newbie question re AL-960 vs AL-960B lathes and documents

Hello Peter Befuddled,
If your lathe is the same as the one in the photo there does not appear to be very much clearance between the forward/reverse shaft and the swarf tray. My lathe had the same problem which made it difficult to remove the swarf.
After putting up with the problem for years I mounted the lathe headstock on a block of 50mm thick high density polyetheylene (I think that's what it is called). The tailstock end is supported on two pieces of 1/2" UNF threaded rod. This setup made it simple to align the bed. After it was set up I made a tapered wedge block from two pieces of Tallow wood which fits under the tailstock end in the space between the two alignment rods. The two tapered pieces of wood are drawn together by two rods so that the block fits firmly to prevent any vibration. The system seems to work well.
Good luck with your setting up
Russell

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Originally Posted by Bryan

Do you mean this one?

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Yes

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Originally Posted by Bryan

If so a simple test cut should suffice? Chuck a piece of bar, large enough to be self-supporting for, well the longer the better, but say 8 or 10 inches. Take a light cut along its length using a sharp tool and a fine feed. Measure the diameter with a micrometer at various points, eg every 25mm. Write down the results. Better yet, graph them. This can be the baseline for future reference. See also 'two collar method' (search term).

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And when its not parallel....(which it almost certainly wont be*)......... whats the problem?

Stuart

*I guess you could get lucky have have it cut parallel.. but that doesn't mean all is good

Stu, I added a PS to say the same thing, but I think it's still worth knowing what it's doing.
After all the question was essentially, 'how inaccurate is my lathe?'

Just going through options today, anyone able to comment on this little jigger I came across on the Grizzly site?

T24791 iGaging Digital Laser Level, 0.05 Deg. Resolution. 0-48" Range

just thinking it might be easier to read.

cheers, Peter

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Originally Posted by rusty steel

Hello Peter Befuddled,
If your lathe is the same as the one in the photo there does not appear to be very much clearance between the forward/reverse shaft and the swarf tray. My lathe had the same problem which made it difficult to remove the swarf.
After putting up with the problem for years I mounted the lathe headstock on a block of 50mm thick high density polyetheylene (I think that's what it is called). The tailstock end is supported on two pieces of 1/2" UNF threaded rod. This setup made it simple to align the bed. After it was set up I made a tapered wedge block from two pieces of Tallow wood which fits under the tailstock end in the space between the two alignment rods. The two tapered pieces of wood are drawn together by two rods so that the block fits firmly to prevent any vibration. The system seems to work well.
Good luck with your setting up
Russell

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Thanks Russell, that suggestion would also allow me to repair a bend in the tray where the DPO swapped out the 240v motor and did a bodge workaround where the terminal box of the new motor fouled the catch tray.
I had thought of adding a sump there but your suggestion of packing up would solve that clearance problem as well.

Cheeers, Peter

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Originally Posted by befuddled

anyone able to comment on this little jigger I came across on the Grizzly site?

T24791 iGaging Digital Laser Level, 0.05 Deg. Resolution. 0-48" Range

just thinking it might be easier to read.

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My math says 0.05degree is around 0.01" per 10"... but I wouldn't trust it.. anyone want to check it?

If I'm right the level below would be off scale before the level above has moved 0.05deg.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mast...-Per-10-/H2682

I know which one I'd use.

But it does depend exactly what you are trying to achieve. As I think Bryan and I are coming at it from different directions :)

Stuart

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Originally Posted by Stustoys

My math says 0.05degree is around 0.01" per 10"... but I wouldn't trust it.. anyone want to check it?

If I'm right the level below would be off scale before the level above has moved 0.05deg.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mast...-Per-10-/H2682

I know which one I'd use.

But it does depend exactly what you are trying to achieve. As I think Bryan and I are coming at it from different directions :)

Stuart

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I have an iGaging digital laser level. It is 8inches long. I am not sure of the resolution, but I found it to be accurate to about 4 or 5 inches over 20 ft. I was not overly impressed. One day I am going to check it to see if it matches the specs. I was using it to lay horizontal stormwater pipe.

Dean

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Originally Posted by befuddled

T24791 iGaging Digital Laser Level, 0.05 Deg. Resolution. 0-48" Range

just thinking it might be easier to read.

cheers, Peter

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Originally Posted by Stustoys

My math says 0.05degree is around 0.01" per 10"... but I wouldn't trust it.. anyone want to check it?

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.05 deg would be 3 minutes which is 180 seconds.
The coarsest 'machinist's level' is 85 arc seconds per division.
The one in Stu's link is 10 seconds.
The finest one I've seen is 4 seconds.

I think you need a coarse one to get you in the ballpark and a fine one to finish. How coarse and fine is up to you. I have an 85 and a 4, but a 10 would be fine enough I think.

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But it does depend exactly what you are trying to achieve. As I think Bryan and I are coming at it from different directions :)

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That's why these leveling/alignment threads are always so much fun.
Anyone want to take bets on how many posts till someone raises the curvature of the earth? :)

Hi Peter,
A level like this is more than enough for what you want to do http://www.ctctools.biz/servlet/the-...MACHINE/Detail . Use a carpenters level first to get you in the ballpark or you will be chasing your tail for ages.

You also have to consider the curvature of the earth as it will effect your results over the length of your lathe, and then of course there is the problems with gravity effecting your level if you have any objects of large mass in the room.......:q

Ew

Whether or not to consider the curvature of the earth is dependant on the methods used. A surveyor will take it into consideration, whereas an engineer won't. An engineer would have already taken measures to counteract it when he laid the floor, based on the figures supplied by the surveyor.:rolleyes:

Dean

Are we helping yet? :D

Yep, I just need to get clear of Vegas so I can arrange my lathe and mill DRO from amazon via anytime tools, and the level and magnetic dial gauge from Grizzly. Goin gun shooting tomorrow so the gunsmith lathe manual could be handy.:D

Cheers, Peter

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Originally Posted by Bryan

Are we helping yet? :D

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geez...glad I got mine done while you lot were not so worried about curvature of the earth, whether one has to be an engineer or surveyor and then that crap about degrees minutes seconds and arc's
ruddy hell guys.....lol