tailstock only adjusts one way, something stripped?
 

I'm getting familiar with a used lathe I bought a few weeks ago. I spent
last weekend getting the wiring set up for 220 (from 440) and was
successful, thanks to help from this group and others. I'm hoping to draw
on the knowledge here again.

The new challenge is the tailstock. I'm attempting to adjust it so its on
center, but can only get it to move in one direction.

When I turn what I believe to be the adjustment bolt, the tailstock will
move in one direction (towards the front of the machine), but when I turn
the bolt the other way, the bolt comes out, tailstock doesn't move. I've
now managed to get it WAY off center, since it moves one way, wont come
back. I tried turning the bolt until it came all the way out and looked
inside to see if I could figure out what was going on. The threads on the
bolt are all intact and in good shape, cant see any problems in the hole,
either.

I'm not sure what to do, can anyone suggest a course of action? I'm willing
to take it apart, but I cant seem to get it disassembled beyond pulling the
bolt out.

Here are a few (large, 800k each) pictures:

the tailstock
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1677.jpg

Closer shot of the same side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1678.jpg

Shot of the other side. Note adjustment bolt head.
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1679.jpg

closer view of that side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1680.jpg

I have tried adjusting it in place on the ways, as well as pulling it off
and trying it on the workbench. I'm stumped. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

thanks.

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:56:10 -0800, "Greg Deputy"
wrote:

I'm getting familiar with a used lathe I bought a few weeks ago. I spent
last weekend getting the wiring set up for 220 (from 440) and was
successful, thanks to help from this group and others. I'm hoping to draw
on the knowledge here again.

The new challenge is the tailstock. I'm attempting to adjust it so its on
center, but can only get it to move in one direction.

When I turn what I believe to be the adjustment bolt, the tailstock will
move in one direction (towards the front of the machine), but when I turn
the bolt the other way, the bolt comes out, tailstock doesn't move. I've
now managed to get it WAY off center, since it moves one way, wont come
back. I tried turning the bolt until it came all the way out and looked
inside to see if I could figure out what was going on. The threads on the
bolt are all intact and in good shape, cant see any problems in the hole,
either.

I'm not sure what to do, can anyone suggest a course of action? I'm willing
to take it apart, but I cant seem to get it disassembled beyond pulling the
bolt out.

Here are a few (large, 800k each) pictures:

the tailstock
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1677.jpg

Closer shot of the same side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1678.jpg

Shot of the other side. Note adjustment bolt head.
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1679.jpg

closer view of that side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1680.jpg

I have tried adjusting it in place on the ways, as well as pulling it off
and trying it on the workbench. I'm stumped. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

thanks.


I would have thought there would be a bolt from either side. On mine
there's a screw on either side. Is it possible that the bolt on the
near side is an allen screw or broken off?

Pete Keillor

"Greg Deputy" wrote in message
...
I'm getting familiar with a used lathe I bought a few weeks ago. I spent
last weekend getting the wiring set up for 220 (from 440) and was
successful, thanks to help from this group and others. I'm hoping to draw
on the knowledge here again.

The new challenge is the tailstock. I'm attempting to adjust it so its on
center, but can only get it to move in one direction.
snip---

What Peter said. Typically, two screws oppose one another and work against a
lug on the base casting such that you can locate and secure the tailstock in
place without risk of having it drift. Check the opposite side from the
known screw to see if you don't find a second identical one.

Harold

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:56:10 -0800, "Greg Deputy"
wrote:

I'm getting familiar with a used lathe I bought a few weeks ago. I spent
last weekend getting the wiring set up for 220 (from 440) and was
successful, thanks to help from this group and others. I'm hoping to draw
on the knowledge here again.

The new challenge is the tailstock. I'm attempting to adjust it so its on
center, but can only get it to move in one direction.

When I turn what I believe to be the adjustment bolt, the tailstock will
move in one direction (towards the front of the machine), but when I turn
the bolt the other way, the bolt comes out, tailstock doesn't move. I've
now managed to get it WAY off center, since it moves one way, wont come
back. I tried turning the bolt until it came all the way out and looked
inside to see if I could figure out what was going on. The threads on the
bolt are all intact and in good shape, cant see any problems in the hole,
either.

I'm not sure what to do, can anyone suggest a course of action? I'm willing
to take it apart, but I cant seem to get it disassembled beyond pulling the
bolt out.

Here are a few (large, 800k each) pictures:

Looks to me like the adjustment bolt isn't original. There may be
some pieces missing.

Most tail stocks adjust with a setscrew pressing from each side to a
projection in the center. However there's no sign of this being the
case here.

On the Sebastian tailstock I modified to fit my Pratt and Whitney
lathe there's a single adjusting bolt. In this case there's a nut with
a setscrew in it on the inside of the tailstock to keep the screw from
coming out. There's several other possible ways of holding the screw
but you'd need to at least take a picture of the screw out of the
tailstock and preferably a pic of the inside of the tail for me to
make any guesses as to the method used on your tailstock.

Wayne Cook
Shamrock, TX
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook

Hey Greg,

Pretty good photos. I do recall you asking about your "new" lathe a
few days back, but don't recall the make. Anyway, it looks to me like
this tailstock has a key-guide with tapered gib. That would make it
quite a good quality machine I would think. If that is the case,
there seems to be a screw or two counter bored to allow adjustment of
the gib itself, plus the large hex head on the rear side. I would
think after loosening the locking bolt (locks the upper and lower
parts of the tailstock together after adjustment), and also the hold
down bolt that clamps the whole tailstock to the bed, that the hex
should adjust the tailstock "sideways" either out or back as required.

What is it that you were able to "screw out" all the way? Is there a
pix of that, both in place and removed?

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:56:10 -0800, "Greg Deputy"
wrote:

I'm getting familiar with a used lathe I bought a few weeks ago. I spent
last weekend getting the wiring set up for 220 (from 440) and was
successful, thanks to help from this group and others. I'm hoping to draw
on the knowledge here again.

The new challenge is the tailstock. I'm attempting to adjust it so its on
center, but can only get it to move in one direction.

When I turn what I believe to be the adjustment bolt, the tailstock will
move in one direction (towards the front of the machine), but when I turn
the bolt the other way, the bolt comes out, tailstock doesn't move. I've
now managed to get it WAY off center, since it moves one way, wont come
back. I tried turning the bolt until it came all the way out and looked
inside to see if I could figure out what was going on. The threads on the
bolt are all intact and in good shape, cant see any problems in the hole,
either.

I'm not sure what to do, can anyone suggest a course of action? I'm willing
to take it apart, but I cant seem to get it disassembled beyond pulling the
bolt out.

Here are a few (large, 800k each) pictures:

the tailstock
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1677.jpg

Closer shot of the same side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1678.jpg

Shot of the other side. Note adjustment bolt head.
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1679.jpg

closer view of that side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1680.jpg

I have tried adjusting it in place on the ways, as well as pulling it off
and trying it on the workbench. I'm stumped. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

thanks.

Hey Greg,

Oh....further to my reply of a few minutes ago..... I should have also
written that to disassemble, loosen the gib, remove both the locking
and the clamp down nuts, and it should separate horizontally, with a
bit of help. May be best to remove the clamp first so you can take
the whole tailstock off and onto the work-bench, then take it apart
the rest of the way.

Brian.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:56:10 -0800, "Greg Deputy"
wrote:

I'm getting familiar with a used lathe I bought a few weeks ago. I spent
last weekend getting the wiring set up for 220 (from 440) and was
successful, thanks to help from this group and others. I'm hoping to draw
on the knowledge here again.

The new challenge is the tailstock. I'm attempting to adjust it so its on
center, but can only get it to move in one direction.

When I turn what I believe to be the adjustment bolt, the tailstock will
move in one direction (towards the front of the machine), but when I turn
the bolt the other way, the bolt comes out, tailstock doesn't move. I've
now managed to get it WAY off center, since it moves one way, wont come
back. I tried turning the bolt until it came all the way out and looked
inside to see if I could figure out what was going on. The threads on the
bolt are all intact and in good shape, cant see any problems in the hole,
either.

I'm not sure what to do, can anyone suggest a course of action? I'm willing
to take it apart, but I cant seem to get it disassembled beyond pulling the
bolt out.

Here are a few (large, 800k each) pictures:

the tailstock
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1677.jpg

Closer shot of the same side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1678.jpg

Shot of the other side. Note adjustment bolt head.
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1679.jpg

closer view of that side
http://www.blastzone.com/newlathe/ta...k/102_1680.jpg

I have tried adjusting it in place on the ways, as well as pulling it off
and trying it on the workbench. I'm stumped. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

thanks.

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:56:10 -0800, "Greg Deputy"
wrote:


I'm not sure what to do, can anyone suggest a course of action? I'm willing
to take it apart, but I cant seem to get it disassembled beyond pulling the
bolt out.


As others have indicated...there is broken stuff. Loosen the two
nuts on the tailstock hold down lock, and using a dead blow hammer,
tap the tailstock upwards after removing the bolt and what appears to
be a gib. The picture of the smaller holes show that there used to be
a pair of bolts that push/pulled on the gib to tighten it on the cross
bar. I would take a brass drift and gently try to tap out the gib, to
the left, (looking at the spindle nose). If no movement, try the
opposite direction. That is a tapered gib so will only come out, in
one direction. Pehaps you can measure or eyeball the gib on both sides
to determine which is the bigger end. Thats the end the gib will come
out. You MAY have to drill out the gib adjustment bolts as they have
been both sheared off over the years. The clue was the picture from
the back side..where you can see the gib (the trapazoidal piece) has a
flat shoulder a small distance inside the hole. That flat shoulder
is where the gib adjustment bolt head pushed..there is one on the
other side as well, but some clod with a hammer has damaged things.

You MAY be able to slip a good screwdriver between the top casting and
the cross bar (the square piece of key stock) and lever the casting
upwards, after you remove the cross bolt and the two hold down nuts.
Alternate sides. Once you get it apart..you will be able to see
clearly where everything goes, and what needs to be cleaned up with a
file, retapped etc.

The large bolt head on the back side may or may not be used to adjust
the cross travel. It may have been simply the two busted gib bolts
that did the work. You will only be able to find out once you
seperate the top and bottom of the tailstock base.

Interesting design.

Gunner

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken

In article , Gunner says...

You MAY be able to slip a good screwdriver between the top casting and
the cross bar (the square piece of key stock) and lever the casting
upwards, after you remove the cross bolt and the two hold down nuts.
Alternate sides. Once you get it apart..you will be able to see
clearly where everything goes, and what needs to be cleaned up with a
file, retapped etc.

The large bolt head on the back side may or may not be used to adjust
the cross travel. It may have been simply the two busted gib bolts
that did the work. You will only be able to find out once you
seperate the top and bottom of the tailstock base.

Interesting design.

The gib is straight on the front, from the photo, and it bears
on a straight-sided key. I *think* he could separate the
two halves even if the gib is not completely removed. Easier
if it were slacked off of course.

Basically what gunner said:

1) remove all bed hold-down bolts.

2) attempt to slack off the tapered gib.

3) gently apply force to separate the two halves.

4) you may need to remove that adjusting bolt before
things will open up.

Jim


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Thanks for all the info, its great to have somewhere to go and ask these
sorts of questions. I'll pull the tailstock off the bed and see if I can
get it apart with the suggestions you've provided.