thefixer
13th April 2009, 04:26 PM
I guess anyone with the MC1100 and MC900 lathes has the same problem with too much sideways movement in the tailstock. This can be a real pain when reverse chucking or even worse turning a pen. The problem is a result of the lathe bed and tailstock being made from a casting and then not being precision milled to fit each other. You get what you pay for I suppose.<o></o>
<o></o>
Here's how I fixed the the problem.<o></o>
Pic 1 shows the underside of the tail stock. Both of the tabs that slide between the rails of the bed are different sizes and both of them are narrower than the space between the rails. Hence the sideways movement. Pic 2 shows the gap between the tailstock and the bed. Almost 1mm gap.
102345 102346
<o></o>
Pics 3 and 4 were taken from directly above the lathe and you can see how much movement there was from left to right.
102347 102348
<o></o>
<o></o>
The first issue to overcome was the lathe bed. The space between rails was not consistent in size, so I hand filed the full length of the bed on both sides using a length of steel previously filed to 38.3 mm as a template. Pic 5. I used a large flat file along its length to achieve this. Roughly 5 or 6 hours filing.<o></o>
Pic 6 shows the bed pretty close to perfectly parallel and consistent in spacing.
102349 102350
<o></o>
<o></o>
I Then cut two pieces of 5 mm thick steel plate in the shape shown in Pics 7 an 8 drilled and bolted to the front and back of the tailstock. I then carefully filed them to fit between the bed nice and snug. All the time checking to make sure I was not getting off line.
102351 102352
<o></o>
<o></o>
The end result shows the effort was justified. Pic 9. I also put a jacobs chuck in the headstock and another in the tailstock and length of steel rod in each chuck so I could fine tune the alignment over the length of the bed. There is now no sideways movement in the tailstock at all and the alignment is spot on.
102353
<o></o>
<o></o>
You may ask, why go to so much effort and time when I could just get a more expensive lathe that is precision made? Hmm, Time I have, $$$ I don't. Besides, I get a real buzz when it all works out the better.<o></o>
<o></o>
Cheers<o></o>
Shorty<o></o>
<o>
</o>
<o></o>
Here's how I fixed the the problem.<o></o>
Pic 1 shows the underside of the tail stock. Both of the tabs that slide between the rails of the bed are different sizes and both of them are narrower than the space between the rails. Hence the sideways movement. Pic 2 shows the gap between the tailstock and the bed. Almost 1mm gap.
102345 102346
<o></o>
Pics 3 and 4 were taken from directly above the lathe and you can see how much movement there was from left to right.
102347 102348
<o></o>
<o></o>
The first issue to overcome was the lathe bed. The space between rails was not consistent in size, so I hand filed the full length of the bed on both sides using a length of steel previously filed to 38.3 mm as a template. Pic 5. I used a large flat file along its length to achieve this. Roughly 5 or 6 hours filing.<o></o>
Pic 6 shows the bed pretty close to perfectly parallel and consistent in spacing.
102349 102350
<o></o>
<o></o>
I Then cut two pieces of 5 mm thick steel plate in the shape shown in Pics 7 an 8 drilled and bolted to the front and back of the tailstock. I then carefully filed them to fit between the bed nice and snug. All the time checking to make sure I was not getting off line.
102351 102352
<o></o>
<o></o>
The end result shows the effort was justified. Pic 9. I also put a jacobs chuck in the headstock and another in the tailstock and length of steel rod in each chuck so I could fine tune the alignment over the length of the bed. There is now no sideways movement in the tailstock at all and the alignment is spot on.
102353
<o></o>
<o></o>
You may ask, why go to so much effort and time when I could just get a more expensive lathe that is precision made? Hmm, Time I have, $$$ I don't. Besides, I get a real buzz when it all works out the better.<o></o>
<o></o>
Cheers<o></o>
Shorty<o></o>
<o>
</o>