On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 23:03:45 -0700, "Lynn" wrote:

Humble request for advise (or sympathy):
Just unboxed my new Jet 1014 and while checking it over,
noted that the alignment of the tips of the headstock and
tailstock centers is not perfect. The tailstock center is perhaps
.010 or .012 inch lower than the headstock center. This
is when the tailstock is moved right up close to the spindle.
I've read somewhere, probably on this newsgroup,
that when a tailstock center is tightened onto or into a
piece of wood, that the tailstock center has some tendency
to raise up. Depending of course on the bed's rigidity and
the tailstock stiffness as well.
My question, then, from anyone who might have encountered
about this type and amount of misalignment in a wood lathe,
should I worry?
Jiggling things around does not seem to alter this alignment
at all, and correcting this error would probably involve milling
a few thousandths off the headstock base. Something I'm not
very good at with my file and emery cloth!

Old Chief Lynn

As the others have said, that's not enough variance to matter, unless it was a
metal lathe and you were making aerospace stuff..
Also, the alignment can appear different from different viewing heights and
angles.. It can make you crazy..lol
I put a piece of cardboard between centers and gently advance the tailstock
ram..
Then, you can "read" the holes.. If I can see only one place that the light
shines through, I'm happy..

Remember when checking.. Both centers must be firmly seated in clean Morse
tapers and the headstock and tailstock locked down..


mac

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