Lathe always turns a taper with a live center

[taiwanluthiers]

I found the reason...

The way has a huge furrow from the tailstock being slid back and forth over the years. I wonder if I can epoxy fill this?

It is only present in the middle of the way.

I guess I'll just need to adjust the tail stock for any pieces that I turn... that's all I can do to take out any possible tapers.

 

[taiwanluthiers]

I think maybe if I can use an angle grinder to grind the furrow into the entire way, like at the end and at the head, this might solve it... sorta like "scraping" them...

 

[homebrewed]

I found the reason...

The way has a huge furrow from the tailstock being slid back and forth over the years. I wonder if I can epoxy fill this?

It is only present in the middle of the way.

I guess I'll just need to adjust the tail stock for any pieces that I turn... that's all I can do to take out any possible tapers.

Wow! That's an extraordinary amount of wear if it's due to the tailstock. Where does the saddle contact the bed?

 

[taiwanluthiers]

Wow! That's an extraordinary amount of wear if it's due to the tailstock. Where does the saddle contact the bed?

The saddle contacts where the V you see in the picture as well as the back flat. The saddle and the tail stock has different contact surfaces.

I don't see any solution for this except to get the ways re ground, and that's not something I can do. I guess I'll have to live with it and just adjust the tail whenever necessary.

Or another solution is shim the tail stock, and DO NOT slide it towards the head where there aren't any wear for drilling center holes (this means I will need to slide the stock outward for this)

 

[great white]

Maybe watch the auction sites for a “new to me” ways that are in decent shape? They typically go pretty cheap because they’re expensive to ship..:

 

[homebrewed]

Being off in height is going to be less of an issue than rotation as far as creating taper, but if your lathe bed is that worn you have bigger problems to think about. If you can't afford the cost of having it ground flat, the option @great white suggested is a good one.

 

[Richard King 2]

When I was an apprentice my Journeyman showed me to use a center drill first then then check the shaft un and turn the center hole with the tool bit off the compound. Abomb shows this a bit at the end of his show on turning a center, do the opposite with the center-hole. This is the best way to align a tailstock. Fast forward to 15. minutes.

 

[G-ManBart]

One possible thing you can do to save a bit of time is get a tool holder for your drill chuck. That would let you center drill things without using the tailstock. If you have the common QCTP the holders for MT2/MT3 etc are inexpensive. That would let you make fewer adjustments to the tailstock.

 

[taiwanluthiers]

One possible thing you can do to save a bit of time is get a tool holder for your drill chuck. That would let you center drill things without using the tailstock. If you have the common QCTP the holders for MT2/MT3 etc are inexpensive. That would let you make fewer adjustments to the tailstock.

I'm using a 4 way tool post... do they have those?

 

[G-ManBart]

I'm using a 4 way tool post... do they have those?

I'm not sure, although I'm sure it's something that could be made with enough time and talent.

The kind I've seen are for the standard Aloris style AXA/BXA/CXA QCTP and make things pretty simple. I used the old lantern style tool posts for a while, then a 4-way style and finally tried the QCTP and there's no way I'd go back now...much simpler and much faster.