frustrating out of round question

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matt112981

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Hi everyone, I have a ridgid mono tube lathe http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/WL1200-Wood-Lathe/EN/index.htm and I didn't have any problems the first couple weeks I had it everything was in round, then I used a small rubber mallet (which I shouldn't have) on the tailstock to seat the tailstock live center and spur center into a spindle I figured since it is cast iron shouldn't hurt it, dumb move... now everything I turn is out of round ,almost in an extremely light "s" shape. I have checked the centers and adjusted the tube and tailstock adjustments and have it lined up, but still out of round:confused: Is there anyway I could have bent the live center out of whack? It seems to be worse at the tail end. Any help would be appreciated. BTW I can't afford a new lathe :tongue: before I hear it. haha

Thanks Matt
 
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NewLondon88

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you could put the live center in the head stock (tape the center to the
taper so it moves when the motor is turned on) that should tell you if
the live center is damaged.
 

matt112981

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What keeps the tailstock centered on the single rail?

Is there a groove?

Yes there is a groove on the bottom of the rail/tube, and a hex head screw inset below the headstock allows you to loosen the rail to adjust it for alignment left to right.
I also noticed the other day the pulley off of the motor was loose so I tightened it but it didn't help the wobble.
 

ed4copies

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When you "tapped" (ok beat the crap out of) the tailstock (as I would do, too, if things were not going well), did you do damage to the part of the tailstock that rides in the channel? (Bottom of the rail)
 

ed4copies

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When you hit the top of the tailstock, your force is magnified by the length of the vertical piece. Where did all this force go? What could it have damaged?
 

matt112981

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When you hit the top of the tailstock, your force is magnified by the length of the vertical piece. Where did all this force go? What could it have damaged?

Good question, but it seems that it is turning true on the headstock end which makes me think my problem is in the tailstock area. Could tools that need sharpening cause out of round/ concentric problems?
 

ed4copies

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Nearly ANYTHING can cause "out of round".

Most common, bad bushings.
Second, bent mandrel.

Have you changed EITHER of these things at the same time you made "slight adjustment" with sledgehammer?
 

matt112981

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Nearly ANYTHING can cause "out of round".

Most common, bad bushings.
Second, bent mandrel.

Have you changed EITHER of these things at the same time you made "slight adjustment" with sledgehammer?

I don't own/ use a mandrel I was just turning between centers. BTW it is a factory live center on tailstock it just a little wheel with a nipple on the end
 

NewLondon88

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BTW it is a factory live center on tailstock it just a little wheel with a nipple on the end

ah. Those should be marked "For Display Purposes Only" :tongue:
For short money you can get a good, hardened 60 degree live center
and make your life easier. There's a few people here who have them.
 

ed4copies

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If you are "turning between centers" using the little pimple on the tailstock, I would guess your piece is moving as you apply pressure with your tool.
 

KenV

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Hey Matt -- I used to have a cousin to that lathe -

The MT in the headstock is listed in the specs as a MT-1 and there is nothing speciified for the tail stock. The live center should be removable as the instructions show a drill chuck mounted in the tail stock.

The one that I had included a MT-1 tail stock and I was able to get a MT-1 live center with a 60 degree angle cone on the end from Little Machine Shop (Littlemachineshop.com). The more standard MT-2 or MT-3 tailstocks will not fit into that lathe is my bet --

If found that the depth off the taper in the tailstock was quite short and I had to shorten the accessories mounting taper to fit with a hacksaw. Short taper depth means chopping off the back end of the taper (and cleaning up any rough edges) to get it to seat without hitting bottom firstt.

60 degree live center will help center the bushings (if you are using regular bushings) and is pretty much required if the bushings have been preped for TBC by fitting them with a 60 degree end taper.
 

matt112981

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Yes, it is a #1mt. I am not using a pen mandrel I am turning between centers and it was working good before the mallet incident...ha, maybe I will try a new 60 degree live center, see if that helps. Thanks for all the info, much appreciated
 

matt112981

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If you are "turning between centers" using the little pimple on the tailstock, I would guess your piece is moving as you apply pressure with your tool.

Yeah it could be, this wood I am using is harder than the stuff I was using before ,hell of a lot more pressure needed to round it.
 

KenV

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If you are "turning between centers" using the little pimple on the tailstock, I would guess your piece is moving as you apply pressure with your tool.

Yeah it could be, this wood I am using is harder than the stuff I was using before ,hell of a lot more pressure needed to round it.


Hey Partner -- that is the prescription that says you are using tools "that could be sharper". With really sharp tools, even the hardest of woods should not need any pressure to cut. The most dense hard woods I turn (snakewood, ebony, desert ironwood) will all cut without pressure with sharp tools. The cuts may be light and those woods take a little longer, but more than light pressure is not needed. If you push tooling into brittle acrylics you will get the dreaded BuZZZZZ of chipping. Try a bit more speed with the harder woods to go with the lighter cuts with scary sharp tools.

take a good look at the ends of your bushings -- there may be a tale of poor fit in the metals.
 

indianabing

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I'm betting on dull tools, you can apply a lot of pressure on the spindle if your tool's are dull. I say sharpen your tools and take lighter cut's, see if things improve.
 
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