Aligning my HF 7x10

[Derrick1971]

I've been reading about aligning the lathe but most of the instructions I've found are a little over my head at this point.

I've had the lathe for a while now but have only been using it for parting. I want to do some drilling but I'm finding the tailstock and headstock don't line up at all. I know the tailstock can be adjusted sideways and shimmed up. My problem is the headstock is visibly lower than the tailstock when I use two centers and put them together.

How do I make the adjustments to actually move the headstock?

 

[Codered741]

Is the lathe used? I am suspecting that it is new, and this is a manufacturing defect, rather than a wear problem.

If it is new, try to return it for a new one.

If it is old, you need to shim the tailstock up to match the head stock, or buy a new tailstock. Make sure that you turn the center in the headstock accurately before alignment. You don't want to move the headstock if you can avoid it. Add shim between the two pieces of the tailstock to raise and lower, the set screws on the side for in and out. Try to shim as evenly as possible, ie. don't tilt the tailstock so its pointing up.

Once you have the tailstock center and the headstock center aligned at the chuck, you can go further with adjusting out taper caused my bed twisting, but on a minilathe, its hardly that large of a concern. There are already plenty of threads that cover this, so I will not repeat. Search for the test collar, or rollies dad alignment.

-Cody

 

[Derrick1971]

Thanks, I actually made an error in my description (edited). The headstock is actually LOWER than the tailstock and there's no way to lower the tailstock to match it. The lathe doesn't have much time on it but it's out of warranty.

Is there a way to raise or adjust the headstock?

 

[Tony Wells]

You don't indicate whether you have a mill, or access to one, but since the tailstock is higher, then only two choices present themselves. Raising the headstock is one, but potentially difficult and problem filled. Lowering the tailstock would be my choice. If you have a mill, you can determine the mount the tailstock is above center, and remove enough material to get almost there, and lap or scrape it in true and level with the headstock. If you do not have a mill, then perhaps you are close enough to a member here to get some assistance. Ideally, it should be accurately ground or scraped true. The base must be parallel to the quill centerline. Tailstocks are usually built in two basic pieces, the base and the upper quill housing. They are keyed, so they can be adjusted side to side for tapered work using the set-over method. They may be disassembled, and only one need be machined if only a small amount needs to be removed. It would be preferable, IMO, to approach the problem this way rather than just a simple machining of the bottom of the base. There may be an issue with the vee groove if done that way. You didn't say how much the error is, but if it is small, be sure that everything is absolutely clean, even if you have to take it all apart to ensure there is no debris anywhere that would cause it to read high.

 

[schor]

Got any pictures? How far out is the tailstock? Is it possible that the tailstock is just not parallel to the ways making it look like its higher than the headstock?

 

[Richard King]

I would take the tail-stock apart and see if there is trash or burrs in between the 2 parts. Then set the bottom half on the bed and see if you can slide a feeler gage under it and the ways You can go to an auto store and buy a set Be sure there is a .0015" in it. It will be about a 1/2" wide and about 3" long. The set has a small screw on one end and you just flip out the .0015" (sorry if you already now this) In another tread a while back a member did this and then after he ran a file over the area where the 2 ..halfs clamped together he found he could fit a .008" feeler gage in between the halfs. Do that first. Do you have a mag base and indicator?

If you do, set the mag base on the compound slide top and extend the indicator rod out and with the tail-stock assembled and tightened to the bed and quill moved out about 3/4 of its travel and locked, put the .001" or finer indicator on the top of the quill near the left end and move the cross-slide in and out so the indicator moves over the top of the quill with about .010 to .020"" pressure moving in in and out to find the "top dead center" of the quill and zero the indicator. Then crank the saddle to the right as close to the right end of the quill and tail-stock housing and again move the cross-slide in and out and not what you get. It should not be more then .0005 to .001" with the left end pointing up a bit Write down what you get. Then do it to the side as near to the center as you can eyeball it. and see how the side points This should also be .0005" to .001" with the front + . I have to run for an errand will write more later. Rich

 

[Derrick1971]

Thanks for the help so far.

Tony, I don't have access to a mill or the knowledge use one. I would probably have to take it to a machine shop. I'll take it apart and clean it up before I do anything else. It's been a while since I looked at it but I think the tail was about 1mm higher or less.

Richard, I'll pick up a feeler gauge today. Please don't hesitate to get very basic with me. Certainly no need to apologize. I'm a pretty handy guy but I'm not used to working with anything this precise. I do have the indicator and I'll take those measurements later this afternoon after I clean everything up. Just to be clear, I'm measuring the quill along the TDC and down the side looking for a variance between the tailstock side and the end?

 

[Derrick1971]

OK. I have it figured out now thanks to every ones help.

I took the tailstock apart and cleaned up the contact surfaces. That helped a little, and needed to be done, but it was still way off. As I was taking the measurements for Richard it started to click for me. The quill was rising by about .003 between the tailstock and the end. Long story short, one piece of copy paper to shim up the right side of the tailstock and it's close to perfect. A metal shim pinched between the centers is almost perfectly level. I'm sure I'll play with it more but for now this will get me drilling the short holes I need.

Thanks everyone!