail stock is about 4mm below the drive centre. The motor has been adjusted to its limit. How important is it to have the two centres lined up.

Regards Arnie!


Adjusting the motor makes no difference to the alignment as the head stock is, or should be fixed.
Check to see if the headstock has been shimmed or packed by the previous owner to take up slack in the belt. The belt may be the wrong one if this is the case.

[rsser]

If you're checking the alignment using a drive spur pin and the live centre, make sure they're straight or you'll get a false reading. I got caught out once this way.

[brendan stemp]

I have an interesting story about this sort of alignment, or lack thereof. I once upon a time moved my VL300 and decided, in order to make the job easier, removed the lathe bed from the stand. After undoing some bolts and separating the bed from the stand I paid little attention to the 3 pieces of shim that dropped to the floor. When I set the lathe up again the centres were not lining up when, before the move, they did. It was then I realised the importance of those shims. What Vicmarc had done is put these three shims in between the lathe bed and stand in one corner and as the bolts were tightened the bed was twisted slightly which brought the centres into alignment.

So, Arniez, a long winded way of suggesting, perhaps this could be something you check.

[NeilS]

What Vicmarc had done is put these three shims in between the lathe bed and stand in one corner and as the bolts were tightened the bed was twisted slightly which brought the centres into alignment.

So, Arniez, a long winded way of suggesting, perhaps this could be something you check.

Yes, my last lathe came with a spare set of shims for just that purpose which I needed to use because of my slightly uneven floor.

Or, maybe, the guy that bought the other lathe has found that their tailstock is 4mm too high.... :U

.....