Craftsman 101.07381 headstock alignment

I think I'm right when I say ....
Make sure the cutting tool is held tight in the tool post & that the tool post is locked tight on the cross slide ( some times the tool post rotates a fraction ) Then make sure your saddle gibs are also set correctly a loose saddle can give some wacky turning results .
If all these are hunky dory .....
First ensure that the tailstock gibs are correctly set & that the tail stock slides freely when unclamped & the way is cleaned & oiled but not too easily when only very lightly clamped up .

Have you tried adjusting the tailstock adjustment screws after slackening off the main tail stock clamp .
To get rid of the large end of the taper at the tailstock end move the tail stick a tiny smidgeon towards the back of the lathe then turn up a six inch test piece & check it .
You'll usually find that you will get different trueness the further you move the tailsotock away from the head stock .
So make up a set of 3, 6 .9 ,12 ,15 " etc test bars so that you can quickly adjust to true when you need greatr accurate turning over the changed distances
 
Round in circles,
The taper experienced is without the tailstock engaged. The other mentioned tips are helpful. I have been making sure to lock the gibs down while turning.
 
I think you are on to it fast204 , the 0 to .004 on the chuck is a indication of the misalignment . What is the dia . of the chuck ? The spindle snout is too small of a dia. to help .
 
OK , I would get it dialed in and see how that works . The bigger the distance the easier it will be to get dialed in .
 
Now the thousandth dollar question.... What's the most effective way to do this. An earlier post by cjtoombs seems the only logical way to get it done although labor intensive I don't see another option. Any options are on the table. Short of sending it out of course.
Thanks
 
First thing would be to take the headstock off the bed and inspect where it engages with the bed; see if there's a burr or debris there. Then reassemble and test again. If trimming is needed it will be a very small amount so go slow. Having a collet and a test bar would speed things up since you wouldn't have to remount the chuck each time.
Mark
 
I removed the headstock, with a bit of self dissapointment found a good deal of grease and a few metal chips crammed into the headstock. Cleaned everything with degreaser then lightly stoned all mating surfaces.
The next cuts had me in the same boat. Out about .002" over 2.00 inches. I removed the headstock and took 3 light strokes with a fine file on the back left and front right, followed by a light stoning.

I never removed the test piece of 6061 1 1/4" stock. The headstock was placed in position and snugged while using a dial indicator to offset what I had measured by .0015" roughly.

By the time I got that done it was movie day with the family. Once I get the boy to bed I will repeat the test and post results.
 
Sounds good, just lather, rinse, repeat. When the error starts to diminish you'll have a better idea how much more filing is required
Mark
ps actually, let me correct that: when your arm starts getting tired, you're about halfway done.:)
 
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Well you were not kidding. 2 nights spent with a fine file an even finer stone and I'm getting to the point where the finish of the test passes is playing a part in the readings.
I believe its safe to say I went .0005" to far.

I know for the purely hobby work I do this far exceeds what I need but my OCD kicked in so I will continue down this road for a bit.

I did find I am able to manipulate about .001 +- depending on which bolt I torque first. I have a feeling this is introducing some twist but I'm not sure how or what direction.
 
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