Jet 13X40 Headstock alignment nightmare with Walter Meier.

[jmh8743]

One more time. OK, the search function does not perform from this location, so here is my problem.

My (new) JET 13X40 headstock is not in alignment with the cross slide ways; however, a 24" dumbell tests satisfactorily.

According to the "factory" tests, my lathe has half the allowed error, which is great. After nealy 2 yrs of frustration with Walter Meier and their untrained staff any further communication is a waste of effort with the lower echelon. Firstly, I was hoping to be able to find a contact person before the 2 yrs warranty expires Nov 1. If anyone knows someone that might know someone, I would apreciate the comment.

I will not go into the sordid story here; however, this "stalling" must be a company policy, similar to an insurance company. All I want is what I paid for, but allas.

This not being possible, my second goal is to find someone that has actually performed this task....... I presume someone can read this. Having problems with uploads.

If not:

http://winchester52.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-13x40-jet-lathe-nightmare.html

Thanks for looking.

Mike

 

[Tony Wells]

Good morning, Mike, and welcome to the forum, first of all.

You need the next page of the procedure to do the headstock alignment. It will tell you to loosen the bolts holding the headstock to the bead, and using the screws in the pusher block near the outboard end, swivel the entire headstock until your sweep of the test bar is accurate. With that type of headstock mount, it is not uncommon for a lathe to be bumped out of alignment either in shipping, or because of a crash.

With the indicator on the bar close to the chuck, start the movement in the appropriate direction, and just like indicating a vise on a mill, as you move away from the chuck(if mounted) continue to push the headstock into alignment. It may, and probably will, take a few iterations of this action to bring the headstock true, so repeat as necessary. Then moving between the bolts, tighten the bed retention bolts down evenly, a bit on each bolt before moving to the next one. Re-check when tight.

 

[swatson144]

Welcome to the forum Mike.

My little jet 9x20's headstock was pointing more towards the apron than the tailstock when I got it. Everybody was going on about the dumbbell test. That is a very good test to find out if pretty much anything is wrong with the lathe. My problem was that I knew the headstock was off but I didn't know if the tailstock was off or what other issues it might have. Frank is right they can get tweaked during handling. That little lathe was in a truck and once it got loose it seemed to have traveled much farther than the truck did.

The easiest way I found to get the headstock pointing down the ways was to chuck up a large free turning chunk of material (I used AL). As large as you have at hand.

Simply face it off.
Place a dial indicator on your crossfeed and sweep it across the face. Naturally it will read zero all the way to center. Keep sweeping as you go past center the dial will start showing you 2x the error. So if you sweep to a point where it reads .010 and move the head until it reads .005 then it might be straight.
Retest.

After getting that straight you can rule it out in the dumbell test, and look for other problems if it don't turn right.

Steve

 

[AR1911]

I am having trouble getting my head around this method.
If I face off a 3" round, why would it indicate true on the front radius and diverge on the rear radius?

 

[swatson144]

I am having trouble getting my head around this method.
If I face off a 3" round, why would it indicate true on the front radius and diverge on the rear radius?

Easiest way for me to describe I guess is... If you set the compound @ 90° to the spindle it becomes another cross feed. If it is set a few ° off then it would be much like having a headstock that is not perpendicular to the crossfeed. There is an angle there. That angle will make a cone pointing in or out. If you have an indicator mounted on the compound it would read 0 until center and then be moving off 0

So as a gross example if the head was 30° out it'd be noticeable and exactly like facing with the compound that is set on 30° while using the cross feed. Later edit I mean except while using the crossfeed, errr that is with the headstosk tweaked out of square all facing cuts made with the crossfeed would be the same as if one were using the compound with a slight angle on it for facing.

Steve

 

[AR1911]

Ah - of course. thanks

 

[jmh8743]

Good morning, Mike, and welcome to the forum, first of all.

You need the next page of the procedure to do the headstock alignment. It will tell you to loosen the bolts holding the headstock to the bead, and using the screws in the pusher block near the outboard end, swivel the entire headstock until your sweep of the test bar is accurate. With that type of headstock mount, it is not uncommon for a lathe to be bumped out of alignment either in shipping, or because of a crash.

With the indicator on the bar close to the chuck, start the movement in the appropriate direction, and just like indicating a vise on a mill, as you move away from the chuck(if mounted) continue to push the headstock into alignment. It may, and probably will, take a few iterations of this action to bring the headstock true, so repeat as necessary. Then moving between the bolts, tighten the bed retention bolts down evenly, a bit on each bolt before moving to the next one. Re-check when tight.

Thanks for the welcome. I've been watchin' for 4 or 5 years. OK I thought that would be the case. Well, there's a lot of "stuff" in the way. The neat perspectives dont show that and I am hesitant to start disassembly blind. I'm perplexed as to HOW all those gears are removed AND I presume that in is left and out is right....errrr. maybe I need get some light and a couple of photos. All these words will get me in a "oh ***t how'd that happen?". So my next will be photo of the gremlin. Also I presume the pin is at the centerline of the ways so that nothing else will be affected. And thanks for all comments.

Nothing is so firmly believed as that which is least understood.

 

[jmh8743]

Welcome to the forum Mike.

My little jet 9x20's headstock was pointing more towards the apron than the tailstock when I got it. Everybody was going on about the dumbbell test. That is a very good test to find out if pretty much anything is wrong with the lathe. My problem was that I knew the headstock was off but I didn't know if the tailstock was off or what other issues it might have. Frank is right they can get tweaked during handling. That little lathe was in a truck and once it got loose it seemed to have traveled much farther than the truck did.

The easiest way I found to get the headstock pointing down the ways was to chuck up a large free turning chunk of material (I used AL). As large as you have at hand.

Simply face it off.
Place a dial indicator on your crossfeed and sweep it across the face. Naturally it will read zero all the way to center. Keep sweeping as you go past center the dial will start showing you 2x the error. So if you sweep to a point where it reads .010 and move the head until it reads .005 then it might be straight.
Retest.

After getting that straight you can rule it out in the dumbell test, and look for other problems if it don't turn right.

Steve

Steve: thats how I discovered it. Drilled and turned a piece of 2" stock, then faced it. Sat it on the mill to be cross drilled and gandered, placed a try square adjacent and saw light. I guess it is about 30" of arc maybe 45". Not close to specs. And thanks for the welcome.

Oh and the 24" dumbell test shows the "centers" are centered. Furthermore, I destroyed a 3 jaw chuck with one bar end chucked and the other a live center @ T/S. Center gave up also. Then I complained to WM. They sent me a new 3 jaw chuck. Hee Hee. They didnt have a clue, I dont guess. Maybe they did.

Mike

 

[swatson144]

Steve: thats how I discovered it. Drilled and turned a piece of 2" stock, then faced it. Sat it on the mill to be cross drilled and gandered, placed a try square adjacent and saw light. I guess it is about 30" of arc maybe 45". Not close to specs. And thanks for the welcome.

Oh and the 24" dumbell test shows the "centers" are centered. Furthermore, I destroyed a 3 jaw chuck with one bar end chucked and the other a live center @ T/S. Center gave up also. Then I complained to WM. They sent me a new 3 jaw chuck. Hee Hee. They didnt have a clue, I dont guess. Maybe they did.

Mike

Great, so you have it all square rooted?
Fixing your own machinery is a very rewarding pursuit. You are indeed lucky, well not so far as the trouble, but many people who actually got the attention of a "decision maker" would be spending their time on figuring out how to crate the machine, and lowest cost to ship it back. Only to wait until some "tech" decided it was good enough, and send it back unaltered. If you are lucky and bought from a reputable dealer they'd send you someone else's problem that the tech didn't agree with. With extreme luck you'd get someone who didn't feel like winning by "wearing down" was appropriate and hadn't been "promoted to manager" .

You'll do fine. adjust it and move on I think.

Steve

 

[Tony Wells]

Thanks for the welcome. I've been watchin' for 4 or 5 years. OK I thought that would be the case. Well, there's a lot of "stuff" in the way. The neat perspectives dont show that and I am hesitant to start disassembly blind. I'm perplexed as to HOW all those gears are removed AND I presume that in is left and out is right....errrr. maybe I need get some light and a couple of photos. All these words will get me in a "oh ***t how'd that happen?". So my next will be photo of the gremlin. Also I presume the pin is at the centerline of the ways so that nothing else will be affected. And thanks for all comments.

Nothing is so firmly believed as that which is least understood.

This should not require any serious disassembly to access the hold-down bolts or the adjustment screws. I'm not going to tell you they are easy to get to, but don't worry too much about the gears and bearings. If you have doubts about what does need to be removed to access the required points, take several photos along the way.