Hay guys....

I have another newbe question about my lathe.
For the last few weeks I have been using scrap
wood and firewood to practice on, trying to learn
how each of the chisels function.

Yesterday I finally felt secure enough to start
on a small bowl. I slide the tail stock over to
the head and noticed that the two points don't
line up. They are off by about 1/4 inch up and
down and a small amount side to side. While
trying to line them up I noticed that the head
stock is not sitting solidly on the rail with the
locking handle loosened. It rocks all around until
you lock the handle. Shouldn't it rest solid like
the tail stock?? The book doesn't say anything
about this, only if the locking nut needs to be
adjusted. If it was flat on the rail then the two
points would line up.

Thanks allot guys for all your info....

Lee

Leetollett said:

....
Yesterday I finally felt secure enough to start
on a small bowl. I slide the tail stock over to
the head and noticed that the two points don't
line up. They are off by about 1/4 inch up and
down and a small amount side to side. While
trying to line them up I noticed that the head
stock is not sitting solidly on the rail with the
locking handle loosened. It rocks all around until
you lock the handle. Shouldn't it rest solid like
the tail stock?? The book doesn't say anything
about this, only if the locking nut needs to be
adjusted. If it was flat on the rail then the two
points would line up.

Lee,
Absolutely yes! They should line up, and IMHO the headstock should not
rock - even when not tightened by the locking lever. This is likely a
sign of poor milling tolerances. Welcome to the era of Chinese cast
iron and lackadaisical quality control - although Jet is typically
better than some.

Not to be smart, but this is something that should have been checked
when the lathe was first unboxed and set-up. It isn't too unusual for
sliding headstock lathes to have a minor misalignment side to side
that requires bumping the head/tail stocks into perfect position, but
an alignment problem in the vertical direction is problematic.

Knock the assembly down and check for debris or casting/milling flash
on the headstock rail runners. If you see nothing, and all is clean, I
would see about returning the unit and exchanging for a unit that is
milled and aligned properly. If it is too late for that, you might
try filing any high spots off until aligned properly, but this is not
an operation to be performed lightly or carelessly.

I'll leave it to the Google archives and others to explain the myriad
of reasons why this is a problem...

Good Luck,

Greg G.

"Leetollett" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I finally felt secure enough to start on a small bowl. I slide
the tail stock over to the head and noticed that the two points don't line
up. They are off by about 1/4 inch up and down and a small amount side to
side. While trying to line them up I noticed that the head stock is not
sitting solidly on the rail with the locking handle loosened. It rocks all
around until you lock the handle. Shouldn't it rest solid like the tail
stock?? The book doesn't say anything about this, only if the locking nut
needs to be adjusted. If it was flat on the rail then the two points
would line up.


Has to be loose enough to slide without binding, and if it's a cam lock, it
probably tightens _down_ to the ways.

I'd say if it can be brought into line with the existing adjustments it's
fulfilling its design specifications and is functional. Don't care whether
it's the mainland or the island, personally.

German company, too.

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:56:04 -0600, Leetollett wrote:

Hay guys....

I have another newbe question about my lathe.
For the last few weeks I have been using scrap
wood and firewood to practice on, trying to learn
how each of the chisels function.

Yesterday I finally felt secure enough to start
on a small bowl. I slide the tail stock over to
the head and noticed that the two points don't
line up. They are off by about 1/4 inch up and
down and a small amount side to side. While
trying to line them up I noticed that the head
stock is not sitting solidly on the rail with the
locking handle loosened. It rocks all around until
you lock the handle. Shouldn't it rest solid like
the tail stock?? The book doesn't say anything
about this, only if the locking nut needs to be
adjusted. If it was flat on the rail then the two
points would line up.

Thanks allot guys for all your info....

Lee

I have that lathe, Lee.. wanna buy another one? (It would require a Baja
vacation)

I always lock both the head and tail stock when aligning the centers..

Since I'm going to USE them locked, why adjust them loose?

My head stock rocks a lot when loose, but that's by choice... I have the bolt
adjustment for the banjo loose so that the handle goes down further to lock..
just gets in the way less if the head stock is slid up to the end, where I
usually have it..

Great lathe that has taken a LOT of use and abuse... you should get many years
of pleasure out of it..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Greg G. said:

Leetollett said:

....
Yesterday I finally felt secure enough to start
on a small bowl. I slide the tail stock over to
the head and noticed that the two points don't
line up. They are off by about 1/4 inch up and
down and a small amount side to side. While
trying to line them up I noticed that the head
stock is not sitting solidly on the rail with the
locking handle loosened. It rocks all around until
you lock the handle. Shouldn't it rest solid like
the tail stock?? The book doesn't say anything
about this, only if the locking nut needs to be
adjusted. If it was flat on the rail then the two
points would line up.

Lee,
Absolutely yes! They should line up, and IMHO the headstock should not
rock - even when not tightened by the locking lever. This is likely a
sign of poor milling tolerances. Welcome to the era of Chinese cast
iron and lackadaisical quality control - although Jet is typically
better than some.

Not to be smart, but this is something that should have been checked
when the lathe was first unboxed and set-up. It isn't too unusual for
sliding headstock lathes to have a minor misalignment side to side
that requires bumping the head/tail stocks into perfect position, but
an alignment problem in the vertical direction is problematic.

Knock the assembly down and check for debris or casting/milling flash
on the headstock rail runners. If you see nothing, and all is clean, I
would see about returning the unit and exchanging for a unit that is
milled and aligned properly. If it is too late for that, you might
try filing any high spots off until aligned properly, but this is not
an operation to be performed lightly or carelessly.

I'll leave it to the Google archives and others to explain the myriad
of reasons why this is a problem...

Another poster illuminates a possible ambiguity.

Your post wasn't clear on this point, but if they line up when
tightened down, you may dismiss the above. Of course, when they are
not tightened down to the bed, there may be some misalignment - that's
the nature of minimalist mechanisms. FWIW, the Jet lathes have a
pretty good reputation.


Greg G.