My TH42 is all apart for refurb except for the headstock casting. I read somewhere that removing it would cause realignment problems. If removed, how would you go about putting it back after paint? How and what would be the procedure? Thanks,Gene
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Headstock Casting Removal?
- Thread starter Gene
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2013
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- 1,834
Hey Gene
I wouldn't hesitate too much to take the headstock off if you are painting the whole machine like you are.
There are lots of methods for realigning the headstock, if that is even necessary. I will bet that it is a pretty tight fit in the ways. If not, just keep a close eye out, when removing the headstock, for any shims that are placed in one of the corners.
Look up Rolliei's Dad's method to start. My laptop is rebooting, so I'll check my bookmarks later for other methods I saved.
You may find that your attention to the alignment will make it even more accurate than it has ever been from the factory!
Bernie
I wouldn't hesitate too much to take the headstock off if you are painting the whole machine like you are.
There are lots of methods for realigning the headstock, if that is even necessary. I will bet that it is a pretty tight fit in the ways. If not, just keep a close eye out, when removing the headstock, for any shims that are placed in one of the corners.
Look up Rolliei's Dad's method to start. My laptop is rebooting, so I'll check my bookmarks later for other methods I saved.
You may find that your attention to the alignment will make it even more accurate than it has ever been from the factory!
Bernie
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2011
- Messages
- 2,069
I would hesitate to paint the surfaces where the casting parts come together. Paint does have thickness, but isn't very hard. You could spend a lot of time adjusting alignment, only to have it shift as the paint compresses or wears off. Masking tape over the mating surfaces will help.
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2013
- Messages
- 1,834
100% +1 on Hawkeye's comment on a good taping job. If the tolerances were close enough to begin with, you won't have room for paint in bad places when you slip it back in!
Bernie
Bernie
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2013
- Messages
- 792
Take a light test cut on a piece of 3/4" to 1" diameter by 3" to 4" long aluminum stock held in a 3-jaw chuck. Use a sharp-pointed tool to keep cutting loads low so as not to cause any deflection of the part. Measure the diameter of both machined ends. If there is a difference, the headstock is not perfectly square. Adjust as needed and try again until the shaft reads the same all the way down. Now having said all that I doubt that you will have to adjust anything if your lathe is like mine it is pretty tight inbetween the rails you dont have any room for adjustment, Ray
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