Needs Pictures: 0
Results 16 to 24 of 24
Thread: Lathe alignment
-
30th Oct 2021, 10:46 AM #16Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2014
- Location
- South of Adelaide
- Posts
- 1,225
-
30th Oct 2021, 10:49 AM #17Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2014
- Location
- South of Adelaide
- Posts
- 1,225
-
31st Oct 2021, 10:31 AM #18Golden Member
- Join Date
- Dec 2007
- Location
- Adelaide
- Posts
- 574
I had a similar experience with my Taiwan lathe, using a precision level and making 'adjustments' with shims under the bed feet made no difference to the way it turned, I eventually made some adjustments to the head stock positioning in relation to the bed using the 'rollies dad' method to check my progress - I have adjusters at the rear of the headstock and I found them to be very touchy needing only the smallest fraction of a turn, my initial thoughts with this were "I should have left it alone" as I seemed to be going around in circles and over correcting, but as with a lot a things you learn as you go, using a home brew extended T bar allen key to make micro adjustments easier, and after each adjustment tightening the headstock hold down bolts gradually and always in the same in order - much the same way as a cylinder head is tightened down - I eventually settled on less than 0.5 thou over 12 inches. As a final check I made up up a test bar - an old piece of 1.25" diam shafting with a pair of 1.5" diam dounuts welded to it about 30cm apart, a test cut showed the error with this was just under 1 thou over the 12 inches - I put this down to tool and/or work spring and decided leave it at that point.
-
31st Oct 2021, 11:54 AM #19Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 4,779
Hi there,
Out of interest, what is the sensitivity of your level? Is it 1 thou/foot? on the graduations?
Also how did you level your lathe across the bed, just sitting the level on time of the Vs at each end?
If so then sometimes the top of the Vs are not necessarily super precision. I would use a set of precision parallels sitting on each side of the flats and put the level on them.
Do this at both headstock end and TS end. Use the same parallels for both ends.
Simon
Sent from a galaxy far far awayGirl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.
-
31st Oct 2021, 03:27 PM #20Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2017
- Location
- Geelong, Australia
- Age
- 57
- Posts
- 2,651
Thanks Simon.
I just looked it up and the Starrett 98 is 5 thou per foot.
I was sitting on the flat part of the ways using some 123 blocks, and making sure I kept the blocks on the same orientation etc.
It’s by no means a perfect setup, but the best I could do with what I’ve got at hand.
A more sensitive level would be nice, and slightly longer.
I’ll need to pull my finger soon and finish scraping my straightedge so I’ve got something long enough to span the ways on the DSG. I’ll re-check this one at the same time.
Steve
-
31st Oct 2021, 03:51 PM #21Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2014
- Location
- South of Adelaide
- Posts
- 1,225
I have always just put the level on the top of the carriage and moved the carriage along the lathe. That's how all the techs that have done installs at work have done too.
-
31st Oct 2021, 04:24 PM #22Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 4,779
Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.
-
1st Nov 2021, 09:18 AM #23Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2017
- Location
- Geelong, Australia
- Age
- 57
- Posts
- 2,651
Thanks Snapatap. Putting the level on the carriage is so logical - but I've never come across that method in any of the lathe leveling videos online etc or what I'd read. I wonder if its less applicable on smaller lathes for some reason.
Out of interest I checked both the Takisawa and DSG manuals for leveling procedure. The Takisawa one basically says "level the ways" but doesn't give any method, but the DSG is quite detailed and specifically says to put the level on the carriage.
Steve
-
1st Nov 2021, 09:42 AM #24Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Location
- Townsville, Tropical Nth Qld.
- Posts
- 225
Steve, when you are happy the lathe is level, if it's still measuring a taper, you may have to adjust the headstock. I had to on my Nuttall lathe. It's design has the right hand back bolt as a dowel bolt, so it pivots on that one. Under guidance of a real machinist I loosened all four bolts and used the device as you pictured to adjust the headstock. It's a slow process, just creeping up on it and rechecking the test bar many, many times, but I got it right.
Also when you get it right, you then have to check the tailstock alignment as well.
Good luck,
Rgds,
Crocy.
Similar Threads
-
On lathe alignment/setup
By familyguy in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 45Last Post: 13th Dec 2016, 11:38 AM -
Lathe alignment bar
By simonl in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 76Last Post: 16th Jul 2015, 10:01 AM -
lathe alignment
By brendanh in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 85Last Post: 19th Mar 2015, 03:13 PM -
Lathe alignment question
By bowseruni in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 34Last Post: 26th Sep 2014, 11:18 PM -
Lathe headstock and tailstock are out of alignment
By 19brendan81 in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 24Last Post: 22nd Nov 2010, 03:00 PM