Thread: shim stock or gauge plate supplier

Originally Posted by Metalman

Hello Peter, would you mind expanding on your last statement please? You have completed the task one more time than I have and any pointers would help. I should add that the tailstock that came with my lathe is not the original but is from an earlier machine so the relationship to my lathe is questionable.
Regards, Mm. (Phillip)

A Chipmaster is a fine toolroom lathe. Not quite in the league of a Monarch 10EE, but in the next rank down, IMO. The thing that lets it down is the Kopp variator drive which, while far less complex than the 10EE drive, is also far less capable.

The tailstock is actually better than a 10EE, more massive and a 3MT rather than a wimpy 2MT.

So - a machine of this quality deserves to be restored well. Just line-boring the TS then fitting a ram to it is not best, in my view. It's adequate for a lesser machine.

Now if your TS isn't original, there is less to lose by line boring it. Question is, how far is it out (low) with no spacers/shims in place and how far out of parallel is the TS bore in the vertical and horizontal plane, plus is it bell mouthed etc. I'd make all those measurements first before deciding what I was going to do. If there wasn't much in it, I'd correct the base bearing on the bed and the top bearing on the base, then line-bore if I wasn't taking much off, then hone, then make a new oversize TS ram, then grind/hone it to fit the bore as RC has done.

If there's a lot of error (TS bore is way low) then you have no choice but to add a spacer and live with it.

Lotta work but worth it if you want a fix that'll last.

PDW

Originally Posted by PDW

A Chipmaster is a fine toolroom lathe. Not quite in the league of a Monarch 10EE, but in the next rank down, IMO. The thing that lets it down is the Kopp variator drive which, while far less complex than the 10EE drive, is also far less capable.

The tailstock is actually better than a 10EE, more massive and a 3MT rather than a wimpy 2MT.

So - a machine of this quality deserves to be restored well. Just line-boring the TS then fitting a ram to it is not best, in my view. It's adequate for a lesser machine.

Now if your TS isn't original, there is less to lose by line boring it. Question is, how far is it out (low) with no spacers/shims in place and how far out of parallel is the TS bore in the vertical and horizontal plane, plus is it bell mouthed etc. I'd make all those measurements first before deciding what I was going to do. If there wasn't much in it, I'd correct the base bearing on the bed and the top bearing on the base, then line-bore if I wasn't taking much off, then hone, then make a new oversize TS ram, then grind/hone it to fit the bore as RC has done.

If there's a lot of error (TS bore is way low) then you have no choice but to add a spacer and live with it.

Lotta work but worth it if you want a fix that'll last.

PDW

Hello Peter, thanks for your thoughts, it will be a while before I do anything to the tailstock, I have only had the lathe 20 years and I don't want to rush things. The variator drive on mine is noisy but has never been a problem, the biggest issue I have is the short bed length but this is for rigidity so have to put up with it.
Mm.

Originally Posted by Metalman

Hello Peter, thanks for your thoughts, it will be a while before I do anything to the tailstock, I have only had the lathe 20 years and I don't want to rush things. The variator drive on mine is noisy but has never been a problem, the biggest issue I have is the short bed length but this is for rigidity so have to put up with it.
Mm.

This is why you need (at least) 2 lathes. I've got a Monarch CY 16 x 54 as my bigger machine, RC has a big Chinese lathe. I'd say 80% of what I do fits into the Chipmaster work envelope, but when you want to turn a 1m length of 75NB Sched 80 pipe - no.

PDW

[QUOTE=PDW;1754651RC has a big Chinese lathe.
PDW[/QUOTE]


Well Taiwanese.... And not low price Taiwanese either...

Originally Posted by .RC.

Well Taiwanese.... And not low price Taiwanese either...

Taiwan is part of China, just has a different political religion....

PDW

Originally Posted by PDW

Taiwan is part of China, just has a different political religion....

PDW

thats what the chinnese would like us to believe

Originally Posted by azzrock

thats what the chinnese would like us to believe

Really?

I strongly suggest that you read some history before posting a comment like that.......

PDW

my cochester tail stock has been repaired with shims. so ive been reading this thread with interest.
aaron

The shimming is done...

I ground down some rolled sheet.... It was a bitch to do, wanted to warp all over the place..

The shim stock was then hand flaked on one side to roughen the surface and some devcon applied, tailstock assembled, put on bed and aligned and clamped to glue it into place.... Silicon spray was put on the top side to make sure no stray devcon decided to glue the top to the bottom...

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