Thread: lathe alignment

Looks like someone hasn't put the gap back in properly. Was the carraige riding on that during your test?

basically yes for most of the cut. small end at the chuck.

Well the first thing I would do is pull the gap out and find out why its not sitting right.
I'd check the nuts on the taper pins aren't to tight and stopping the pins from bottoming in the holes.

this is my first lathe so i have no idea what your talking about.

Typing that much info is beyound my thumbs lol. This should get you pointed in the right direction.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/removing-gap-lathe-bed-155005

thanks for you help, ill have a read.

After you remove the gap piece clean the area of grime and burs before replacing.
Whilst the gap is out do another test cut to see if you have the same result.
There should be plenty of bed for your saddle to run on without going into the gap,even if it ran over the gap a little it should not cause any great concern.

Will do. Thanks for that.

got the gap out no problem, was filthy underneath it. Did another test cut, same results. I will add i am measuring with a cheap pair of digital verniers, im going to order some micrometers very soon and im also hand feeding.
I got myself a machinest level over the weekend and calibrated it today and tryed it out on the lathe, mounted it across the saddle and went to each end of the bed and i have movement, so the bed has a slight twist in it, i know with lager industrial sized lathes they can be untwisted, but what about these smaller ones?

What you show on the vial seems to be very small in error.
Is the lathe sitting level.
When you checked across the bed was the level resting on the top of the bees or was it proud of them, the latter is the preferred method.

yeah its only a very small error, certainly wouldn't think it would be even noticeable and somewhat irrelevant. i had the level on the saddle and feed it to each end when i took the readings.

the lathe isnt level as yet, this arvo i got the stand bolted down and close to level, tomorrow ill start leveling up the lathe and shiming to do be true.

You cant use a level like that(well you can but it wont tell you anything)
You need to pack it up until both ends on the bubble are on the graduations.

Stuart

p.s. Does the level say what its graduated in?

Your right mate. Had a quick look, shimed the level to be true and found the lathe is quiet a bit out. Ill have a decent look tomorow work out what needs what. Ill check what the grsduations are tomorow.
Next question, can they be untwisted being so small?

Originally Posted by brendanh

Next question, can they be untwisted being so small?

Very likely. Besides, you shouldn't need to be "untwisting" it as such, you're just trying to return it to the same position it was ground in...... well in a perfect world

Stuart