A level for the hobby shop

Good points Ken, thanks. While my lathe is brand new I will most definitely check the tail stock first. I've had a few things come up that have kept me out of the garage and might not get back to this until Friday.
I thank everybody for all the info

Jeff
 
Here's a method that one of the "experts" out there prefers to use for checking tailstock alignment.
Take and chuck up a piece of material with a diameter slightly bigger than your tailstock spindle diameter. Turn the OD to exactly the diameter of your tailstock spindle. Set up an indicator on your carriage and compare measurements at 12 O'clock and 9 O'clock positions on both your turned OD and OD of the tailstock. Be sure the tailstock spindle is locked down for correct readings. They should read the same or within a half of an thousandth at either position on a new lathe.
On an worn or old lathe, you will see noticeable difference between the two readings. Now the fun begins trying to get your tailstock adjusted correctly to read as near zero as you can get it. Any sizable amount of wear in the carriage to the bed ways could have an affect on these readings, so be careful with what you see and do.
This test must be done before a two collar test can be performed.
Ken
 
Since I've said all of that above, before starting the two collar test, put the level across the top of the bed of the lathe. On most all lathes, the level will set on top of the vee's of the bed. The top of the vee's at the headstock and at the end of the bed behind the tailstock will more than likely have no wear on the top of the vee's. We assume this and knowing how the factory machines the bed, this is a good plane to reference from for this exercise. I don't care if you use a Starrett 98 or 199, or any other level out there as long as it is one or two grades above a carpenter's level, it will work! The bubble is accurate enough on a 98 to detect a .001" movement in 6" easily. Just have to have patients here. And heat from your hands will have affect on the measurement you get, especially if you are using a 199 level. (Someone walking across the floor will cause the bubble to move on the 199 level!) So pay attention to what you are doing here. And make sure to mark your level with a Sharpie where it sets on the vee's. This is important so when you move the level from the headstock end to the tailstock end that it is put in the same place on the vee's. (Lathe beds with center legs are out of the scope of things here for now) Once you have assured yourself that the bed is leveled for "twist" (we don't care if the bed is running up hill or down, this is up to the owner.), you can proceed to the two collar test.
 
Has anybody mentioned just using a plumb bob on a tall arm with a marked base? On lathe atleast its about leveling one end to the other. Overall level can be handy, but relative level on affects results on any lathe that turns both long and short parts.
 
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