Thread: Tailstocks

hasnt been a problem with my woodfast or jet , you can check head and tail stock line up with a couple of dead centres . otherwise most wood lathes there is little adjustment , if you have a real problem suggest you post some pics,

Don't have a problem with my Tough either

Arthur I have posted a reply to Amos in my mini lathe thread

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/bo...1/#post1081989

Originally Posted by Phil Spencer

Don't have a problem with my Tough either

Phil, as I said elsewhere, the Tough lathe looks like a nice bit of kit. However when all is aid and done it is at least 20-30 years old and a very basic wood lathe. According to Len Smith he wants about $1500-1600 for them.

# Sideways slop would be eliminated or, at least minimized.

# drilling on the lathe could be more precise.

What do others think.?

Yes I agree this becomes an issue when you own something like a MC1100. Both head and tail stocks had this problem. I spent quite a few hours rectifying the headstock, got it to a point where it was reasonable.The tailstock I left as it was major hassle and doing bowls I more or less got away with it.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Phil, as I said elsewhere, the Tough lathe looks like a nice bit of kit. However when all is aid and done it is at least 20-30 years old and a very basic wood lathe. According to Len Smith he wants about $1500-1600 for them.

Seems that some times old technology is better that new fangled technology

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Phil, as I said elsewhere, the Tough lathe looks like a nice bit of kit. However when all is aid and done it is at least 20-30 years old and a very basic wood lathe. According to Len Smith he wants about $1500-1600 for them.

There ain't much more to a lathe is there?

I think what some need is a way to adjust the tail stock. Some sort of screwy slidey mechanism. But then your little cheap lathe wouldn't be little and cheap anymore.

I think what some need is a way to adjust the tail stock. Some sort of screwy slidey mechanism. But then your little cheap lathe wouldn't be little and cheap anymore.

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You got it in one. Metal lathes have this ability. But very few Wood lathes I have seen have it and this includes the fancy ones.

Hi All,
Hey, we are talking Wood Lathes here, not precision made Metal Lathes.
My "Tough" has been out by approx.1mm the last 19 years, & it hasn't made any difference to my work.
I thought it was to big a job to tackle, so I just left it.
Regards,
issatree.
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Metal lathes have V beds which works fine if you're only moving things along the V. A tool rest on a woodlathe needs to move in all directions so V beds wouldn't work.

I've long thought that four bearings on the bottom of tailstocks to act as buffers would be good

Originally Posted by issatree

Hi All,
Hey, we are talking Wood Lathes here, not precision made Metal Lathes.
My "Tough" has been out by approx.1mm the last 19 years, & it hasn't made any difference to my work.
I thought it was to big a job to tackle, so I just left it.
Regards,
issatree.
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Depends on the kind of work you do.

Originally Posted by issatree

Hi All,
Hey, we are talking Wood Lathes here, not precision made Metal Lathes.
My "Tough" has been out by approx.1mm the last 19 years, & it hasn't made any difference to my work.
I thought it was to big a job to tackle, so I just left it.
Regards,
issatree.
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If my pen lathe was out by 1mm, my pens wouldn't look too round

Originally Posted by rsser

Depends on the kind of work you do.

Yes, you got it in one Ern, if I was doing bowls or relatively big spindle work it wouldn't worry me too much. But on a 12mm pen, 1 mm is a lot of deviation.

Even the 0.6mm the mini lathe is off centre on the headstock spindle is very significant, take out a set of feelr gauges and pick out the 25thou/0.6mm one and see how thick that is, then imagine your pen being out of round by that much

Originally Posted by funkychicken

Metal lathes have V beds which works fine if you're only moving things along the V. A tool rest on a woodlathe needs to move in all directions so V beds wouldn't work.

I've long thought that four bearings on the bottom of tailstocks to act as buffers would be good

Not very difficult to do FC, look at the cross slide and the compound slide and saddle, very easy 3 way adjustments. Take away the precision dials and make it easier to adjust and you have more precision.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

If my pen lathe was out by 1mm, my pens wouldn't look too round



Yes, you got it in one Ern, if I was doing bowls or relatively big spindle work it wouldn't worry me too much. But on a 12mm pen, 1 mm is a lot of deviation.

Even the 0.6mm the mini lathe is off centre on the headstock spindle is very significant, take out a set of feelr gauges and pick out the 25thou/0.6mm one and see how thick that is, then imagine your pen being out of round by that much

If you know it's out by that much why not put a shim that size under the tailstock on the appropriate side. Or machine a little off the other side???
Just my 2c's,
Steve