Woodfast C1000 Off Center from Bed

[kv1]

Hi Guys this has been bugging me for a little bit, I have a Woodfast C1000 Lathe, its great and I love it, but the spindle is off center from the bed, Being new to turning I didn't even notice when i purchased it second hand. I cant think to what advantage there is by designing in this way. It was not an issue until recently where I purchased a sphere turning tool, and quickly realised that I had a problem. In the end I made a jig to have the tool off center to match, but still.

Anyway I was not able to find anything on the net on this, not really an issue just curious, anyone know why?

Cheers.

[artful bodger]

Sounds like a manufacturing fault.
Probaly ok if the spindle centre and the bed are parallel and the spindle centre and the tailstock centre align.

[kv1]

Thanks,

I don't think its a fault, i believe it to be the design choice. Yeah its perfectly fine its parallel and everything aligns. I was just curious.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I don't think its a fault, i believe it to be the design choice. Yeah its perfectly fine its parallel and everything aligns. I was just curious.

Sorry, but no. My Woodfast C1000 kisses very nicely, thank you.

What makes you suspect that it's a design choice rather than a QC failure?

[poundy]

i think their comment says that theirs also kisses nicely, it's just that it somehow appears "offset" to the centre axis of the bed. That's just my reading of these posts tho.... it's clearly a situation where some photos and relevant explanations would add 10,000% to the story :)

[hughie]

Seeing it second hand you may have to live with it. The only Woodfast I have had it wasnt feasible to move the headstock but it was 20+ years old. Maybe on your there is some movement available for correction, just checking some images of the C1000 it looks like its bolted down so that maybe thats your answer. Slacken off the bolts and see what gives. If it has dowels you may have to redo them.

But I guess it depends what your going to turn, remembering wood lathes are not precision machine tools. If the amount is minimal you will still be able to turn between centres on spindles I would think, doing bowls and using the tailstock to support the rough out on a blank might have some challenges.

But I had a MC1100 for a few years and it had a number of faults. the headstock could move and swivel but it would not stay tight, the tail stock had some play as well. So it was never lined up well if at all. Although I did in the end fix the head stock down in one spot.

The bottom line was it never really prevented me for doing what I do so I just worked around it. But if your gonna do pens that might be a challenge.

[kv1]

Thanks all.

Sorry im not explaining myself clearly enough. The lathe is perfectly fine, it works well and I love it. My query was just out of curiosity, certainly not complaining. I will upload an image of the lathe tonight after work.

The reason I suggest a design choice rather then a fault is because I just cant imagine a fault of this type. - Its too perfect if that makes any sense hah.

Anyways ill upload an image later, I initially didnt bother as I incorrectly assumed this was a common trait for lathes, showing how little I know haha.

Cheers All.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I stand corrected. My bad for only skimming the initial post... :B

He's quite right. The headstock and tailstock angle back, so the actual "drive line" is almost over the back way.

I'm guessing that this is to provide more support under the banjo; in effect you don't need as much banjo overhang when turning pieces. For spindle turning, the tool-rest is often centred over or behind the front way. Robust.

[Fumbler]

Skew, I guess you wont be in the shed this weekend without the heater on? I hear its snowing down your way.....

[NeilS]

My Woodfast C1000 kisses very nicely....



....as does mine.

First thing to check is whether the lathe has twisted when relocated to your workshop. Cast iron lathes like the C1000 can twist if on an uneven floor. Place winding sticks either end of the bed to check for bed alignment. If there is twist, raise the leg that is down to bring the bed back into alignment.

Question: Kv1, if you now put a centre point in both the head and tailstock, when you bring them together, are the points offset horizontally or vertically?

If the misalignment is horizontal when you lock the headstock in the pre-set inboard position then use a double ended Morse taper to set the position and lock in place without the pre-set engaging.

One additional horizontal misalignment to look for is where the points will kiss when brought together but there isn't true axial alignment. This becomes more of a problem the further the tailstock is positioned away from the headstock. The double ended Morse taper partly test for this. To check for this type of misalignment I use a bored through Morse taper and sight through it to see if it is aiming true to the head/tailstock taper when positioned furthest apart. Without ready access to a bored through Morse taper, devise something by way of an aperture front and back of the taper bore to sight through.

If the misalignment is vertical, then you have either a manufacturing fault or severe wear issue. This is not readily fixed. If the tailstock is low then this can potentially be fixed by shimming it up, but a challenge with still allowing it to slide.

If the tailstock is high there is an equally challenging task of raising the headstock so that it can still swivel between in and outboard positions.

If none of the above applies, then I have misunderstood the problem.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Skew, I guess you wont be in the shed this weekend without the heater on? I hear its snowing down your way.....

You're spot on there. About 6" have fallen since this morning, just enough to hide the woodpile and make bringing in the firewood a misery. :rolleyes:

Sadly, I have a couple of turning jobs on hold waiting for a spare moment. Now I have more than a spare moment... but there ain't no way this li'l black duck is voluntarily walking into the freezer!

[Uncle Al]

We have a C1000 at our wood club, and it is my 'go to' lathe. The offset centres had never caused me a problem until I wanted to use the steady rest to hold a longish spindle while I bored the free end. The steady rest we had was centred above the middle of the bed, whereas the C1000 needs a steady rest that is centred over the back section of the bed. The following photos should explain the problem.

As Skew said regarding the design - "I'm guessing that this is to provide more support under the banjo; in effect you don't need as much banjo overhang when turning pieces. For spindle turning, the tool-rest is often centred over or behind the front way. Robust."

459448 459449 459450 459451


This offset steady is needed for the C1000459456

This is a conventional steady where the centre of the steady is directly above the bed gap.459457

Alan...

[NeilS]

If none of the above applies, then I have misunderstood the problem.



Uncle Al's post has made it clear that I did misunderstand the problem.

Oh well, I've provided an answer for a different problem...:rolleyes:

[kv1]

Thanks All!!

I had some pics of my lathe ready to go to show this morning but i see Alan has uploaded exactly what i was talking about so thanks for that. I know now what the 'Banjo' is.

:)

[NeilS]

... the spindle is off center from the bed

....... [snip].....

It was not an issue until recently where I purchased a sphere turning tool, and quickly realised that I had a problem.



OK, having revisited the issue you raised with this 'feature' of the C1000...:U

If you ever need the toolpost to be inline with the head or tailstock centres for any reason, just spin the banjo 180° so the handle is opposite to your usual working side.

Easy, no problem!

Like this....

459546

I'm assuming that your sphere jig was mounted in the toolpost. If mounted directly on the bed then Alan's solution would be required.

Apologies again KV for misinterpreting the issue you were raising and thinking you had a difficult problem to solve.

[kv1]

OK, having revisited the issue you raised with this 'feature' of the C1000...:U

If you ever need the toolpost to be inline with the head or tailstock centres for any reason, just spin the banjo 180° so the handle is opposite to your usual working side.

Easy, no problem!

Like this....




I'm assuming that your sphere jig was mounted in the toolpost. If mounted directly on the bed then Alan's solution would be required.

Apologies again KV for misinterpreting the issue you were raising and thinking you had a difficult problem to solve.

Thats a great idea about spinning the banjo around, ill keep that in mind. For the Sphere Jig I ended up mounting to the bed by doing the following:

459549

Its pretty dodgy but its stable, strong and gets the job done.

Cheers.

[unbox86]

Most accurate and measurable way I know is to use magnetic base dial indicator, set-up at spindle and run to the end of table travel to check for twist, taper and/or misalignment, then use spirit level to guide and adjust until indicator readout is within acceptable criteria and tolerances...


Hi Guys this has been bugging me for a little bit, I have a Woodfast C1000 Lathe, its great and I love it, but the spindle is off center from the bed, Being new to turning I didn't even notice when i purchased it second hand. I cant think to what advantage there is by designing in this way. It was not an issue until recently where I purchased a sphere turning tool, and quickly realised that I had a problem. In the end I made a jig to have the tool off center to match, but still.

Anyway I was not able to find anything on the net on this, not really an issue just curious, anyone know why?

Cheers.

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