Could use some guidance setting up my ATW Pacemaker

[slodat]

As the subject says, I am setting up my new to me 1953 American Tool Works Pacemaker 14x30 lathe. I brought it home a few weeks ago. Finished installing the rotary phase converter and get it into it's current final resting place. I was able to level the lathe under one graduation on my Starrett 98's in both directions. I turned a hot rolled bar to see how things look. I got the best surface finish I felt I could out of it. The bar was about 1.1" when I started. The final pass was very light with a slow feedrate.

Results:

I’m thinking this is plenty good for a starting point on such an old machine. I welcome feedback. I have some nicer material I can turn for testing. The hot rolled was just what I picked up.

 

[FOMOGO]

That's a good looking machine. Were you using carbide to make the cut? If so that would explain the finish. Carbide doesn't like light cuts, and the hot rolled will generally be a little more gummy. Might try an HSS tool and see how you do. Mike

 

[DAT510]

Nice lathe.

Have you tried doing the same cuts while supporting the bar with a live center in the tail stock?

From your table, it looks like your getting some deflection of the bar while cutting.

 

[slodat]

Went from zero bubble across the ways at the tail stock to raising the front (operator side) one mark on the level. Chucked up a little thicker bar of mystery stainless.

1.1589 at the chuck end
1.1617 about 5 inches away at the tail stock end

That reduced it to 0.00056/inch taper. Thinking I’ll go one more graduation on the level.

Haven’t turned with the tail stock yet.

 

[benmychree]

A Starrett #98 is nowhere near sensitive to level a lathe; probably the two collar method would be your go to method at this stage

 

[slodat]

I’m getting somewhere. Currently at:

1-1.13710
5-1.13885

Next up is getting the live center going.

 

[slodat]

Chucked up between centers, did some adjusting, including adding a spring pass after each cut. Looks like I’m in better shape than I was. Started at -0.0106 across 10.5”. Ended up 0.0004 across 10.5”.

This is with 2 graduations high in the front on the ‘98. While it may not be sensitive enough to do the entire leveling job, it did serve as a great indication of what I was changing with the leveling foot.

Final:

Getting a decent finish on the mystery stainless.

I welcome any feedback, advice, observations, etc. I’m new to this.

 

[Jim F]

Only thing the last cut proved is that your head stock and tail stock are aligned.

 

[slodat]

Only thing the last cut proved is that your head stock and tail stock are aligned.

How do I check for twist in the bed?

When I adjusted the leveling foot in front of bed on tailstock end, the tailstock end measurement changed accordingly.

 

[Superburban]

Before you go too crazy, I would take a good look at your way's. Hard to tell from the pics, but looks like you have somewear, which can explain the measurements you have.