Tailstock binding

[Shotgun]

The tailstock on my Craftsman Commercial 12x36 is hard to slide back and forth. It seems to bind up, and I have to make two or three turns on the clamp bolt to get it to slide. It gets very frustrating, especially when trying to drill a deep hole.

Is this a known problem with Atlas lathes?
Is there a recommended solution?

I know that the tailstock/lathe bed is worn a bit. The nose of the tailstock droops about .002", which I've corrected a bit with a shim between the bottom and top half of the tailstock. So, I'm assuming the wear has something to do with the binding.

 

[rabler]

Are you sure the nut plate underneath isn't just getting snagged on something? Once it snags it typically pulls off center and wedges itself tight. I found that to be a common problem, sometimes cleaning up the underside of the ways will help that.

 

[chippermat]

edit oops I thought he was talking about the ram being sticky, nvm...

The keyway on my Atlas tailstock ram got burred up and made the ram stick in the bore. I used emery cloth to clean up the burs, till the ram moved smoothly in the bore.

 

[JPMacG]

Not a problem on my lathe. Try removing the tails stock and cleaning the surfaces. Maybe yours is jammed up with chips or old grease, or as rabler mentioned the nut plate is going askew. It should slide easily.

 

[Bob Korves]

Also look at the edges of the clamp below the bed. If it has sharp corners, it will try to dig in. Beyond that, make sure that nothing is causing the clamp to be pulled backward as the tailstock goes forward. Loosen the clamp more than just a little, so it does not get trapped by the bottom of the bed when the tailstock is moving. Check the bottom of the bed for burrs, trash and other things that might be grabbing the clamp.

 

[wa5cab]

The tailstocks on the late Atlas and Craftsman moved the clamp bolts to the rear and have a captive nut and wrench. The wrench can only turn the clamp nut 60 or 70 degrees before you must stop moving the wrench, lift the wrench, and swing it in the opposite direction and catch the next stroke. After a few times, it becomes second nature and takes less time to do than it does to describe. Get into the habit of always taking the second stroke of the wrench whenever tightening or loosening the clamp. The 10" and early 12" with the clamp on the front of the tailstock have more room to turn the clamp nut.

However, there can be other causes. First, every time that you use the lathe, the tailstock gib is one of the things that must be oiled. If the problem seems to persist after after oiling the gib, the gib could have been tightened too much or if it gets tight near the right end of the bed, the inner vertical surfaces or the ways may have a little more wear than right at the ends of the ways. And there could be a few thousandths of varnish build-up near the end where the tailstock may seldom if ever slide. This may be visible as a light tan finish whereas the majority of the verticals are bright and shiny. And as Bob mentioned, the clamp hidden under the tailstock may have enough wear that it is catching and jamming. The cure for the latter problem is to remove the captive clamp nut entirely and do a little careful filing on the sharp ends of the flat on the clamp.